Some in Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson's hometown want to delay erecting a statue of the Senator.
As some of you may know, the city of McCook, Nebraska, hometown to Earl Benjamin Nelson, decided to erect a statue to honor Nebraska's senior Senator, to be placed on the front lawn of his boyhood home.
The statue will feature a young Nelson, just being honored as an Eagle Scout -- flanked by his parents.
Well, after Nelson's Health Care re-form bill vote, at a City Council meeting a proposal was floated to delay erecting the statue.Dick Trail, former councilman, county commissioner and current columnist in the McCook Gazette "asked for a delay of the artwork, in light of recent sentiment." But...
That would not be possible, responded City Attorney Nate Schneider, as the contract designates that the sculptures be completed by a specific date.
Mark Graff, treasurer of the Nebraska Community Foundation, weighed in and said he understood that many people may feel disappointed with Nelson now, but from the Foundation's standpoint, the artwork signifies more than just the senator but the importance of family and community involvement on youth.The Council has also received a number of calls demanding that no city funds be used for the artwork.
None will be used.
(Unless we can get Harry Reid on the line, pronto!)**Update at 8:00 AM Festivus morn***
Read the OWH's version here.
Posts
95 comments:
I think the citizens of McCook did not want Patty Murray or Barbara Boxer being honored in their community.
Please let us know when the unveiling ceremony will be. I think I'd like to be there. Maybe I'll bring a sign to, you know, honor Senator Nelson.
The Nebraska Republican Party is holding activities in Washington Benedict's hometown of McCook on January 22 and 23, 2010. Giving Ben the Boot starts in his hometown. We were hoping his shrine would have been erected in time so we could have a vigil or something. Oh well. We'll make do. All conservatives are welcome!
They need to put some spinners on the display, gotta pimp his ride.
You stay classy Herr Fahleson...
We could all use a metal Festivus pole right about now...
The Nelson sculpture will be titled “On my honor.''
YOU HAVE NO HONOR SIR, YOU LIED TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS!!! A SCOUT IS TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL, BRAVE, THRIFTY
We should apply the Scout Oath to your action E. Benjamin Nelson
google "Mark Fahleson Jon Benet Ramsey"
I have a better one yo Google "Ben Nelson Liar"
Mine is more relevant
Merry Christmas everyone, except for the 122 Americans that'll die today and the 122 tomorrow because they don't have health insurance. But then again what does "Nebraska Right To Life" have to do with people dying because they don't have access to healthcare?
1000's die each day while denied treatment or misdiagnosed in a Socialized Medicine country. I thank Christ on this holiday I live in a free country where SEIU poster can post their crap and lies. MERRY CHRISTMAS JANE
So will any journalist ask Ben Nelson who wrote his Abortion language in the Senate bill???
Judas Kleeb, sorry that facts contradict the alternate reality you live in. The so-called "socialist medicine" countries have much better outcomes than we do and at a lower cost. My Christmas wish is that my friends on the right adhere to the Moynihan motto: "You can choose your opinions, not your facts."
Get over it, Repubes. McCain/Palin...got beat. Pete "Gazillionaire" Ricket....got beat. You lost the Senate and House, the Dems didn't win it.
If my kid's T-ball team acted like you all do after losing, I'd tell their parents to give em a spanking and sit em in the corner.
On the other hand, when Johanns is honored, I'll probably bitch when they put his statue up in Iowa.
I can see it now, Little Mikey milking a cow. The inscription reads, "Someday, when I grow up, I'm gonna leave this teat, and live off the teat of the taxpayer forever!"
To: B. Boxer: SS doesn't like links but you can google these two stories for the low-down on what happened last Friday afternoon/eve in Reid's office on abortion language.
politico.com "In The End It All Came Down To Abortion"
AP, "Abortion Deal May Be Hard To Keep In Health Bill"
Boxer, Murray, PP and NARAL have all come out with similar statements about it not being perfect but something they can live with. (right) Nelson told me he hit on it somewhere in the process when he took a piece of paper, drew a line down the middle and said let's have two plans. Didn't make any sense when he was explaining it to me but then I'm not an insurance wonk. That's why I kept asking him to let NRLC vet it.
