cannabisnews.com: Schwarzenegger Is Pressed for His Views on Issues





Schwarzenegger Is Pressed for His Views on Issues
Posted by CN Staff on August 27, 2003 at 21:31:00 PT
By Charlie LeDuff
Source: New York Times 
Facing aggressive questioning, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor-turned-candidate-for-governor, found himself having to lay out his positions today on a range of contentious social issues that he had so far avoided in the hectic California recall election.Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican who is trying to rally all factions of his party around him, was pushed by conservative radio interviewers to define himself on matters he had so far sidestepped in his nascent campaign to take the place of Gov. Gray Davis.
Hit with a barrage of tough questions by Sean Hannity, the radio and television commentator, Mr. Schwarzenegger spelled out his support for abortion rights and said he favored the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.But he voiced more conservative positions on other issues, opposing gay marriages and the granting of drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.Mr. Schwarzenegger was a call-in guest on Mr. Hannity's syndicated radio show, which was also broadcast live on the Fox network.Later on another call-in show, Mr. Schwarzenegger, who starred in a number of blood-drenched action films, said he supported a ban on assault weapons and endorsed the 1994 Brady bill, one of the toughest gun-control measures ever passed by Congress.He told Larry Elder, a syndicated talk radio host, "I support the Second Amendment that people have the right to have arms." But he also said that he supported the Brady bill, which required a five-day waiting period for buying handguns, and that he wanted to close loopholes about purchases at gun shows. He added, "Sometimes under certain circumstances we should have trigger locks on our guns."Mr. Schwarzenegger has been running a carefully controlled campaign, dribbling out appearances and doing much of his campaigning on talk radio.Mr. Schwarzenegger's camp said today that the tenor of the interviews was unexpected, but that the interviews showed that the actor, who has never run for public office, was candid and could handle unscripted events."He did a great job," said George Gorton, Mr. Schwarzenegger's chief strategist, who said of Mr. Hannity: "He didn't tell us he was going to hit Arnold with a barrage. But Hannity kept throwing hardballs, and Arnold hit them out of the park."California voters go to the polls on Oct. 7 to decide whether to recall Governor Davis, a Democrat, and to pick a replacement if the recall succeeds. Mr. Schwarzenegger is the best known of 135 candidates on the replacement ballot.Some of Mr. Schwarzenegger's responses to the questioning today, like his support for prayer in school, denying illegal aliens driving privileges and his opposition to gay marriage, are sure to solidify his standing in conservative circles.Many social conservatives in California have expressed misgivings about Mr. Schwarzenegger's more moderate views, particularly on abortion and gay rights. Many are supporting State Senator Tom McClintock, who has portrayed himself as the only true conservative in the race.In Sacramento today, 20 of the 32 Republican members of the State Assembly announced their support for Mr. Schwarzenegger. The group includes a number of outspoken conservatives, but also a handful of moderates.Assemblyman Keith Richman, the assistant minority leader who describes himself as moderate, said that many of the Republican officials who voiced their support for Mr. Schwarzenegger today disagree with him on a number of social issues."Clearly Arnold has support across the political spectrum in the Republican Party," Mr. Richman said. "It's not that we agree on 100 percent of the issues, but we agree that philosophically Arnold is a Republican and that he can help turn California around."In today's radio broadcasts, Mr. Schwarzenegger staked out some middle ground on social issues, taking positions that might alienate conservatives in his party but that match the views of a majority of Californians.He said he supports a state law that legalizes the medical use of marijuana, popular among Californians but rendered illegal by the United States Supreme Court. He did not take a position on Proposition 54, an initiative that would bar the state from collecting racial data. The initiative measure will appear on the same special election ballot as the recall.Mr. Schwarzenegger said today that while he opposed granting legal recognition to gay marriages, "I do support domestic partnerships" that provide some legal and financial protections to gay men and lesbians.Mr. Schwarzenegger said he was in favor of parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion, with exceptions. "In some cases," he said, "when there is abuse in the family or problems in the family, then the courts should decide."John Stoos, the deputy campaign director for Mr. McClintock, said Mr. Schwarzenegger was trying to appeal to moderates and liberals while maintaining support on the right. He predicted the strategy would