Sentence:  The fastest way to destroy one's credibility in Ottawa or anywhere else is to <WSD>go to bat</WSD> over something frivolous. I recall Dan McKenzie (Winnipeg South Centre) coming to see me with an article he'd picked up that said metrification would result in a ten-hour day. He even had a picture of the new clock. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Be aggressive, be assertive, actively pursue a goal or action.