1.   Arne Owens, a spokesman for the Christian Coalition, said his group backs legislation like the covenant marriage bill.

2.   Backed by groups ranging from the conservative Free Congress Foundation to the liberal ACLU, lawmakers expressed deep distrust of expanded federal law enforcement authority.

3.   A brawl was averted when the opposition group backed off.

4.   Both conservative and liberal groups backed significant initiatives this year.

5.   Business groups have fervently backed the legislation, saying many federal regulations cost far more than they are worth.

6.   But the group backed down after learning a larger Helix Electric contract already had been approved by the commission and had not been challenged by the council.

7.   Civil liberties groups backed a lawsuit filed Thursday against Internet portal Yahoo Inc., in a case that may become a key test of free speech rights online.

8.   He saw it as a long shot considering that the nonprofit trade group had never backed an athlete.

9.   In recent months, the contractors group backed Transportation Department officials in their opposition of legislative mandates to hire more outside engineers.

10.   In the last presidential election, the group backed Sen. Tom Harkin during the primary campaign before supporting Clinton in his victorious campaign against President Bush.