It is very rare for a first-term officeholder to lose a bid for renomination in his own party.

CNN: Play Of The Week

In her loss, McKinney joined Rep. Earl Hilliard, Democrat of Alabama, as the second black lawmaker targeted by Jewish groups to lose a re-election bid in the post-September 11 era.

CNN: Barr, McKinney lose in Georgia primaries

And if he were to lose this battle, he might well be better off launching a takeover bid to acquire all of RBS - to nationalise it fully - than recapitalising the bank through an exercise of the existing rescue mechanism.

BBC: If RBS needs capital, taxpayers will suffer

The new head of NBC sports, Mark Lazarus, might not be so gung ho to bid up the games to a stratosphere where Comcast is guaranteed to lose money.

FORBES: Let the (Olympic Bidding) Games Begin

Political analysts fear that if Bush, who holds a commanding lead in his 1998 re-election bid, has political coattails, Democrats could lose every statewide office on the ballot this year, according to the Washington Post.

CNN: /AllPolitics Election '98

On the other hand, if a new, higher bid fails to sway Dell's board, an investor who buys today could lose money.

WSJ: In Bidding Wars, Retail Investors Can Get Caught in the Crossfire