The endorsement took some of the luster off Mr. Pataki's day spent portraying himself as a champion of children.

In rousing speeches, Long portrayed the Arkansas senator as a champion of the working people and an opponent of big business.

His stance on teachers once again allowed Mr. Klein to portray himself as a champion of autonomy and authority for principals.

Yet Mr. Estrada also portrayed himself as a champion of the poor, riding that theme to a landslide victory in 1998.

She is a charismatic speaker, skillful at demonizing her opponents and portraying herself as a lonely champion of the downtrodden.

She has visited several dozen schools since announcing her candidacy and portrayed herself as a champion of teachers, while calling for more rigorous teacher training.

A political veteran, Mrs Simpson-Miller is known for her plain-spoken style and portrays herself as a champion of the poor.

With considerable skill, he portrayed himself as a populist champion who would enable small investors to earn their rightful places in the world.

As a politician, Walker successfully portrayed himself as a champion of small farmers and the working class.

President Chirac often tries to portray France as a champion of European integration and blames other countries for any perceived lack of enthusiasm.