Arlen Specter's new ad: Obama with other STUFF (Videos)

Obama for Specter



...but remember the same type of ad was USED for Specter in 2004 promoting former Senator Santorum and of course, President George W. Bush.



I don't know how this race will turn out, but it is obvious from recent polling that Joe Sestak has moved Democrats into his column and is in the lead. Arlen Specter needs heavy black vote to come out in Philadelphia and those Philly suburbs to over take Sestak.

But, I don't care what anyone says, the Joe Sestak ad reminding Democratic Voters who is a REAL DEMOCRAT, does reasonate. I don't care if you do have Barack Obama in your corner, people know who stands with them and who does not. Arlen Specter was a Democrat, before a Republican and is now a Democrat again, ONLY so he can get re-elected. Remember that.



...and of course, the mash up, which makes Specter and the Presidents look SILLY.....



and this from the Sestak Campaign on Arlen Specter's new ad with Obama....



OUCH!!!!

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Pennsylvania Democrats, if the Republicans don't want him, why should the Democrats? (Video)

Arlen Specter cares about ONE THING, keeping his damn job. He switched to the Democratic Party because he would not win in the Republican Primary. Let's not be fooled here by Specter. And the White House position? They support a non-Democrat, period. Vote Joe Sestak the REAL Democrat.

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Race to watch next year: Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak

I still don't know why Obama/Biden got involved with Specter switching parties.

Well, yes, I do. Arlen Specter has been Joe Biden's friend for years, but how this went down just don't feel right with Democratic voters.

The switcheroo of Specter is documented, he was a Democrat in the 60's (he has done this before) and switched parties to the Republicans. Now, for the senate vote sake and a very tough Republican primary coming up, he was convinced to switch back to the Democratic Party with plenty of Obama covering.

I don't care about anyone switching parties for whatever the reasons, but Specter outright said he was switching because of the possibility of losing in the Republican Primary. See, the Republicans are fighting amongst themselves on who is more conservative, which means the right winged fringe have out weighed the moderates in the Republican Party.

“I’m not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate, not prepared to have that record decided by that jury,” Mr. Specter declared in a rather defiant tone at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

And the polls are continuing to show Congressman Joe Sestak closing the gap on Specter. Remember, Specter must get through the Democratic Primary, the same dilemma that Hillary Clinton faced with Barack Obama. Yes, President Obama can swope in and say, "Vote for a know quantity, Arlen Specter", but Pennsylvanians already know this quantity and the Republicans don't like him and the Democrats don't like being told that they must vote for a turn coat Republican. That is Specter's dilemma.

Barack Obama and Ed Rendell were delighted when they convinced Sen. Arlen Specter to switch parties earlier this year. But now that coup falls into the category of "be careful what you wish for," because the president and the governor of Pennyslvania have a problem on their hands: Arlen Specter. Here's the problem: Specter is up for re-election next year, and he was promised the full campaign backing of Obama and Rendell--not just in the general election but in the primary next May, if there was one. Well, there is one, and it is shaping up as a fierce one, against Rep. Joe Sestak, who represents the Philly suburbs. Specter, a notoriously tough and nasty campaigner, will expect his two big backers to support him to the hilt. And Specter, a 79-year-old cancer survivor with enough fortitude for the three of them, has leverage: he's the "60th vote" in the Senate. Read one way, Specter has no choice but to support Obama down the line; read another, Specter has the power, should things get ugly, to snarl the president's legislative agenda.

This is the primary to watch.

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Obama, Biden raising funds for Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Well, this is going to be a hotly contested senate race on the Democratic side.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D) will welcome President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to Pennsylvania in the coming months as he looks to build his financial lead in his race for reelection.

The president will attend a Sept. 15 fundraiser for Specter at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, while the vice president will join the new Democrat for an event in Western Pennsylvania later this fall.

Fundraisers for Specter's campaign hope to raise $2.5 million during the event in Philadelphia, according to an e-mail invitation obtained by the Philadelphia Daily News. The event has already raised $600,000, and backers have committed another $700,000 to organizers, wrote David Cohen, executive vice president of Comcast and a major Specter donor.

Obama and Biden both pledged to support Specter after he bolted the Republican Party in late April. Biden, who as a Delaware senator had a close working relationship with his Pennsylvania colleague, had long worked to convince Specter to jump ship.

"We asked the president to help us [by] campaigning with us and doing a fundraiser, and they were gracious enough to say yes," Chris Nicholas, Specter's campaign manager, told The Hill. read more here....

