1.   If it were as bad as its critics contend, our society would be teetering on the edge of extinction.

2.   The critics contend that competition could promote better and cheaper service.

3.   Although he was immensely popular, some critics contend that he was just an illustrator, not an artist.

4.   And some critics contend that the pair allowed the fund to grow too large and unwieldy.

5.   And some critics contend that his campaign is the result of his monstrous ego.

6.   And some critics contended that the defense did a poor job coaching the four officers on their testimony, which the critics said was sometimes hard to believe.

7.   And the critics still contend that the law is flawed in that it requires states to create new programs to encourage jobs without providing money for training or placement.

8.   And the critics contend that the wrongdoing in question has little to do with the creditworthiness of municipal securities.

9.   At the same time, the current five-day waiting period will be replaced by an instant check system that critics contend is fraught with potential problems.

10.   Because VeriSign also owns one of the leading brokers of used names, critics contend that the company has unacceptable conflicts of interest.