1.   But the council, the majority of which backs Byrd, never accepted the resignation, an apparent violation of state law.

2.   The Republican majority has backed away from plans to dramatically scale back the food stamp program.

3.   As for the obstruction of justice charge, it is unclear whether at least a majority will back it.

4.   Charles Carrier, a spokesman for the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, declined to say whether the Assembly majority would back the legislation.

5.   Others said they felt abandoned after months of publicly supporting the former federal housing secretary even when the majority of party leaders were backing McCall.

6.   Polls consistently show a clear majority of Americans back the ban.

7.   RJR today said a majority of shareholders backed LeBow in a survey on whether it should immediately spin off Nabisco.

8.   RJR today confirmed that a majority of shareholders backed LeBow in a survey on whether it should immediately spin off Nabisco.

9.   The majority of Luos backed Oginga Odinga, while the Kikuyu vote was divided between Mwai Kibaki and Kenneth Matiba.