Word: downplay
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Elections for the Strasbourg-based assembly, once consigned to the status of a European debating society, are fast becoming a bellwether for European politics. Thatcher aides sought to downplay the Tory defeat by arguing that the culprit was domestic discontent with Britain's 15% interest rates and 8.3% inflation. Even critics within her own party scoffed, blaming her Britain- first, anti-European rhetoric at a time when Europe is moving toward economic integration in 1992. Said a Tory backbencher: "She got it drastically wrong...
...interview with TIME last week, Davis sought to downplay the debt issue. "We have the ability and the credibility to manage this debt," he said. "Also, it will not last forever. We will bring it down in time." An avowed cost cutter, Davis strongly denied rumors that he would dismantle Time by selling off its magazine operations to reduce the debt. "We are not going to sell anything," Davis said. "We are not bust-up artists." He also said he would maintain the editorial independence and integrity of Time's books and magazines. "Not only will we maintain editorial independence...
Whether out of embarrassment or conciliation, Foley sought to downplay the incident, calling for an end to this "political Beirut." Barney Frank was less forgiving. Calling the story scurrilous, he warned Republicans, "If they don't cut the crap, something's going to happen, and I'm going to happen it." He knows of five top Republican officials who are homosexual, he says, adding, "My list will be accurate...
Although admissions officials downplay the importance of that difference, critics say it shows that to gain admission to the University, minority students must have better academic qualifications...
...Secretary of State, who appeared surprised at Gorbachev's proposals as he flew out of Moscow, sought to downplay them as much as he could. He repeated that the U.S. saw no point in SNF negotiations until the imbalance between Soviet and U.S. short-range nuclear weapons is reduced by much more than 500, and he claimed that the U.S. has long been urging the Kremlin to make some unilateral cuts. On conventional forces, too, Washington asserted that Moscow was replying to American proposals...