But then the chancellor redoubled the gamble by holding benefits below inflation for years on end, including for the working low-paid and surveys began to register a tentative change of mood.
Before sending troops to Iraq, Mr Koizumi had also dispatched supply ships from Japan's so-called Self-Defence Forces to the Indian Ocean to help with the war in Afghanistan in 2001.Since he came to office last September, Mr Abe has redoubled Mr Koizumi's commitment to Japan's alliance with the United States, but wants to do more than just shelter under America's wing.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (later, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC) condemned the drawings and redoubled its efforts to establish the principle that blasphemy should be barred by law.
Having woken up to the fact that it lost ground to the competition because of lack of innovation, Microsoft has redoubled its development efforts.
And this tempting thought is redoubled by Mr Rehnquist's writings on impeachment.
Yet Stop Norwich UrBanisation, a group that fights "creeping" expansion, has recently redoubled its efforts to halt the construction of 4,000 new homes on prime agricultural land at Rackheath, to the city's north-east.
What are its chances of gaining a new image against companies such as Samsung, and redoubled efforts by Japan's big producers, such as Sony and the Matsushita group, whose brands include Panasonic Andrea Ragnetti, Philips's new marketing boss, thinks it can be done.
This is redoubled by the fact that some banks will not lend to customers not audited by a Big Four firm.
Pakistan responds that its past sacrifices are under-appreciated and future efforts will be redoubled; and takes the money.Similarly, the dialogue with Afghanistan remains stuck in the old tramlines.
But the president dislikes them and seems to think he can do without them, saying, "I don't think individuals who have looted and plundered the country have a place to come and govern again".In recent weeks, the general has redoubled his efforts to unite the PML-Q.
Mr Kim merely redoubled his nuclear efforts, exploding a device inside a mountain in October 2006, despite a 2005 agreement to denuclearise.