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When you go on Hardball, please have your facts together against Lawrence O'Donnell (Video)

Katy Abrams, I am talking to you, from Arlen Specter's town hall meeting. If you have to read your scripted answers on television from a piece of paper, maybe you don't really know what you are talking about. Katy Abrams proved today what a ditto head is all about. And O'Donnell was KIND.

YouTube

And this rambling about rationing of TOILET PAPER, no shit....



And read this, more insight

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The man from Arlen Specter's town hall disruption yesterday is totally confused and on TALKING POINT MODE (Video)

From Dylan Ratigan's Morning Meeting...the gentleman is CLEARLY confused and is just rattling on incoherently...some things he said was blatently wrong, from yesterday....

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Wingnuttia, Crazies, Misinformed people at Senator Arlen Specter's town hall in Lebanon, PA (Video)

all this went down this morning and it was truly an eye opener....lots of misinformation, "we want our country back" and angry white men....

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Specter debunks the "death panel", thanks, Sarah!!



They hate President Obama....



Card Check, these folks don't like unions...again, know your history, we would not have paid days off, weekends off, HEALTH CARE, without the FIGHT of the UNION....and Cap and Trade? It will send jobs to China and India? HELLO? The jobs are already THERE, dude!!



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For me, this is why Senator Arlen Specter should be primaried OUT by Congressman Joe Sestak (video)

h/t jed @ Daily Kos



Forget these fair weather friends, who come sniffing around when the heat in their kitchen becomes TOO HOT.

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Out with the old, In with the new

That is what the battle for the senate Democratic nomination will end up being about in Pennsylvania.

Again, I don't know if Obama/Biden made a wise pick in standing with and supporting Arlen Specter. For those who don't know who he is, he is the Republican that switched to the Democratic Party once the polling indicated that he would lose in his Republican Primary.

Enter Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Vice Admiral, a current congressman, and the one who is going to give Arlen Specter a run for his money.

President Obama and Vice President Biden will have to literally pull Specter across the finish line when this is said and done, I think. The words and battle lines are being drawn and Democrats are not that crazy about Specter jumping from one party to another because he was afraid of defeat.

There is something to "earning your way" that will be very relevant when the primaries come around for Specter. And Specter just has not earned his way here.

Verbal attacks are flying between Senator Arlen Specter and Representative Joe Sestak in the battle for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s senate seat, suggesting that the contest will become one of the more vicious for next year’s midterm elections.

Mr. Specter, a moderate Republican who became a Democrat in April because he was losing badly in polls to conservative challenger Pat Toomey, issued his first response on Thursday to a steady drumbeat of recent attacks from Mr. Sestak.

Mr Specter called his opponent a “flagrant hypocrite” because, like Mr. Specter, he wasn’t always a member of the Democratic Party.

“Congressman Sestak is a flagrant hypocrite in challenging my being a real Democrat when he did not register as a Democrat until 2006 just in time to run for Congress,” Mr. Specter said in a statement. “His lame excuse for avoiding party affiliation, because he was in the service, is undercut by his documented disinterest in the political process,” he said, citing records that show Mr. Sestak voted in just 12 out of 35 elections from 1971-2005.

On Monday, Mr. Sestak fired back in an e-mail message to supporters.

“Arlen has decided to start running his ‘GOP negative style campaign’ against us!” Mr. Sestak said. He was a registered Independent during his 35-year naval career, he said, “because, like Generals Colin Powell and Wesley Clark - who were also registered as Independents, I believe it is important that military officers should be nonpartisan.” read more here....

Source

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OH, NOES!!! Obama may have to put on his campaign shoes "sooner" than "later" for Specter

Arlen Specter was promised an easy ride through the Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania, since he felt he could not win the Republican Primary.

Well, Congressman Joe Sestak has been out there questioning, "Why Specter should be the de-facto candidate for the Democrats? Especially for his convenience?"

New polling is showing that the Pennsylvanians are thinking like Sestak and Obama and Biden may have to start stumping earlier than later, with Governor Rendell trying to whip folks in order for Specter.

In our Friday interview, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) called into question the idea that Pennsylvania Democrats will be automatically loyal to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) just because he's the de facto incumbent. "Does that automatically buy loyalty--because you changed an R to a D--from those within the party?" Sestak asked, rhetorically.

"Well actually it appeared to do so within the wash political establishment, which was quite disturbing, but I think that's a long haul from where Pennsylvanians will be."

And, as it turns out, a new poll (PDF) suggests there's some evidence for this claim.

