11.  The president and Republican leaders staked out their opening positions on Monday for the budget process of public hearings and backroom deals.

12.  The opening positions seem irreconcilable.

13.  The Republican governor was declaring his opening position in what is sure to be a long, hard piece of bargaining with the Legislature.

14.  They may be posturing or taking an opening bargaining position they expect to abandon, but they do not sound that way.

15.  What he offers is not close enough to NATO demands to be taken as anything but an opening position.

16.  A senior U.S. diplomat said the Israeli decisions should be considered as opening positions for the negotiations.

17.  Both sides have been trying to establish facts on the ground to improve their opening position in the negotiations.

18.  Both sides have been trying to establish facts on the ground to improve their opening positions.

19.  But he suggested it was only an opening position for negotiations.

20.  He said he would continue leading his country as long as his form warranted an opening batting position and the side kept winning.