1.   Ambitious politicians have acted as desk-bound warlords, building political clout by accumulating legions of underlings while they climbed the ranks of state and federal ministries.

2.   As lead advisers and lead bankers for Enron, the banks saw the chance to build clout in the merger advisory business.

3.   Nelson Bernauer said he helped organize the convention in the belief that minor parties need to build clout.

4.   Like other parts of the media industry, newspaper companies have been consolidating rapidly in order to build their clout in an increasingly competitive business.

5.   Without having built the clout his father enjoyed, he runs the risk of alienating himself from Republican leaders.