As you may know, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter recently switched from Republican to Democrat. Should Arlen Specter be the Democratic nominee for the 2010 election for US Senate or should he face a challenge from one or more other Democrats in the primary?

Specter should be nominee 28%
Specter should face challenge 63%
Undecided 32 09%

Democrats don't fall in line as Republicans do. I see Specter having problems in Pennsylvania.

TPM

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Joe Sestak: The machine is coming after you for running against Arlen Specter.

Not an Ed Rendell fan. If you don't know, he is Governor of Pennsylvania. Straight up old school, runs it like the Chicago style politics, machine style politics. We already know the White House wants Sestak to re-consider running against Specter.

Why?

Because he, Specter, was promised an easy primary. The one major reason why Specter switched to the Democratic Party is because he read the tealeaves in the Republican waters. He was going to lose the Republican Primary, he even stated this fact. Period. So, he jumped ship and his friend, Vice President Biden, helped him up on the Democratic boat.

I am not a Specter fan, but he is in the Democratic Party. Stating this, Specter should not expect a free ride to victory, I don't care what was promised him. Sure, plenty politics being played here, but even Obama will admit that you must work for the nomination and that it should not be GIVEN TO ONE. Even Obama gets that message.

Joe Sestak has every right to run. He has over 3M in the bank and there are many out there who are willing to listen to what he has to say. His background is impeccable, he is a former Navy Admiral and don't think the military will not come to his aid, they will. Furthermore, the unions in Pennsylvania are tired of the wishy-washy ways of Specter, they are talking to Sestak.

No nomination is in the bag. If that is so we would be talking about President Hillary Clinton. If Sestak believes he has a chance, go for it. Arlen Specter get ready, the fight is on.

Final point. Expect President Obama to stump for Specter, it was their agreement, just as Specter must deliver his votes on Obama's agenda in the senate. It is strictly politics.

From the Ed Show:

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Former Governor Tom Ridge (R) will not run for the senate seat in Pennsylvania, from Hardball (Video)

This is a break for Senator Arlen Specter, as Ridge a pro-choice Republican and well liked, respected in the state would have given him a run for his money. This leaves the Democratic Primary and Congressman Joe Sestak is ready to go.

Ridge: "We Have To Be Less Judgmental"

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Specter gets a subcommittee chairmanship, BIG WHOOP....

Lucky he got that, imo. And my senator, Dick Durbin is gracious, as always.

Senate Democrats gave party switcher Arlen Specter a plum Judiciary subcommittee chairmanship on Thursday as a potential primary challenger to the veteran Pennsylvania lawmaker stepped forward.

Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said he would give up his chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs subcommittee in exchange for becoming chairman of a panel on human rights. The move, he said, would "best utilize Senator Specter's talents and experience in our caucus."

Senate Democrats gave party switcher Arlen Specter a plum Judiciary subcommittee chairmanship on Thursday as a potential primary challenger to the veteran Pennsylvania lawmaker stepped forward.

Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said he would give up his chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs subcommittee in exchange for becoming chairman of a panel on human rights. The move, he said, would "best utilize Senator Specter's talents and experience in our caucus."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., indicated later that the deal was not final and had to be worked out.

The move came as Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., a former Navy vice admiral, said he's seriously considering a challenge to Specter in next year's Pennsylvania primary.

"The Democratic political establishment reached into the GOP establishment to give us the Democratic candidate for the future. I don't think we want to re-establish the establishment," Sestak said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"It's not theirs to make, it's ours to make. That's really what moved me. It's the ideal. It's not what we came to Washington to do is tell Pennsylvanians what they are to do in their Democratic choices."

Yes, Joe Sestak is looking more likely to challenge Specter for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania. As, Sestak has indicated, "We Don't Need The GOP's Benedict Arnolds." Indeed, the fight is on.

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Again, I told you about Specter...............

Today Arlen Specter, the new Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania is cheering for Norm Coleman, to win the senate seat in Minnesota!!! But as he performed his oopsy, Specter then had to back pedal.

With your departure from the Republican Party, there are no more Jewish Republicans in the Senate. Do you care about that?

I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.

Of course, our new Democratic Senator had to profusely back pedal his statement and state categorically that it was one of those infamous times that he “misspoke”.

“In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates,” he said. “I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke.”

Asked who he’s backing now in elections, Specter said, “I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal.”

I don’t know about you, but Specter is a fair weathered Democrat at best and I am being kind here. I don’t know if it is his age or what, but the cheerleading should be for his new team, not for the team he just left!!

