31.   Donald Rumsfeld, a former defense secretary, was named to lead a bipartisan Commission to Assess the Ballistic Threat to the United States.

32.   Favorites for the top post include Alain Madelin, a former finance minister, and Francois Leotard, a former defense minister.

33.   For the retrial, Mrs. Chenoweth persuaded Eisenstein, a former criminal defense lawyer, to try the case for nothing.

34.   Former defense secretary William Cohen had tried to secure a new round of base closings twice and was refused by Congress.

35.   Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld appeared well on his way Thursday to getting the job for a second time.

36.   He also repeats a misconception as he talks about Bush and his running mate, former defense secretary Dick Cheney.

37.   He also described the difference between his campaigning style and that of Cheney, a former defense secretary.

38.   Hallinan, a onetime amateur boxer and former criminal defense lawyer, has long been an outspoken crusader for liberal, if not radical, ideas.

39.   He has forced out moderate members of the government, including a former defense minister, Andrija Hebrang.

40.   He urged his successor, the former Danish defense minister, Hans Haekkerup, who arrives Monday, not to waste time with bureaucratic fine-tuning.