fail."The Arnold camp looks like it doesn't know which direction to go," Mr. Stoos said. "If he says he's a fiscal conservative and a social liberal and thinks it's going to appeal to the right, then he doesn't know California politics."In San Francisco, Governor Davis took his campaign to the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange, where he was asked by a reporter whether Mr. Schwarzenegger would make a good governor. Mr. Davis said, "He meets the minimal qualifications." He added: "He exceeds the voting age, and he is a resident of California. Sometimes people want a little more. Like a little experience."Complete Title: Schwarzenegger Is Pressed for His Views on Social IssuesSource: New York Times (NY)Author: Charlie LeDuffPublished:  August 28, 2003Copyright: 2003 The New York Times Co.Contact: letters nytimes.com Website: http://www.nytimes.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #33 posted by E_Johnson on August 31, 2003 at 09:17:18 PT
The Republicans are ready to split in two
Back when the economy was booming and the national poster boy for adultery was a Democrat, it made sense for Republicans to coddle and nurture their Talibanic side.Now that there is a budgetary crisis to deal with, empty-headed blathering about virginity and abstinence seems kind of useless, since it does nothing to either increase revenues or decrease spending. But the blatherers are still very determined to hold on to their power, and Arnold is going to be their battleground.
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on August 30, 2003 at 13:10:01 PT
Just A Note
If Arnold repents it will really shock me. He isn't sorry for acting like he did in his younger years I'm sure. It shouldn't matter! I say to those who are critical of him.Judge not lest ye be judged!
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on August 30, 2003 at 13:00:26 PT
Related Article
Religious Group to Schwarzenegger: 'Come Clean' Saturday, August 30, 2003 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A prominent California-based religious group is calling on Arnold Schwarzenegger to set the record straight over a 1977 interview in which the Republican candidate for California governor discussed taking part in an orgy and using marijuana.Californians for Moral Government said it wanted the action star to "come clean and fully repent and repudiate the years of sexual promiscuity that have been reported," the Rev. Louis Sheldon, the group's chairman, said on Friday in a letter. 
Californians for Moral Government is a project of the Traditional Values Victory Fund, part of the Traditional Values Coalition. The Anaheim, California-based TVC touts itself as the largest non-denominational, grass-roots church lobby in America with a membership of about 43,000 churches, including most Christian denominations.The letter was addressed to 20 of the state assembly's 32 Republicans who have endorsed Schwarzenegger, the leading Republican candidate fighting to become California's next governor. Schwarzenegger and 132 others are battling for the top job in the nation's richest state in an unprecedented recall vote on Oct. 7.Calls to Schwarzenegger's campaign and to the TVC were not immediately returned.Schwarzenegger has been hounded in recent days by questions about a 1977 interview with the long-defunct men's magazine, Oui, in which he described his experiences with smoking marijuana and group sex when he was 29.On Thursday, the actor-turned politician said he had "no idea what you are talking about" when asked at a news conference about the magazine interview.In its letter, the coalition asked: "Is Arnold a Republican version of Bill Clinton?," a reference to the former U.S. president's extramarital dalliances and sexual misdemeanors.The coalition asked the Republican lawmakers "to consider holding off on persisting with your endorsement of Mr. Schwarzenegger" until Schwarzenegger addresses the matter.As a Republican, Schwarzenegger is trying to reach out to the party's powerful conservative wing who might prefer a more conservative candidate like State Sen. Tom McClintock, a long-time veteran of the California Legislature.Polls show a majority of Californians would vote to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who is unpopular because of his handling of the state's finances. A recent Los Angeles Times survey found Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is in the lead to replace his boss, followed by Schwarzenegger. Copyright: 2003 Reuters Limited. http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=777680
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Comment #30 posted by E_Johnson on August 29, 2003 at 11:46:24 PT
Let's work on Hillary actually
Her big role model is Eleanor Roosevelt, right?FDR was the Repeal Candidate in the 1932 election. FDR was voted in by Americans tired of the chaos and cost of Alcohol Prohibition.Maybe we need to start writing Hillary to remind her of that fact.I think we should start a camapign to remind Hillary of the importance of Eleanor Roosevelt and the other progressive women who went out and campaigned for the repeal of Prohibition in the 1932 election.