One thing is for DAMN SURE, I definitely agree with kos:

What the hell? He's so devoid of any conviction that one day, justice requires Coleman to be declared the winner, and the next day, it doesn't?

He's an empty, hollow, shell of a man. There is just one value that drives him -- political self-preservation.

But we have one thing in common. We both are looking for more Democratic members. That's why I hope Sestak primaries his ass.

Amen on all that!!

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Specter knows where his bread is buttered

Specter is no dummy but a savvy politician. Yes, his leaping to the Democratic side is only to save his moderate hide, but polling numbers usually don't lie.

The new Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania finds that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) is in fairly decent shape going into his 2010 election campaign post-party switch, but there could be some vulnerabilities for Republicans to exploit if they play their cards right.

Against Pat Toomey, the conservative former Congressman whose primary challenge spurred Specter's switch, Specter leads in the general election by a whopping 53% to 33%. Specter's calculation appears to be correct, that he would have lost a Republican primary to Toomey but would also win big in a general election.

If the GOP wants to pick up this seat, stash the right winger Toomey in a closet and get behind former Governor Tom Ridge. The real question is this, can Republicans stomach the pro-choice Ridge? For me, he should have been the VP for McCain, but again the Republicans were too afraid to make the leap. After losing so badly in November 2008, can the Republicans make the break and starting in Pennsylvania?

However, it's a different story when put up against moderate former GOP Gov. Tom Ridge. Here Specter leads by only 46% to 43%. The question appears to be whether the Republicans can successfully nominate a moderate who would be a stronger candidate, or whether Toomey is guaranteed a win based on heavy conservative support.

The checks-and-balances argument could potentially have some cache for the GOP, based on this question: "With Arlen Specter switching to the Democratic Party, the Democrats could have enough votes in the Senate to block any filibusters by the Republicans. Do you think that is a good thing or a bad thing?" Only 41% said this was a good thing, and 49% said it was a bad thing. This is despite President Obama's 66%-29% approval rating, too.

On the other hand, two other questions show that Specter is in good shape. First, his approval rating is 56%-36%. Second, check out the response on this question: "Some people say that by switching to the Democratic party Senator Specter is being disloyal to the Republican Party. Do you agree or disagree?" An answer of agreement on this question is basically a tautology -- and yet only 39% said so, to 57% who disagreed.

Arlen Specter does not bring nothing to the Democratic Caucus. He made this leap to save his political career and is depending deeply on the Obama machine or magic, but can he survive against Ridge? If the Republicans were smart, Ridge would be the perfect test for that party to break with the far right wing and stand with a pro-choice moderate.

And any Specter challenge? Congressman Sestak is meeting with SEIU President Andy Stern, today.

Interesting.

Source

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I told you about Specter......(Update)

Arlen Specter switching to the Democratic Party was last week's bombshell. I wrote that it would change NOTHING, but only expose the more rapid pus that is running from the Republican sores right now. Specter's leaving was an embarrassment to the Republican Party that continuing to say NO with no countering ideas, continued negativity, repeated hate mongering will not help their cause, thus the independents and moderates have left that party, at least for now.

Specter was welcomed with open arms by the Democrats, but as I wrote he brings nothing new to the table and as we heard him this morning on Meet the Press, he showed us he is nothing new.

GREGORY: It was reported this week that when you met with the president, you said, "I will be a loyal democrat. I support your agenda." Let me test that on probably one of the most important areas of his agenda, and that's health care. Would you support health care reform that puts up a government run public plan to compete with a private plan issued by a private insurance company?

SPECTER: No. And you misquote me, David. I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that. And last week, after I said I was changing parties, I voted against the budget because the budget has a way to pass health care with 51 votes, which undermines a basic Senate institution to require 60 votes to impose closure on key issues.... I did not say I am a loyal Democrat.

No one should be surprised at what Specter said on Meet the Press, I am not. He is a moderate, who was a Democrat, who switched to the Republican Party in the 60s, but switched back to the Democratic Party only because his Republican Primary looks pretty grim and having the backing of the Democratic Party will only help him going forward. Specter said up front that he is not going to vote the party line, we saw that this week.

It's quite a start for Specter's career in Democratic politics, isn't it? In the four whole days he's been a Democrat, Specter has voted against the Democratic budget, rejected a Democratic measure to help prevent mortgage foreclosures and preserve home values, announced his opposition to the president's OLC nominee, and this morning rejected a key centerpiece of the Democratic health care plan.