"Whenever I'm in Washington and I've got a decision to make I always ask myself how does it affect McCook, how does it affect Nebraska, and then how does it affect our country?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYhEtnIBYIU
Really, Benedict??
Realy, Ted K. Cancer detections are lower and mortality rates are higher in Europe and Canada. Also older people are denied live saving sugeries and chalk it uop in their stats as "death by natural causes". Why do their leaders and wealthy come here??? Have you ever been to a Detroit hospital??? Lot's of Canadians!!!!
I think we should all pray that Congressman Stupak and every prolife Democrat in the House refuse to "settle" for anything less than their original, hard fought, prolife language before voting on final passage.
Heck, we could pray that they will see how horrible this Bill is for medicine in our Country and vote against it regardless, but as we all know, they are all afraid of Nancy Pelosi. The reason they fought so hard on the anti abortion language is that they are still more afraid for their souls, than their heads.
Who said, "Heads will roll!" anyway?
Julie,
So your only objection to the bill was on the specific abortion language included/not included? Did NRTL get to "vet" the preposterous taxes, the lack of any real private market competition, no malpractice lawsuit reform or no repeal of antitrust exemption for the health insurance companies? So if no federal tax dollars went to fund abortion, NRTL was in support of passage? If the answer to any/all of the above is "Yes", then you deserved to be "betrayed"...along with the rest of us taxpayers for working with the Benator in the first place.
1345.627 Americans die daily from brain aneurisms because of over- exposure to phony statistics. Please help save your fellow citizens, and avoid posting bogus manufactured numbers such as the number of Americans who die because of a lack of health insurance.
Do it for the children!
Mark Failson, you're brilliant. Been joking about Jon Benet Ramsey again lately?
"In August, the council accepted the gift of $70,000 through the McCook Foundation, from the Nebraska Community Foundation, for the statue." - McCook Gazette (12/18/2009)
Ben Nelson is an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Community Foundation. It would be interesting to see who actually funded this statue.
Ivan you can bet Ben didn't spend one penny of his own money on it. While he throws around billions of other people's money, he's legendary for being a tightwad with his own.
Geosuser: Since you are anonymous I guess I wouldn't know if you work through your own interest groups to advocate for your beliefs on particular bills. Nebraska Right to Life's issue in healthcare revolves largely around abortion language and rationing of lifesaving medical treatment (which we didn't even get to address.) Abortion was the main issue we (National Right to Life and Nebraska Right to Life) were in front of Sen. Nelson about and yes, I did bring up other issues with him during our phone call such as the Christmas timeline, being rushed to pass something without having language properly vetted as well as the other issues that seemed to pop up in the last week that apparently now held equal, if not more, weight with him than abortion language. Once again, we are a single issue organization. If you are not working through the GOP or any of the numerous other advocacy groups out there which sprung up to oppose Obamacare, then I'm not sure why you're blaming NRL and NRLC for at least advocating on the issues which are under our purview. Again, since you hide behind anonymity, how would I know what your role was to stop something that you strongly believed needed stopping and whether you are guilty of the same accusation you point at me and NRL/NRLC?
Julie, how dare you speak out about anything without my permission. Now that you've betrayed Nelson I am the only thing keeping you relevant in Nebraska politics. You speak when and where I tell you to. Here's a warm glass of shut the heck up!!
Now, go fix me a turkey pot pie!!
Julie- I heard you had an interesting conversation on Facebook with Nordquist. To bad he took it all down.
I hope you are there when he, mello, and snow plow conrad/nantkes are running.
Senator Nelson appears to be concerned about NE, just kidding...
Via Red State:
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/12/23/we-have-the-actual-roll-call-sheet-nelson-was-for-it-before-being-against-it/
"The Senate of the United States just voted to table Jim DeMint’s proposed amendment that would prevent cash for cloture compromises.
As you will recall, Ben Nelson was bribed by Harry Reid to vote for the health care bill via targeted earmarks that will only benefit Nebraska.
DeMint asked for the Senate to suspend its rules to consider his amendment, which would prohibit such deals in the future.
Ben Nelson voted against Jim DeMint’s amendment, but when he realized the Democrats already had the votes to kill it, he raced back up to the clerk and changed his vote so the final record shows Nelson sided with DeMint."
