41.   Critics have countered that expansion would alienate Russia and strengthen the hand of Russian nationalists who have made the move a domestic political issue.

42.   Domestic politics in Israel make the necessary concessions difficult to grant, and Arab terrorist attacks strengthen the hand of the hard-liners.

43.   Every moment that passed strengthened his hand in dealing with Republicans in the end-of-the-year appropriations struggle.

44.   Executives close to Fuchs said they believed that the campaign was designed to strengthen the hand of Morris in running Warner Music.

45.   For his part, Bush asserts that banning soft money would hurt the Republican Party by strengthening the hand of labor unions, which typically support Democrats.

46.   He rarely made partisan appeals for voters to elect a Democratically-controlled Congress to strengthen his hand in a second term.

47.   Her hand has been strengthened immeasurably because of the backing she commands from Orrin Hatch, one of the chief critics of her chronic passivity on campaign finance.

48.   His comment has clearly strengthened the hand of the hard-liners and forced reformers to prove their patriotism by denouncing the United States.

49.   He would have to shuffle the cabinet, and that may strengthen his hand.

50.   Her departure leaves Democrats without a clear front-runner and strengthens the hand of the likely Republican nominee, Attorney General Dan Lungren.