Source: Obama to change birth control rule to accomodate religious employers
February 10, 2012 at 2:01 am in Grand Forks Herald
President Barack Obama will announce a plan to accommodate religious employers outraged by a rule that would require them to cover birth control for women free of charge, according to a person familiar with the decision.
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Of course he will. He knows his reelection bid, otherwise, would be DOA. Certainly you’ve all heard the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers. The church let it be known they’re protest like never before.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Yep, Obama is caving to the BS.
Here’s the reality: The catholic church demands taxpayer money to support its dogma — all the while chanting “religious freedom” when anybody questions its actions. The politicians are all afraid of the religious right — and the result is the establishment clause of the 1st amendment gets tossed in the trash can.
Here’s some figures:
- $26.6 million — the amount the catholic church spends annually lobbying in DC
- $45 billion — the amount of taxpayer funding of catholic-administered hospitals in 2002
Here’s the essence of the BS: The catholic church is using our (as in “We The People”) money to push its religious agenda — and Obama is about to cave to the pressure.
It’s sad!
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Kind of funny how President Obama can be considered by the sever right as “The most liberal president ever” when he’s caved in to them so many times that the left see him as more of a moderate conservative Dem. Go figure huh? I wonder where the severe right got such a notion….Oh ya…Rove….
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What The Fox….Rove’s fox party people sure love to jump on anything against the president….Funny how they seemed to be so quiet when Dubya was killing and running the country to the dumps…Now three years later…It never happened…It’s all President Obama…Go figure…
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I hope someone starts enforcing the no tax breaks for those who use churches as a political venue.
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Why bother with that when now they have the real club. Use your church for political activity and that means you have to provide health insurance that includes birth control for employees.
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Yea, like when democrat presidential candidates parade around black churches at election time. Let’s cut off the tax exempt status of those churches. Good luck with that one.
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You’re right…All the damn churches…..They need to prove their funds are being used towards chairity. As is they just basically need to registar as a church and they’re exempt…..There’s a lot of wealth in religion nowdays…So there really should be a revisit to this automatic exemption for religions….
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I wonder why the people who will not get the benefit now aren’t speaking up? Where is their outrage? It really isn’t even a Catholic thing in my opinion. Just a wedge issue. 99% of them are on some form of birth control. This won’t stop that.
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It doesn’t matter, the Ten Commandments tell us not to sin but we sin anyway. The point is that the government is trying to replace religious doctrine with their own.
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Not so! The church is trying to use taxpayer funds to impose their doctrine on everybody!
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kind of a reach dont you think?
If this issue is against a persons religion just make them exempt from having to contribute to the fund.
Let these people get their own health care.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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All this whining by the catholics is a joke! Everyone should have access to Free Birth Control and any form of contraceptive. If they don’t want it, they should have to pay a fee for not having it.
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Obama is engaging in a shell game.
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Obama IS a ‘shell game’…period.
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First off, some has to pay for the “free” birth control. With the rising cost of insurance a huge problem why make it worse.
Second, what taxpayer funds for dogma? Can someone be more specific?
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I was specific above — in 2002 $45 billion of taxpayer funds went to fund church administrated hospitals (so it’s likely much more in 2012).
Thus, the catholic church wants OUR money to impose THEIR religious agenda on everybody who uses those hospitals.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Oh they’re advancing curing the sick, those b—–ds.
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justasec: The church is not imposing “THEIR religious agenda on everybody who uses those hospitals.” These people can still go out and get birth control if they want it – the Church just doesn’t want to pay for it as it goes against their religious beliefs and teachings. This is their 1st amendment right. Aren’t you always advocating the separation of church & state??? You can’t have it both ways.
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Damn those churches! Who do they think they are building hospitals to help those in need.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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The “Church” will help “those in need” at THEIR hospitals…as long as “those in need” have the MONEY to afford the biggest SCAM in the world…AKA…HEALTH INSURANCE!! Only in America would people think that paying a MIDDLE MAN that turns PROFITS by DENYING as many health care claims as possible…is a “great system”. The entire planet has figured out that PROFIT has no place in the medical field. Health care is a BIRTH RIGHT that doesnt BANKRUPT people in virtually every other freedom loving country on the planet. This includes everyone we call on to help us INVADE another country, every 5 years or so.
