Many of the prominent early backers of the Commons are young, wealthy entrepreneurs who made their billions in high-tech.

(He was a prominent backer of Ralph Nader's presidential campaign.)

"They trotted out the icons of the Republican past," said a prominent backer of Mr. Bush.

Obviously, she is Buchanan's most prominent black backer.

Scott Company, with one prominent Brown backer, was accused of using a phony minority front company to secure an airport construction project.

Maris was a bishop of Chalcedon in the 4th century and a prominent backer of Arianism.

The union was a prominent backer of Al Gore, the Democratic nominee, in the 2000 presidential election.

Boris Berezovsky, who controlled major stakes in several banks and the national media, emerged as one of Yeltsin's most prominent backers.

One by one, prominent backers of the bills dropped off.

His reluctance forced the most prominent backer of the fund, the widow of a former Prime Minister, to resign in protest this spring.