1.   But with the clock ticking toward the Monday midnight deadline for closing the government, Clinton cast his veto.

2.   By last November, Clinton had regained his support from a public that blamed the GOP for the government closings.

3.   Even disregarding the bad weather and government closings, analysts said, the pace of layoffs has picked up.

4.   Even disregarding the inclement bad weather and the government closings, analysts said, the pace of layoffs has picked up.

5.   Republicans have used the threat of a partial government closing as leverage to bring the White House and Democrats to the negotiating table.

6.   The anti-federal shutdown amendment is an outgrowth of the pair of record government closings during budget battles between Clinton and Capitol Hill during the last session of Congress.

7.   The Passport Office has been heavily taxed with a backlog of requests from the recent government closings.

8.   Until now, the main effects of the impasse have been the government closings and underfinanced federal departments.

9.   Republicans, who received the political blame for the highly unpopular government closings, plan to introduce in the Senate this week a bill that would prevent future shutdowns.