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To keep the “huge problem” of “rising costs of insurance” DOWN you PREVENT costs by providing birth control (to prevent births and potentially the entire cost of a human being age 0-18!! and the many health issues that require other, more costly drugs). Duh.
Taxpayer funds for dogma= tax breaks to rake in huge amounts of money all the while brainwashing your followers to fear the government and only care about being anti-choice above all else. Not to mention their own millions to persuade the government to let them continue to brainwash people.
awesome.
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or you could show some personal responsibility and self control and keep it in your pants.
Just sayin….
If you cant afford a condom, you sure as heck cant afford a kid.
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I am just assuming you know that Catholic Hospitals are stand alone entites and are not the Church itself. I still don’t see the dogma subsidy. And true, without humans, human health care would have no cost whatsover. The logic escapes me. Old people cost much more to insure. Should there be an age limit after which no care is provided?
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That’s the plan.
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People cant bring themselves to make that connection.
They believe that you are sprayed with Holy Water when you enter the hospital and that youre only fed wafers and wine during your stay.
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And they were worried about the Pope controlling JFK?
Nope, can’t agree with this one, Prez.
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“Employers wont pay for birth control, insurance companies will.”
And when the insurance companies are required to add extra benefits who pays the higher premiums?
Hmmmm.
So according to Obamas thought process, I wonder if i can pay for comprehensive insurance on my car yet have my Insurance company provide me with Collision too for free?
How stupid does this guy think we are?
Well, i’ll retract that question, after all, a large number of folks actually voted for him.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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CA,
You nailed it. How can anyone claim that the this won’t be paid for by the policy holders? Of course, this is typical Obama theology. Money just appears out of mid-air. Not like insurance companies are a BUSINESS that will have to find a revenue stream to match their expenses. NOOOOOOOO…… They should act just like the federal government and deficit spend (i.e., 1.3T budget deficit for 2012).
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Insurance companies will gladly pay for birth control because otherwise they will have to pay a ton for pregnancy services which are much more expensive. Get it?
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None of this would be an issue if Obama and Pelosi would have focused on issues that mattered like closing Gitmo, ending the Patriot act, and fixing the economy.
Instead they fired up a bill that is so full of dung it isnt even funny.
And now we get to focus on this instead of issues that really matter.
Way to divide a nation Mr. President.
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Much the same as the Sioux nickname is doing for North Dakota.
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It’s a new election capt time to focus on something else. We already know what got him elected the first time so he has to come up with “hope and change” part 2 in order to keep the sheeple content.
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Simple solution….mandatory vasectomies for all catholic men.
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Just a bit confused, tj.
Just why is it that you seem to place all the onus on men for pregnancies?
I’ve read a few of your posts that all have said about the same thing. Is there some reason you feel that women don’t share at least a little of the responsibility?
There are several methods for women to avoid pregnancy, sterilization, (as in your post about men having vasectomies), diaphrams, the pill, the ‘morning after pill’, and others.
So, just why do you repeatedly lay this on the men?
After all, the women are the ones with the fertile egg.
Or, do you think that your urges are more important?
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My answer is simple…if the majority of the people deciding against this issue are men…than they should bear the brunt of the responsibility for preventing pregnancies. If they don’t want to than they should stay out of women’s issues. It seems simple to me but than I’m not brainwashed by the Catholic Church.
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bac…it took me a few days to get the nerve to tell you this…here goes.
MY URGES ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!
Have a nice day.
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If you can’t afford to pay for own birth control, you can’t afford sex.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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cant the woman take half a second and ensure the guy has one?
If not, Just say No.
Its kind of a 50/50 thing here, both parties involved must show some maturity.
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Men: trip to Wal-mart $6
Women: trip to Altru Clinic $200 plus
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Women can also make the $6 trip to WalMart…..
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I suppose…if you guys are to cheap and lazy…most of you haven’t seen the inside of a Walmart…women have to do everything for you…even buy your condoms. Will you at least chip in the $6 or does it have to come out of the grocery money? Heaven forbid it would come out of your beer money. Are you buying dinner or do we have to provide that as well?
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@tj – now THAT made me laugh! Hope you didn’t take any offense, I was just merely implying that it takes 2 to tango.
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I was just talking smack…no offense meant and none taken.
