He gently chided a questioner who expressed surprise at his ardent defense of human rights and a free-market economy.

His ardent defense of states' rights would have required him to uphold Virginia's anti-miscegenation law, not to mention segregated education, yet he lives with a white wife in Virginia.

And while the official response in the weeks after the Diallo shooting would be characterized most by Mr. Giuliani's ardent defense of the Police Department, his immediate reaction was far more restrained.

Hubbard became a popular lecturer, and his homespun philosophy evolved from a loose William Morris-inspired socialism to an ardent defense of free enterprise and American know-how.

His most devoted fans don't see that as an opportunity for debate, however, or a chance to mount an ardent defense.

He spent his life writing in ardent defense of the human and warning against the perils that would flow from an uncritical embrace of technology.

But despite their ardent defense of their Medicare plans, Republicans were averse to casting a direct vote on the matter that could be used against them in the next election.

They accused the prosecution of seeking to stifle a fair and ardent defense.

Mr. Thain has embarked on an ambitious agenda for the exchange, making an ardent defense of the Big Board's auction-based trading model to regulators and lawmakers.

He also won popularity with his ardent defense of segregation.