Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, accompanied his call for nuclear weapons reductions with a full-throated endorsement of a far more expansive missile defense system than that being explored by the Clinton administration.

Sandwiched between Mr. Clinton and the former presidents in turns at the microphone, Mr. Gore, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, appeared reluctant to give his full-throated endorsement.

By contrast, Mr. Gore gave it a full-throated endorsement in his remarks to this mostly black audience.

And Mr. Clinton's new Labor Secretary, Robert B. Reich, gave a full-throated endorsement to legislation that would require employers to give workers time off for childbirth or family illness, insuring quick approval of a bill twice vetoed by Mr. Bush.

Huntsman did not exactly give a full-throated endorsement.

Julio E. Urrutia, 44, a supporter of Mrs. Clinton who asked about the Vieques bombing range, did not give Mr. Lazio the kind of full-throated endorsement as the "Rigatoni With Rick" crowd in Rochester did.

Voters gave a full-throated endorsement to public education.

This is going to be a full-throated endorsement of unity.

It was considerably less than a full-throated endorsement, but Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani finally informed the city yesterday of his intention to vote for Senator Bob Dole in Thursday's New York primary, mildly suggesting that fellow Republicans consider doing likewise.

So Romney's damned with faint praise, both by this newspaper, and by Huntsman's less than full-throated endorsement.