1.   The Republican victories came despite a last-ditch effort by the president to help Democratic candidates.

2.   And the Supreme Court has just made it much easier for parties to spend as much as they want to help congressional candidates.

3.   Arnold wanted very much to get involved in helping House candidates.

4.   Bauer added that some Republican officials were unfairly blaming him for their own deficiencies in helping candidates.

5.   Besides handing out cash, DeLay helped GOP candidates by hiring a political consultant to provide campaign tips.

6.   A charge that an outside professional had been hired to help a candidate could be devastating.

7.   But although the state appeared to be leaning Democratic for the presidential ticket, Gore did not seem to have much success helping other candidates.

8.   But although the state stayed in the Democratic column for the presidential ticket, Gore did not have much success helping other candidates.

9.   But he has a rumpled quality about him and he lacks a certain big-city swagger that usually helps job candidates at the Garden.

10.   But not all spending helps all candidates equally.