Actual Record - http://images.redstate.com/Nelsonvote.pdf
I say by means erect the statue. That way the stool pigeons that voted this guy into office can now have express themselves accordingly. Fleas Navidog
Oh Jules. Give it a rest. Ya had him on the phone and he didn't buy your pitch.
Ben Nelson voted against Jim DeMint’s amendment, but when he realized the Democrats already had the votes to kill it, he raced back up to the clerk and changed his vote so the final record shows Nelson sided with DeMint
Ben's sorta like Nebraska's Krusty the clown; ridiculous, but also evil. What I can't figure out is why I like Krusty better.
I hereby appoint Julie Schmit-Albin to be my de-facto spokeswoman on earth on all matters concerning life.
If you have leukemia and or Altheimers and could benefit from stem-cell research, Julie believes your life is forfeit and I stand by her decision.
If you are terminally ill and could be rescued by access to health insurance under the new bill, Julie says you're not really alive and I stand by that decision.
If Julie Schmit-Albin decides that life actually begins before conception and you use contraception Julie will hold you accountable for your genocide of millions of humans.
By the way St. Peter, you're fired!! From now Julie Schmit-Albin will make all decisions regarding heaven, purgatory, and hell.
Ben Nelson is to political ethicality what Bill Clinton is to sexual fidelity.
Nelson's stunt on the DeMint Amendment may be the worst of all. He truly is sleazy and dishonest. BEN NELSON MUST GO!!
An accurate statue of Nelson would be made out of jelly. But how do you make it stand upright without a spine?
It is stupid to think that the same Nebraskans who voted Nelson into office would object to him giving them other people's money.
If Ben Nelson made lamp shades out of human skin, Nebraskans wouldn't mind as long as the skin came from outside Nebraska and every Cornhusker got a free lamp.
Like LBJ, obama and ben nelson will spend their final years in seclusion with none of their multitude really caring about them. they made their stand and now they are done.
Well the Benator is already confirming he's running for reelection in 2012 by trying to label his $100 million medicaid payoff the "so-called Heineman exemption". If that isn't the ultimate shot at spinning for the Benator, I don't know what is/will be coming later from him. I sincerely hope he doesn't really believe the BS he's spewing about this "health care reform" bill. Which will be come to known as "the bankrupt America Act of 2009".
"Heineman exemption" ...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol
Nice try, Benny! You sat in a room with Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, Harry Ried, and Chuck Schumer to create your amendment. Quit trying to pawn this off on Heinemann...JACKASS!!!
Kudos to Dave Heineman for the Heineman Excemption, we wouldn't have had it if it weren't for you!! You instructed Senator Nelson that the current Senate bill would not work for Nebraska because of the budget shortfalls (mostly your responsibility) and Senator Nelson made the bill work for Nebraska. He then allowed you to contact him to dissolve the exemption and you chose to keep it in the bill. Thank you Dave Heineman for letting the 49 other states pick up the tab for our medicaid patients. LONG LIVE THE HEINEMAN EXEMPTION!!
looks like Ian has crawled out from under his rock in TW's closet.
Heineman was for the exemption before he was against it. If he doesn't want it he has time to call up Nelson and tell him to take it out in reconciliation, otherwise he owns it. Remember this Dave, you're not going to be able to lambast this exemption in the media and then quietly take every penny you can get your hands on like you did the stimulus money. We're going to be here to call you out on it in a few months when you're in western Nebraska telling people on the campaign trail that you opposed it. Nelson cut this deal to cover your rear because you and your Republican state Senators have no idea how to balance a budget. If you oppose it call Nelson today! Put up or shut up!
If a single mother with 5 kids who gets welfare benefits for her family is a "welfare queen", what do you call Dave Heineman, someone who gets free medicaid for an entire state? Grow a pair Dave and tell Nelson to take out the Heineman Exemption he negotiated for you. Put the ball back in his court or the voters will lash out against you next year.
Rasmussen Generic Cong Ballot:
Repub 44
Demos 36
This, before the h.c. vote in the Senate....
Kudos to Senator Ben Nelson for his shrewd maneuvering to not only get much-needed health care reform, but to the benefits he brought Nebraska.
Good luck to the politician who thinks he can beat Nelson in his next election.
