Mr. Maliki acts as if he is backed into a corner these days, said a moderate legislator who recently spent two and a half hours in a private meeting with him.

State legislative contests held in districts drawn by a Proposition 11 commission would be more competitive, leading to voters electing more moderate legislators.

No wonder a number of moderate white legislators joined the coalition in supporting the plan.

Musgrave was one of the most conservative members of the state legislature, often sparring with more socially moderate and liberal legislators.

Further, several moderate legislators in Iran came out publicly in favor of improving relations.

For decades, moderate legislators have had to rescue civil rights bills - from filibusters then and vetoes now.

This morning, Mr. Barnala refused to go, and he won support from his move from his entire faction of moderate Sikh legislators.

The Republicans created their defeat by focusing obsessively on the right-wing "base," ostracizing not only the Democrats but their own party's more moderate legislators.

This, coupled with his earlier support of manumission and African colonization, balanced his support for slavery; most still considered him a moderate legislator.

Nor were there many moderate Republican legislators.