61.   It certainly began Thursday morning, when congressional Republicans held, in effect, a pep rally to help spur their newly anointed leader to victory in November.

62.   It was intended to be a pep rally.

63.   It was supposed to be a pep rally, laced with drinking and dancing and Argentine light blue.

64.   Jugglers, stiltwalkers, face painters and baton twirlers have been brought in to entertain fans at a pre-game pep rally outside Busch Stadium.

65.   Joseph Lieberman understood the power of a pep rally.

66.   Later that day, Gore introduced the president to an odd pep rally of Democrats on the White House South Lawn.

67.   Last fall, West Point suspended three football players from the team after they were found to have groped female cadets at a pep rally.

68.   Meetings that previously had resembled pep rallies turned into shouting matches, with investors demanding answers, as well as their money.

69.   More important, he has worked with plenty of middle-aged folk too, helping them rediscover something they thought had gone the way of pep rallies and acne.

70.   National political conventions long ago mutated into television shows, then pep rallies, a moment to put forth the best possible face of a candidate.