This is the New Democrat that Obama and Biden are embracing. This New Democrat came out on television and said he would oppose any public offering of health care that would challenge insurance companies. This is the New Democrat that has all of Washington, D.C. talking about. The only thing new about him is that he wants the Obama Machine to save his you know what.

On the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow for easier unionization, Specter strongly suggested -- as he did during the speech announcing his party switch -- that he would support a filibuster of the legislation. "I'm still against that bill," he said. "Democrats are all for it. Republicans are all against it. I'm the critical vote. If I see that there are other issues where I feel a matter of conscience, I will continue a filibuster against legislation."

On a public option for health insurance -- which conservatives claim will end the private market, but most observers say could bring down the costs of coverage for millions of Americans -- Specter said he would be in opposition. "That's what I said and that's what I meant," he added later, when asked if he would vote "no" on public health care.

Well, he is nothing new to me. Arlen Specter may be admired and loved in Washington, D.C. but what about Pennsylvanians? If he is going to switch to be a Democrat, one would think he would be more in the Democratic mind of thinking. I don't expect any politician to walk lock step for any administration; we had that last time around and see where it got us, but to switch means that your mode of thinking must bear some fruit of the Democratic thinking. For me, Specter does not.

Specter only cares about the CYA, y'all. Covering that you know what when the primary and general season is upon him in 2010. He gets the lavish opportunity to have President Obama campaign for him during the primaries and general. He does not have to worry about the warped Republican Primaries, which continues to challenge the moderate likes of Specter, to have a right winger to win, only to lose in the general. He does not have to worry about that.

In the end though, one must sit back and pause, just to ask the question, is Specter worth it? Right now, I don't think so.

I am hearing the small but ardent pattering of feet, chanting "Sestak". We will see.

{UPDATE)

The Philadelphia Inquirer has the information on the internal polling numbers of the poll Specter's office took and the real reason that all of a sudden he is a Democrat.

Source

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Specter, WATCH OUT, Sestak looks better by the day to be the Democratic Nominee in Pennsylvania (Video)

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Obama, Biden and Specter gives a presser (Video)

MSNBC Video

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The deal with Arlen Specter

Yes, it was a bombshell that happened yesterday. Senator Arlen Specter has crossed the line and denounced the Republican Party and joined the Democratic Party. But what does this all mean?

First, Arlen Specter as every member of congress is a politician first and foremost, don't forget that. He has read the polling numbers, saw the Obama train register people in his state at record clip, and know that it would be tough to beat former Rep. Toomey in the Republican primary. With the Republican numbers shrinking all over this country, beating Toomey would have been tough.

Enter Specter’s friend, Vice-President Joe Biden who has been working out at the Senate gym and talking to his friend to join us. Nothing hits a person like reality and the facts. The facts were that things looked grim for Biden's friend; the reality is that he likes being a senator, loves his job in Washington, DC, and wants to stay. So, Specter became a Democrat.

What does it mean? Well, deals are not brokered in the open. Specter gets the Democratic establishment behind him in the primary and most importantly the general election for fall 2010. Specter also gets President Obama to campaign for him during his campaign and the Obama machine. Did he get a chairmanship deal? No, but he has seniority and don't expect him not to get one.

Does this stink? Depend on which roses you smell. This helps the Democrats in the senate, but does not change much. Specter is a moderate. Does this help the Republicans? No. It exposes a puss on a sore that is leaking very badly now. The northeastern part of this state has NO CONGRESS MEMBERS but for the lady senators of Maine. The Republican Party is not a big umbrella, it is a narrow minded party that expects you to tow the line, damned if you have an independent streak, you must tow the line. For many moderates in the Republican Party that is difficult because if you vote for the stimulus package as Specter did, you are called every name in the book but the Son of God. That is the problem for the Republican Party. They have not expanded, they have not brought in new folk, they have not outreached to the young, have turned off the African-American vote, have repeated hate speech to the Hispanic vote, and does not like ANYONE if you are not with THEM. Sounds familiar does it? This party has shrunk to a small hard line conservative, right winged nuttery party. Specter is no fool, he bounced.

I welcome Specter. I know what this means. I know what his vote means, whether I like it or not. This means in the end that the Republican Party is nothing but a southern regional party and does not know how to communicate to the whole of the country. Right now the Republican Party is totally irrelevant.

Remember, the Democratic Party is a big tent. You only have to remember the look of the two conventions last summer. That says it all about where this country is really at and Specter got the message.

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Ed Schulz on the Republicans, ".....your party is very white....." (Video)

Yep, he went there....

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