The SDLP deputy leader Dolores Kelly said Mr Ford had surrendered "political principle for political office".
The political principle is straightforward, but it would come at a price.
But they can only block him if they can reasonably claim to be acting on political principle, not out of political pique.
The operating political principle in Washington: Ask for a lot, and ye shall receive more than if ye had asked for a little.
There actually are cultural and economic conditions that would richly reward a right-tilted political party with a suitably re-authenticated grounding in political principle.
"It's one of those rough and ready decisions where you try to marry political reality with principle", he said.
She is given to abrupt changes of direction, suggesting a readiness to abandon principle for political gain.
But by apparently sparing senior bank bondholders, the euro zone has again shown that no principle is above political meddling.
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It was not America's fault that Russia failed to develop an independent judiciary, opting for corruption as the organising principle of its political system.
In the era of leftist political correctness with its founding principle that Western power is evil and that the freedom to harm democracies is inviolate, can democracies defend their security and national interests?
The movie equally indicts high-level Democrats for making decisions based on political calculus rather than on principle, and the mainstream media for denying the outcome of their own research such as the conclusion that if all eligible votes were counted, including 175, 000 unread ballots, Gore would be President.
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The Good Friday Agreement settled the dispute between London and Dublin about sovereignty, with both governments and the major political parties recognising the "principle of consent", namely that it's up to the will of the majority voting in a referendum whether Northern Ireland remains in the UK or becomes part of Ireland.
And, at last, proper credit is given to John Major, who showed the right mixture of steely determination and neat political footwork in pursuing a fundamental principle, a determination to bring Sinn Fein to accept democratic and constitutional means.
But it would establish the principle that adherence to political Islam, with its dreams of a society ruled by Shariah (not to mention a world ruled by a restored caliphate), is incompatible with the terms of the oath of allegiance.
The result of these efforts to subvert fairness from both sides of the political divide is the same moral superiority is forever forfeited by those who would act for immediate if unfair gain without regard for principle or the future political blowback sure to result when setting aside fair play for current benefit.
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For all his talks of principle, Woodward is a political careerist, the paper concludes, and his judgement that power lies with New Labour is telling.
EU's environmental drum-banging at the European Council meeting last week (see article), are the political face of attempts to build that principle into economic policy.
Mr Darby said he also disagreed with the principle of state funding for political parties, but added that all MEPs were entitled to it under the rules.
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We have to put people in principle and evidence ahead of raw political influence.
The devolution of power from Westminster to other parts of the Union is a principle, and not simply a political expedient.
The latest of many laudable examples of President Bush's commitment to principle and fortitude in the face of political adversity was his recess appointment last week of Ambassador Otto Reich to serve as the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Our cultural strength, our political appeal, and most importantly of course, our principle of individual freedom.
It also shows a growing understanding that they may reflect domestic political compulsions or even (whisper it) principle rather than the national interest narrowly defined.
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American financial assistance, however, is in principle linked to substantial progress in economic, political and human-rights reforms, and a review of the assistance programme is expected soon.
Mr. WEN: Well, China's principle stance is always respect the differences of either political-economic systems of other countries, regardless of whether we like it or not.
Quite apart from the political embarrassment of acting against a man who seems motivated by principle, there is also the question of the NSABB's reversal of view.
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In law, he established the principle of judicial review, giving the courts authority over the political branch.
WOZA's guiding principle is "tough love" -- the idea that political leaders in Zimbabwe could use a little discipline.
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In a democratic age populism appeals to political demagogues greedy to secure a majority of votes against elite rivals who on principle refuse to pander to mob passions.
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Mr. Obama endorsed the political ruse he calls the Buffett rule, which asserts as a matter of moral principle that millionaires should not pay a lower tax rate than middle-class wage earners.
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