Word: clout
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...Kelly, even more than Astaire, saw it as a sacred duty to bring art-dance to the masses, and after many hits he had the clout to persuade the MGM bosses to agree. Balanchine and Agnes De Mille were serious-ing up Broadway; why couldn?t Gene do it in pictures? He could so he did, in "On the Town," "American in Paris" and "Singin? in the Rain." These big climactic numbers didn?t always fit the tone of the story that preceded them; it was like serving Cristal at the end of a frat-house toga party...
...Kelly had bad luck in midlife and later. Betsy left him; his second wife, Jeanne Coyne, whom he?d known since Pittsburgh (and who had previously been married to Donen), died young of leukemia; he lost his knack and clout in Hollywood; and the genre he loved disappeared. So I?d like to think that achieving the nonchalant masterpiece of "Singin? in the Rain" - a greatness that, for once in his career, never revealed whatever agony went into it - gave Kelly immediate and sustaining joy. At one of the many tributes he received late in his life, he said...
...officials have enjoyed a good relationship in the past, and that solidarity is crucial because while Saleh has pledged to cooperate with the international anti-terrorism effort, FBI officials fear he may falter to out of concern for domestic political repercussions. FBI officials know they don't have the clout to convince Saleh to stay the course - so they hope the State Department and the White House will keep the heat on squarely focused on the Yemeni president...
...peace process and was restated as U.S. policy by Secretary of State Powell last October. The sweetener, perhaps, was the notion of "normalization" rather than simply 242's requirements for recognition of Israel and peace. That, and also the prince's suggestion that he would use his considerable political clout to persuade the Arab League to endorse his view...
...world becomes a vastly more dangerous place, some worrisome trends first exposed in the Balkans are being confirmed. Post-cold war defense-spending cuts have left Europe without the military clout to contribute to regional let alone global security. The U.S., on the other hand, just gets stronger. Over the next five years, the largest increase in defense outlays since the Reagan era will see the Pentagon spending more than $2 trillion. Small wonder that Super Power envy - and fear - abounds...