1.   But merger opponents said the executives were ignoring the potential monopolistic power the new company would have as more people switched to high-speed cable connections to reach the Internet.

2.   But merger opponents say that very combination of content, cable and online access will lead to a new kind of monopoly.

3.   But merger opponents have questioned the very underpinnings of the co-ops.

4.   CEO Carly Fiorina and chief merger opponent Walter Hewlett scheduled news conferences, but a definitive vote count appeared weeks away.

5.   Chester, Steinhardt and other merger opponents said that as of Wednesday, they believed a clear majority had not yet emerged.

6.   Harlan Levinson of Los Angeles, a merger opponent, doubts regulators would find answers that favor stopping the marriage.

7.   Merger opponents also said they could delay the merger for several months, costing the banks millions of dollars.

8.   David Katz, president of Matrix Asset Advisors and a merger opponent, said the decision comes at a time when investors are looking for independence on corporate boards.

9.   They include commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky, who in recent days has met with merger opponents to hear their lingering fears.

10.   Hewlett Packard said Tuesday that shareholders approved the hotly contested merger with Compaq, but the result was swiftly disputed by merger opponents as premature.