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Condom’s are only 50 – 60% effective.. The right Birth control when used properly and as directed is 99% or better. It should be required by all insurance providers. B.C. is alot cheaper than a pregnancy or if having to deal with an abortion because one wasn’t on Birth Control, not wanting a baby.
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Glib, but unrealistic. Don’t think affording birth control is right up there with what’s going on in a person’s mind as they’re about to have sex. It reminds me of the “just say no” campaign. Let me count the ways that didn’t work.
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I can’t hit a home run every time. Besides I’m terribly out-numbered since most of the commenters are men. I understand you guys like to go commmando. Carry on….
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Uh, tj, just what is it you have with ‘men’?
You’re starting to sound like it’s an ‘us vs them’ thing, ya know?
Can’t help but wonder if you aren’t one of the younger women who had a bad experience.
Beleive it or not, it happens to the guys, too. Lighten up on yer outlook.
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Now you’re making me laugh….
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I wonder if my fellow Catholics will remember when the religious folk they are aligning themselves with were creating a climate of hate for another president because he was Catholic. Do we think that if religious right leaders have their say in the government that Catholic leaders will be asked to participate? No,they will be told to get to the back of the bus because we don’t want the pope running the country,
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First, for those who think that catholics are united against this “threat to their religious liberty” check out this link: http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/topics/healthcare/documents/2005factsaboutcatholichealthcare.pdf
Second, for those who don’t get the issue about using taxpayer funds to support the imposition of discriminatory religious dogma, let’s image the current scenario — but with a minor change.
Let’s imagine a hospital administered not by catholic clergy, but by Islamic clerics, and funded by US taxpayers. Let’s imagine that for women to be allowed treatment there, they would have to wear a burka, and be accompanied at all times by a male. Let’s imagine that many women objected, and the government said you can’t do that so long as you take our money.
Can you imagine that Boehner, Gingrich, Capt America et al., would be screaming “religious discriminiation!?”
I’d imagine not!
Get it now?
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Your assumption that the Catholic hospitals main objective is to proselitize their patients is erroneous. You’ll get the same care there as in any other hospital with the exception of procedures that are contrary to church teaching.
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Your first sentence is incorrect (it’s a strawman fallacy).
Your second sentence is correct — so congratulations — you have identified the problem!
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OK you Catholics, bow to King Obama as your god or face the consequences.
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They should not be getting taxpayer dollars if they refuse to give contraceptives or even E.C. If any religious group is to have a hospital getting taxpayer funds, they must abide by government regulations, requirements, not their religious beliefs.
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This is not good enough. The Catholic bishops have rejected it. The fight will go on. There can be no compromise on religious liberty.
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Its funny how things change. Not long ago this was the same Catholic Church that had problems with priests keeping their hands off the altar boys, and now they’re worried about contraception?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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The Catholic church’s opposition to contraception is nothing new..
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Molest a boy, the church moves you to a different location, protects you, and does it’s best to look the other way. Takes multiple court challenges to get them to face reality.
East Grand Forks priest gets caught with his hand in the till, and the Catholic church can’t get rid of him fast enough.
Tells me what the Pope’s priorities are.
Pope expects 10% of income for life (tithe) from every Catholic. Of course he’s opposed to contraception. Cuts the revenue stream.
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I don’t think you’re going to find anyone here supporting the small minority of priests that molested boys or some of the heirarchy that covered it up. That isn’t the issue here however.
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It could just as well be, couldn’t it kenny?
Seems like just one more way for the catholic church to be saving money. Either cover up the misdeeds of the pedophiles as long as possible, or refuse to pay for birth control for employees?
Not that the catholic church is all about money, right?
“Dispensations” anyone?
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That darn constitution getting in the way is a pesky thing for you isn’t it.
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priests play with boys… It’s like their trying to secretly say go gay to avoid contraceptives. Hmmm never hear about a priest playing with a girl do u????? makes me wonder.
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kenny, what in the world do the Constitution have to do with it?
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The First Amendment; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof. The Catholic prohibition on artificial contraception is clearly a tenet of the Catholic religion so the government trying to make the Catholic Church accept a contrary view is unconstitutional.
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Only problem with that argument is that the Catholic church is not praticing religion, they are providing insurance coverage which has certain regulations if an organization wants to participate in that activity. If you provide insurance, you do it like everyone else according to the laws in place. According to your argument, if a mosque decided to provide insurance, it could exclude coverage of HIV because they don’t condone homosexual activity. People would jump all over that.