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on August 29, 2003 at 11:13:30 PT
kaptinemo 
Oh I don't like her at all but I think she is going to run. The rumor seems to be thrown out on the news more frequently. See why I don't like politics! LOL! All I can say is oh me, oh my.
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Comment #28 posted by kaptinemo on August 29, 2003 at 11:09:28 PT:
FoM, regarding Hillary
I don't believe for a moment it makes the slightest difference; she's demonstrated she's just another two-faced, self-serving politician out to feather her own political nest. She had plenty of opportunities to whisper in Slick Willie's ears about MMJ, and like so many others in that gaggle, they let the patients down, every time. Sorry, but she, like Gore, had 8 years to say something...and said nothing. Most people here laugh derisively when the term 'compassionate conservatism' is used. Well, the 'liberal' version represented by such as La Klinton ain't much better. 
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 18:57:29 PT
mayan
I guess I didn't think about it that way. I just hope they get their power back on and running right. We lost power for almost 4 hours last night and if a person is trapped in a subway or elevator I can imagine the panic that could occur.
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Comment #26 posted by mayan on August 28, 2003 at 18:25:38 PT
FoM...
Isn't it strange how the power goes out just in time for Blair to take the stand? Hmmm... Power cut causes chaos:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/london/3189755.stmLondoners turn out to "see Blair squirm": 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/24by7panews/page.cfm?objectid=13343819&method=full&siteid=50143
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 16:49:15 PT
I Just heard
That Hillary Clinton might run for President against Bush in 2004. Oh boy what does that mean?
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Comment #24 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 12:39:51 PT
The voters are our heroes
The voters are still standing up for the plant: http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr082703gsmm.html
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Comment #23 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 12:18:04 PT
I just wrote them a pathetic yet sincere letter
I wrote info joinarnold.com and expressed my pain and fear over the DEA raids and begged Arnold to be our big strong compassionate hero and save us from this harsh behavior by Washington.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 11:35:06 PT
Off Topic: Now London Lost Power
On MSNBC they are saying as many as 10,000,000 people in London have lost their electricity.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 11:26:24 PT
EJ That's Right
How else can it be distributed unless it is allowed to be grown without fear? I don't consider my self very smart. Actually many things go over the top of my head but when it comes to common sense I try hard to know what I believe and what is right and what is wrong. Why won't they use good common sense in their beliefs and answers? Half answers aren't answers at all.
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Comment #20 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 11:19:12 PT
There goes my hero fantasy
He supports the concept of medical marijuana but takes no position on the execution of the concept.Okay we can get that same BS line from any Democrat around now.
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 09:00:08 PT
One More from The SFC
Actor Takes Positions on Medical Pot, Gun Control 
Schwarzenegger Sticks Close To Political Center: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/28/MN302916.DTL
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Comment #18 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 08:57:28 PT
This election is really confusing
I've been a Democrat since before I could vote, so it's really painful for me to have my life threatened by Democrats like Clinton and Davis.I intend to vote for Arianna, I donated to her campaign, but truth be told, I'm wondering about why she owed so few taxes. The one honest way to avoid taxes is to be so bad at business that you lose money, so that's hardly an encouraging endorsement for her leadership of the state.Emotionally, I am drawn to Arnie, because of his refusal to be ashamed in any way of smoking pot and enjoying sex.I also feel drawn to him because he had an abusive father who attacked him physically and psychologically as a young man and I like to see men who can rise above that without becoming violently dysfunctional themselves.A man who can rise above an abusive father to become a kind gentle human being has something special going for him inside as a human, forgetting politics for a moment.And now I am projecting this image of a big strong unashamed Governator protecting us from the evil Tandinatrix.What a wild ride this is going to be.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 08:41:52 PT
Another Article
Arnold's Racy '77 Interview: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/28/politics/main570591.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by Sam Adams on August 28, 2003 at 08:29:35 PT
Hope?