On the other hand, Rep Terry sided with the obstructionists, like when he attended the Mike Huckabee rally here in Omaha.
Rep Terry is the guy who might be looking for a job after 2010.
District 2 voted for Obama remember.
Ricky From omaha
Ricky is (kinda) right!
Obama did win NE2--and so did Terry. And Obama isn't on the ballot next year.
If you want to base the race on the health care vote, fine. People in NE2 oppose the plan. Terry is right on this one and White is wrong. Pretty simple.
And the fact that White is 'standing with' Nelson on the Senate bill means White has no chance at a NRTL or NUFL endorsement. The pro-life vote will stay with Terry.
Goodbye.
you dweebs out there trying to pin the HC vote on DH are about as dumb as the day is long. But go ahead and keep up with it. Just makes 2010 better and better.
Free Medicare....hmmm What part of Medicare is free? enlighten me on how Ben Nelson makes Medicare free for Nebraskans. You poor liberal stooges, nothing is free.
Did you all see that Vic Covalt put out a press release challenging Mark Fahleson to answer whether or not Heineman should ask Nelson to dissolve the "Cornhusker Kickback"? Why is Fahleson cowering from this question? What do you say Fahleson, what would you reccomend Heineman do?
Why would Heineman reject the "Cornhusker Kickback?" Did he reject Obama's Stimulus Package after his Nebraska counterparts in the Senate and the House rejected it? Heineman sits by his mailbox waiting for the check to come in. I think it's more than Ben that needs the boot.
If you don't plow the snow, you don't open the libraries. Hence the city saves money. Genius!!!
If you don't deliver the mail, the socialist farm subsidy checks don't get delivered. Hence the countrys saves money. Genius!!!
If you don't plow the snow, you don't open the libraries. Hence the city saves money. Genius!!!
Anon. 12:23 a.m.
Why would Fahleson respond? He's busy recruiting candidates and raising money. What a novel idea of things a state political party chair should be doing!
Not a slam on Mark but 95% of the voters don't know or care who Mark Fahleson is? Those that do care are locked into voting for their party. I see that Mark is raising money and has plenty of candidates. What are the Dems doing????
Has ANYONE seen any snowplows on the streets of Omaha??? I really do not understand why Suttle cannot take action!!! Is he really trying to save money or what??!!?
Mark Fahleson has weighed in on every topic that has come up in Nebraska politics, Covalt challenges him to answer a tough question(something Fahleson loves to do to others, something real leaders do sometimes) and we've got dead silence. Maybe Fahleson shouldn't have to respond because it doesn't effect anyone, but why the heck isn't Heineman responding? Nelson says he'll have the "Heineman Exemption" thrown out Heineman just says the word. I hope Governor Dave realizes that by his inaction he endorses and owns this exemption. Why aren't the real conservatives on this blog and in this state rising up and speaking out against Heineman allowing this exemption??
Why isn't Heine asking Ben to return the deal? 1. Because he asked for it. and 2. Becasue he needs it.
Seems just like the time back in 03 when Nelson got $108 million for NE in Medicaid funding and block grants. Then Gov Johanns also said he didn't want the money, he didnt ask for it and NE shouldn't get it. What did Mike do? He didn't ask Nelson to "return" it. He parked it in the state coffers for nearly an entire year, then when the estate had a $108 million budget shortfall he quietly used the money Nelson got him to fill it. I'll bet you a month of lunches that Johanns didn't even send Ben a thank you note.
No, Heine isn't going to ask for the money to be returned. He's gonna use it. Same playbook as his predecessor. Maybe Heine can be Sec. of Agriculture as well and misuse federal funds for his traveling?
Btw, did Lee Terry get a new lobbyist/speechwriter for Christmas this year?
There's nothing corrupt or sinister about this deal. Nelson needed to make sure that the health care reform bill worked for Nebraska and with the burden on our state from expanding Medicaid it wasn't going to work. Reid and Schumer weren't willing to let 31 million Americans go without access to healthcare just because some Nebraska Governor and his Republican State Senators can't balance a budget, so they made the bill work for Nebraska.
I suppose Dave Heinemann and not Barbara Boxer wrote the abortion language too!!!