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The problem with that argument is that Obama unilaterally changed the rules. This is the problem with Obama’s plan. It created a beast that can be used against the will of the people at his beckoning. The Catholic Church is swimnming in their own refuse by supporting Obamacare in the first place. They have been duped by a snake.
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Ken, you correctly noted above that there are two religious clauses in the 1st amendment.
On their own, the churches can have their religious freedom all they want (as long as nobody gets injured though!).
But in this case, they aren’t on their own — they are running their hospitals on government money. That means the establishment clause pertains — and there is a simple fix for the church — decline the money!
Personally, I wish they would — that wall between church and state (built by Jefferson and Madison more than 200 years ago) has been chipped away enough already!
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How is the government supporting religion by disbursing entitlement money to Medicare and I suppose welfare recipients for their healthcare? It being entitlement money, becomes the property of the recipient upon delivery.
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In any online discussion where the topic is the Catholic Church, its leaders or beliefs, as the discussion thread grows longer, the probability of a reference to pedophile priests approaches 1 (100%).
Corollary 1: The reference will be not only invalid but inappropriate and abusive.
Corollary 2: The earlier the reference is made, the greater the probability the rest of the discussion will follow the reference down a rabbit hole.
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Corollary 3. The moment the reference is made solon will jump in with frantic attempts to divert attention away from the moral decrepitude of the leadership of the catholic church.
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What government money are you talking about justasec? Medicare and Medicaid? Catholic hospitals would be better off if they did decline Medicare and Medicaid patients. Many doctors do refuse new Medicare patients because it doesn’t pay as well as private insurance. If Catholic hospitals only took Catholic patients this mandate wouldn’t apply to them. I believe they look at it as their Christian mission to care for all those in need of medical care. If Catholic hospitals closed down because of this mandate the government would be scrambling to try to find a replacement. Good luck with that.
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The answer is in the link I already provided: http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/topics/healthcare/documents/2005factsaboutcatholichealthcare.pdf
Note the source is a group of catholics.
In the post where I first put this link was an invitation to consider what would happen if Islamic clerics were administrating hospitals and trying to pull the same stunt. Does anybody think that Boehner, Santorum, et al., would be screaming about religious freedom in that case?
Maybe solon would (after all, the original “Solon the Great” levied a tax on brothels to support a temple to aphrodite!).
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Can someone please point out in the US Constitution for me where it says the President of the United States is responsible for telling private companies that they will provide birth control?
Where does it give him the authority to even get involved with how they run their business?
Once upon a time we allowed the people to decide.
Guess those days are over.
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It’s futile I suppose, but here it goes: when the constitution was written there were no birth control methods available. The Constitution didn’t even talk about insurance of any kind. But since we are talking about today and not centuries past, the reason the government gets involved at all is to make sure things are fair and that is provided for in the Constitution by interstate commerce regs.
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Heres a thought just to make things fair and equal.
Lets go ahead and let Obama hand out free birth control.
However, every April 15th, those who didnt utilize this little freebie get to knock $1000 off what they send to the Govt.
This way we all get something.
If i dont get to be a participant, i dont want to have to pay for the event.
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The age limit would probably be eighteen and never prevent the real problem which is teen pregnancies.
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but with a parent or guardian they can get it at any age. Once over 18 they can get it alone.
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Hey, Capt: according to you I should be able to not pay for other things I don’t like the government to do like sending billions of tax dollars to fight wars or pay for stuff I don’t use like schools. It doesn’t work that way on any issue.
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The fact remains that this mandate is a violation of religious liberty guaranteed in the 1st amendment. It will not stand. Catholics will not abide by it.
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Of course, we all KNOW Catholics will not abide by it!
Any form of contraception would be cutting down on the moneytrain for them.
Also, the ready supply of impressionable male children.
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bac, I don’t see how the Church makes money from not contracepting. I seem to remember in the news many recent stories of the 99.99% of non-clergy interested in impressionable male children. Often those who obsess on that issue betray their own interests.
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As long as they have a following that procreates as fast as they can, the tithe goes up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk
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interesting to say the least…you’re pretty cool for an old dude…
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Awww…(shuffle foot, blush)
Glad you were interested in that clip.
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