There's still hope for Arnie, Gary Johnson didn't come out against WOD until after he was elected. However, I'd still vote for the Green Party candidate. Why not support someone is 100% against the WOD from the outset?  I would be turned off by anyone that was Lieutenant Governor (Bustamante), they're almost always talentless political hacks that earned the position by undertaking the political dirty work for past superiors.
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Comment #15 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 08:27:58 PT
His enormous body is compensation
The reason why Arnie went into body building is because his father belittled him so much as a child for not being enough of a man. He's compensating psychologically for being belittled so much as a child and as a young man.I think people who dredge up his father as an accusation against him are ignorant.I think Democrats who do this should be drummed out of the Democratic Party, because they're exploiting the Holocaust for political gain, and that's a pretty illiberal thing to do.He certainly doesn't admire that evil man. He had him investigated for being a war criminal. That's not something you do to a father whom you admire.
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Comment #14 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 08:19:12 PT
His ABUSIVE father was a Nazi
ARnold left Europe partly because of his abusive father. His father belittled him all his life. Arnold didn't attend his father's funeral, and he had the Wiesenthal Center investigate his father for possible war crimes. He hated his father and his father hated him.
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Comment #13 posted by E_Johnson on August 28, 2003 at 08:16:41 PT
Bustamante accused of racism
He used the N-word in public in 2001 and took his sweet time about apologizing.There is a lot of racial tension in LA between blacks and Latinos, and now we know where Bustamante fits into that picture.
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Comment #12 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on August 28, 2003 at 08:10:41 PT:
ARNOLD DOESN'T GET IT, YET.
Surely, Arnold is on our side on the single issue of medical marijuana. However, we need to look at the totality of the circumstances in determining whether Arnold is the overall preferable candidate for Governor of California. The reason for the recall of Governor Gray Davis is not medical marijuana. Governor Gray Davis is being blamed on the economic woes in California. Carl Worden, whose ideas you may subscribe to, free of charge, by asking henrymorgan ij.net to subscribe you, says Arnold's plan to improve the employment outlook of California will have no positive effect while the NAFTA and GATT have given corporations incentive to leave the country for more lenient environmental pollution regulations and no minimum wage law. Certainly, decriminalizing Marijuana in California would eliminating the waste of tax money on marijuana arrests which would improve the economic woes of California, even if only slightly; Every little bit helps. If Arnold is SINCERELY repulsed by his Father's affiliation with the Nazis, then Arnold would strive to eliminate the Nazi influence upon the Marijuana laws in this country and work for decriminalization of Marijuana. Please read the Web article entitled Shadow of the Swastika, www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html.  Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, N.J., 08840-0159, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on August 28, 2003 at 07:55:58 PT
Here You Go JR
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread17167.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on August 28, 2003 at 07:48:05 PT
Answering my own question
http://www.cannabisculture.com/cgi/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=current&Number=645370&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1No arrests in Hamilton, Ontario on Wednesday. Of course, this final week's all in Ontario, so there's less chance of Marc spending a night in jail than in other provinces.
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Comment #9 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on August 28, 2003 at 07:39:44 PT
So Arnold smoked it... so what, so did Clinton...
The complete Arnold sex&drugs interview from 1977:http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/arnoldinter1.htmlAnybody know what happened on Wednesday's Summer of Legalization Tour stop?
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Comment #8 posted by cloud7 on August 28, 2003 at 07:14:37 PT
more
A summary of an old interview about sex and drugs on Foxnews.comhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95895,00.html
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Comment #7 posted by Commonsense on August 28, 2003 at 06:38:43 PT
Correction, Milton Friedman lives...
For some reason I thought he had died. Apparently the old guy is still living and working. Whoops.
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Comment #6 posted by Commonsense on August 28, 2003 at 06:26:32 PT
Arnold has admitted to smoking pot.
