1.   Almost every New York mayor in recent history has moaned about federal, state and judicial rules that hamper his ability to control the city.

2.   And that can only hamper their ability to absorb, comprehend, and, yes, savor the unsettling nature of good art.

3.   Bush has long said he would extricate the United States from the missile treaty if it hampers his ability to conduct extensive missile shield tests.

4.   But law-enforcement officials said that the revisions would severely hamper their ability to combat fraud.

5.   But other measures suggest that financial pressures have hampered the ability of medical schools to adapt to changes in medicine.

6.   But the criticism and the controversy has not hampered his ability to win.

7.   But the report also indicates how much the discord that has wracked the civil rights group in recent years has hampered its ability to raise money.

8.   But Verniero exhibited signs of Post-Profiling Stress Syndrome, an affliction of New Jersey politicians that hampers the ability to confront the issue.

9.   California faces a lagging economy and voter initiatives that hamper the ability to raise taxes.