President Clinton forced reluctant Republicans to restore disability and health benefits to several hundred thousand legal immigrants as part of the budget agreement announced this week.

In the Senate, they forced Republicans into difficult votes by offering amendments, all rejected, to scale back spending reductions in Medicare and other popular programs.

This approach was aimed at forcing Republicans to make some difficult votes.

The move was clearly intended to force Republicans into the uncomfortable position of going on record as supporting Mr. DeLay just weeks before the November elections.

Or they could allow debate to proceed and then signal their intention to filibuster, forcing Republicans to come up with 60 votes to halt debate.

But he noted that a shortage of money had forced several Republicans out of the contest even before the first votes had been cast.

That would force moderate Republicans into a coalition with progressive Democrats to approve a budget and avoid legislative paralysis.

But population losses would force several upstate Republicans into areas that are unfamiliar to them.

His "stunning victory," he said, would force Republicans everywhere to think twice about the inevitability of Bob Dole.

Now, Mr. Warner's comments are pushing up that timeline, forcing Republicans to confront the issue before some are ready.