If I recall correctly, Arnold Schwarzenegger has apparently admitted to reporters that he did a little pot smoking in the old days as a young body builder. He also thinks very highly of the late Milton Friedman. Friedman was a Nobel prize winning economist, a conservative/libertarian minded thinker who believed in legalizing all drugs. Friedman wrote extensively on public policy, always emphasizing the need to preserve and extend individual freedoms. While I doubt he'll come out and say it, I suspect Schwarzenegger deep down would like to see marijuana legalized. So, I don't doubt his sincerity on medical marijuana.  I still wouldn't vote for him though, mainly because I think Republicans have taken too strong a foothold in American politics and I like to see the playing field more even. I don't care much for either party. Both sides have their share of lunatics, cretins and charlatans. A little gridlock can be a good thing.But I wouldn’t be terribly upset if Schwarzenegger won. He seems like a decent man.
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on August 28, 2003 at 05:23:45 PT:
E_J, here's an answer...of sorts
When Asa was picked to be the honcho of DEA, I'd said many times that it would be the bureaucracy that ran him, not him running DEA. And what happened? Just that.Now, take a look at what was written on DEAWatch recently:http://members.aol.com/deawatch/daily.htm
26 Aug 2003, 21:47 PST, 3rd Edition: K-Gram:"...After talking to a few cohorts at HQ today... most people on The Drive seem to think that Karen has gotten the message that her mouth and her logic are not yet fine-tuned to DEA, and that she will review her future dictates with career DEA people (hopefully Michele) before mouthing off again."Now, what does this have to do with Ah-nold? Simply this: He has ingratiated himself totally with the American political dynasty of this country by marrying into one of it's more prominent families. That he's a 'Republican' matters not at all; the Name Game is just bilge for the masses to swallow. This smacks of Macchiavellianism of the rankest sort. Republican or Democrat, both have either stood aside and allowed the raids with impotent handwringing, or directly ordered them.Neither 'party' (it's all one mass of corruption) stopped the persecution. I wouldn't expect ol' Arrrrrnie to do anything different; he was a big fan of Busch Ein. That he's running as Republican during the Republican dominated national government of Busch Zwei doesn't strike me as being exceptionally brave or noteworthy.He'll do just as his buddy Georgie did: make noises about "State's Rights" and then let the Feds put their jackboots on more sick folk's necks. The bureaucarcy gets it's pound of flesh, no matter who gets 'elected'."Same as it ever was." - The Talking Heads
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Comment #4 posted by WolfgangWylde on August 28, 2003 at 04:39:58 PT
Like most politicians...
...Arnold knows medical marijuana is a winner with voters so he says he's for it. Once elected, however, he will do nothing to stop the Feds from continuting their pogrom.
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Comment #3 posted by byrd on August 28, 2003 at 04:13:48 PT
EJ - you're right
It's nice to hear him say he supports MMJ legalization. Action speaks louder than words. What is he going to do when (not if) DEA raids it's first compassion club after he's taken office (assuming he's elected)? In fact, that's a question for every serious candadate who runs for governor in an MMJ state. If that candadate says they support MMJ, the real question is: What are you going to do about it when the federal government closes down the compassion clubs? Paying lip service to this issue and moving on to other things should no longer be acceptable. Too many of our elected officials got their jobs by saying they support MMJ, decrim, relaxing of MJ laws, etc - only to flip position once they got the job. Disgraceful.
Peace.
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Comment #2 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on August 27, 2003 at 23:13:01 PT:
"The Eradicator!" supports medical Marijuana!
Well, The clearest indication yet on Arnold's real feelings about pot. He is the best chance for change and stability in Cali! Give the Terminator a chance and he may eradicate eradication! California and Hawaii are in similar positions with medical marijuana programs that lack federal support. An oxymoron and also an opportunity. Some state and someone will begin the cannabis research supply that is sorely needed by patients and researchers nation-wide.I am willing.
Good Luck Governor Schwarzennegar! Aloha.
Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on August 27, 2003 at 21:43:15 PT
I wonder....
I wonder how he would respond to a DEA raid of a medical marijuana club? He seems to have some backbone to him. I wonder if having a Republican Governor who supported us would make a difference in Karen Tandy's ability to make her career out of attacking us?
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