lay down the marker

The President needs to lay down the markers and get us back on the economic side that brought us to power."

In a sense, the ban lays down the marker for the next battle in the abortion wars: the 2004 presidential election.

As for covert action, these hearings laid down the marker for the final switch of the pronunciation of covert.

And Mr. Putin laid down the markers of how Russia might respond if it turns out that Mr. Bush had feigned cooperation.

"He's laying down the marker that we want to stay engaged," said Robert D. Hormats, an investment banker who was a a senior State Department official in Republican and Democratic administrations.