Heineman did reject the deal in a letter to Senator Nelson on 12/23. From the McCook Gazette (it was the first one I saw when I googled it. You know, this internet thing is really cool. It has lots of information on it. Sometimes very inconvenient information):
"Thank you for your December 20th letter.
"Regarding the unfunded Medicaid mandate, Nebraskans expect a fair deal not a special deal. Governors all across America are troubled by this unfunded Medicaid mandate. If the U.S. Senate plans to address the unfunded mandates issue, all states must receive fair and equal treatment. Neither Nevada, Vermont, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Nebraska, nor any other state should receive a special Medicaid deal that is not available to other states. It is imperative that every state is treated fairly and equally or all special deals must be removed.
"However, the bottom line remains this bill is bad news for Nebraska and bad news for America. The effects on our State and the Nation will be disastrous and Nebraskans are asking you to stop this bill in its tracks. Nebraska's businesses, as expressed by the State Chamber, are worried about middle class tax increases and the loss of jobs. Nebraska's seniors are outraged about Medicare cuts. Nebraska's pro-life community is furious with your compromise. Nebraska families are concerned about future increased premiums.
"Senator Nelson, Nebraskans are strongly opposed to this bill. As Governor, I urge you to reconsider your position and vote "No" on the next cloture vote currently scheduled for tomorrow morning."
macdaddy:
There's no point in reprinting that...the anti-Heineman folk will still claim that he did not ask for it to be removed. heck, on Greta he said all gifts should be removed.
It's the same as how they claim none of the republicans have offered solutions for health care while they conveniently forget that republicans did have ideas including opening up the plan that conrgess has and giving subsidies to those who cannot afford it, allowing insurance to be purchased across state lines, ensuring that congressional members have to enroll in the same plan as the rest of us, etc. etc etc.
Anon 10:08
Ian has finally come out from TW's shadow to play.
Who is this Ian guy? Another Matt Samp???
Anon 8:47: you are absolutely correct. Just call me Don Quixote.
And on New Year's Eve you can call me Senator Max Baucus (hic).
A fine tradition of democratic senators...Kennedy, Exon, and now Bauchus.
Did the Omaha budget finally and officially get balanced?
I wonder if all the snow removal costs are adding up and if we have enough money for it all?
Maybe Ben Nelson can get Omaha some federal funds for snow removal as part of the next round of health care reform negotiations?
I'm having trouble paying my bills, maybe Ben Nelson can get me some federal funding?
Look forward to seeing some upcoming polls on Nelson's actions--I bet it is 2:1 against what he's done (i.e. throwing the unborn overboard to get his special $$$ deals).
KPTM is saying that Omaha is 2.5 million dollars over budget for snow removal budget. Great. Get ready for the Mayor and Council to raise our taxes again.
Or we can hope that Ben Nelson will "negotiate" another special deal for us.
Hey...
When the city doesn't show up out in the Third we get out our shovels and snowblowers and clean it up ourselves.
How the hell did we get things done when the government didn't do it for us? How many able-bodied Omahans are there? Grab a shovel...the exercise will do you good. You should be paying the city. Oh...you do. Nevermind.
Snow removal is actually a worthwhile use of our tax dollars. I'd be willing to bet there are other places the city could cut back to save money, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Given the magnitude of the snow storm(s) this year, I cant fault the snow removal this year when compared to years past. The new plan for downtown is going well in my book, and mixing in private crews with the city crews seems to be working well in my opinion.
Baucus, Bacchus,what's in a name?
Ask Romeo, I bet he'll tell ya.
LOL
Nobody gave a better speech on the senate floor than I did after happy hour.
Snow removal is going well in your opinion!!! How do you get to work??? In a Red Hybrid SUV??? Suttle has left many neighborhoods disaster areas.
Yeah! What's with this "socialist" snow removal crap anyway? Don't you all have your own snow removal insurance? What's with you all depending on the government to do this stuff for you? I thought fiscal conservatives did everything for themselves and only needed the government for national defense and to regulate interstate commerce.
Rasmussen Poll out this week shows40% favor /55% oppose the health plan.
As expected, D's support it and R's oppose it--but where are the U voters?
Favor 28%
Oppose 66%
Tom White has made a major blunder in supporting the legislation.
This will hurt him more than his lead advocacy of the no-age limit provision in the Safe Haven law.
New Rasmussen poll out showing that Heineman would clean Nelson's clock in a Senate race if it were held soon. Nelson is probably hoping some amnesia will happen between now and 2012. Unfortunately for him, there will be a reminder every paycheck as we start paying for healthcare reform years before it actually happens.
But what's really gonna hurt White is his public endorsement of Nelson's actions--goodbye pro-life support for TW.
10:23--interesting that White was all over the news when Safe Haven was being passed talking about how it protected 'all' children equally. Then the s**t hit the fan and he went AWOL--his staff's answer that "Tom didn't sponsor the bill" didn't fly--people know White was the primary advocate of the no-age provision--something that prompted over 30 people to drive to NE to dump their teens at the E.R. TW---->made NE look foolish to the country.
Anyone want to bet whether Tom will intro another bill that gets ruled not germane? What a fool...
Macdaddy:
That poll looks pretty devastating for Nelson. He's gone from a pretty popular senator who draws support from all parties, to a mangled wreck, all thanks to Obamacare. As Rasmussen says, the only good news for Benedict is there's no election until 2012.
It's interesting that, notwithstanding how ridiculous he'd look if he flip-flopped yet again, the polling suggests he could improve his standing by blocking the conference committee's bill. I'm wondering will he be looking for some shred of an excuse to say the bill has been irremediably corrupted during reconciliation, and that he can no longer support it.
Goodbye Ben no one believes your BS!!!
* POLITICO
* The Scorecard
* Poll: Ben Nelson in political trouble
Main Content
Poll: Ben Nelson in political trouble - The Scorecard: Poll: Ben Nelson in political trouble
December 29, 2009
Categories:
* Nebraska
Poll: Ben Nelson in political trouble
A new poll suggests that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) seriously endangered his political prospects by becoming the decisive 60th vote allowing health care legislation to pass through the Senate.
The Rasmussen survey shows Nelson, who isn’t up for re-election until 2012, badly trailing Gov. Dave Heineman by 31 points in a hypothetical matchup, 61 to 30 percent. A 55 percent majority of Nebraska voters now hold an unfavorable view of the two-term senator, with 40 percent viewing him favorably.
As EBN goes ... so goes Tom White.
TW----> should have left for his Bahama vacation a week earlier...
RWP, I think that Nelson has shown us quite clearly these last few days that he is 100% committed to a socialist agenda. I doubt he'll flip-flop.
Ian is Tom Whites best bud, and hatchet man. He is like a dandy but uses words for his weapon. He is what gives those in politics a bad name. You know the".. depends on what the meaning of is is..."
But it's too late for TW to pull any switch--he is locked in to his statement that he would have voted for the $1 trillion takeover of health care as passed by the House, and he can't deny his 'proudly standing' with EBN comment--pro-life voters will overwhelmingly stick w/Terry.
Well, Nathan, I am sure glad that your Mayor could get the roads nice and clear so all you wanna be adults to get out to the bars and restaurants so you wouldn't starve to death in your loft while the taxpayers in the rest of the neighborhoods west of 72nd street were all but forgotten about(except for Willow Wood, they actually were forgotten about by Mayor Futtle).
Who lives in Willow Wood???
Anonymous idiot 3:55,
I live west of 90th street actually. I dont own a 4x4 or a vehicle with AWD. I drive a small FWD car that gets great gas mileage. I own a house (technically the bank owns most of it, but Im paying them back in monthly installments). And given the blizzard that hit us, I dont think so removal was that bad. It took awhile for my neighborhood to get plowed, but thats because all the trucks were focusing on the main roads (as they should have been).
Truth is, if your not a moron when it comes to driving even YOU can get around when there is snow on the streets. Leave early and plan ahead. Dont get a rear-wheel drive vehicle in a snowy climate (thats common sense) If you need lessons on how to drive in the snow I would gladly offer my services to you.
But if you want the streets done quicker, open up your wallet and offer to pay more in taxes. More taxes = more snow trucks = quicker snow removal = less bitching from you. But then you would bitch about the higher taxes your paying in the summer when there is no snow. Some people have no option but to complain i guess.
I can't beleive it, but I agree with Nathan about the snow removal..I think the city has done a great job considering we got about 24 ionches in two weeks!!! And with the drifting, it made it worse.
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