Is Elizabeth Warren Trying to Be Joe Biden's VP Pick?

The Great Handshake Freeze-Out of January 14 was the glacé cherry on a shit sundae of malicious, precisely calculated smears on Bernie Sanders. I initially thought that Elizabeth Warren brought some poltergeists from the Omnishambles Clinton campaign into the fold to advise her on gaining some momentum. I no longer believe that Warren was trying to only boost her polling numbers.

I'm now increasingly convinced that this was Stage 1 of a bigger plan. She and we can see that the poll numbers and donor dollars are, at best, stagnated. Her much-ballyhooed progressive creds weren't bringing in waves of Sanders supporters, her casual appropriation of Indigenous identities was not staying swept under the rug, and the Julian Castro endorsement made about as much impact as a fart. In short, she is getting her shit rocked hard, and no amount of reminding us that she is a woman, formerly of colour, is moving the needle with voters. So what's a person to do but hitch her wagon to a shooting star, powered by the Establishment.

Here is my theory: Elizabeth Warren had to show that she is Sound, and Capable of Representing Varying Interests Well, and set up a stunt to set herself on fire to keep Joe Biden warm. Pretending to address injustice and inequality will have to wait until at least after the ink dries on the Biden-Warren ticket. (The maliciously unethical freaks over at CNN were only too happy to comply. They acquitted themselves well with respect to the mission.) The Bernie Sanders Is Sexist swipe was an audition for a role on Team Biden. Success! Joe Biden was getting away with murder last night (he can jump into hell for rewriting his support of invading and occupying Iraq. Fuck Joe Biden and the Dubya admiration he rode in on). Biden could have literally shit his pants on that stage and pelted Wolf Blitzer with feces, and it still would have been eclipsed by Warren's smearing Sanders, as also envisioned by the suits at CNN.

The big and possibly unanticipated problem is that Big Us got ruffled as hell. Bernie Sanders brought in $1.7 million from the debate and thousands of new donors. Not only unprecedented, but also indicative that smearing Sanders actually works in his favour. (An aside: is there anyone here who doesn't think Donald Trump would trade all of his children for a tenth of Bernie's popularity? I bask in the light of the possibility that Donald Trump is seething with jealousy and entitlement, but I digress.) Sure, the spotlight stayed off Joe Biden's nonsensical spew at the sham of a debate, but I don't know that Bernie could have raked in $1.7 million if he hadn't been so blatanly attacked by CNN and the Warren campaign.

I don't really know how to conclude. I feel the same way now that I do when I eat four donuts consecutively, initially thinking it is no big deal: bloated, nauseated, reaching for the Pepto-Bismal, and reminding myself not to fall for that naive thinking again. One can take the girl out of the GOP but one can't take the GOP out of the girl. So what can one say except ta-ta, Warren! I hope it was all #WorthIt to be second mate aboard the S. S. Malarkey on the voyage of the damned.

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Comments

Pricknick's picture

It's just my opinion but I believe she is hungry for a position of power that will enhance her already well finaced life.
I have no issue with those that have much. I do however, have an issue with those that have much and want more.
She strikes me as not only a liar, but a chalatan in full disguise.
We will see if the demonrats again position an insider over the popular. If Sanders again fails and fully supports the corronation, as he did in 2016, he is twice the fool.

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21 users have voted.

Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

WaterLily's picture

@Pricknick He once again already said he would.

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6 users have voted.

@Pricknick (I know I made a typo. I like it and I'm leaving it. Heh.)

Sadly, I wouldn't look to Bernie to rock the boat, but who know? HER always had proxies do the dirty work, and she was never "my good friend." If Warren is on the ticket, maybe that's more personal for him. I wouldn't count on it though.

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2 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

snoopydawg's picture

The accusations came out of thin air and were something that no one in their right mind would think was true. This tells you a bit about the people who do believe it huh? And for the Clinton News Network to push the story by asking her what she thought about Bernie saying that a woman cannot be president after he denied he said that made it all the more obvious.

lol...

she is getting her shit rocked hard, and no amount of reminding us that she is a woman, formerly of colour, is moving the needle with voters.

I agree that she saw her numbers going down down down and pulled this stunt to sabotage Bernie for ByeDone. If she gets to play VP it will unite the never Bernie's with ByeDone's campaign. I don't think that the DNC gives a rat's ass whether ByeDone wins or Trump does as long as Bernie doesn't. But hey...what if this ploy was to get people all upset about sexism again and Hillary gets to come in and save the day? I'd put nothing past the scheming democrats who's job it is to keep their donors happy.

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29 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

WaterLily's picture

@snoopydawg You beat me to it, calling this out:

she is a woman, formerly of colour

Le Frog, you never fail to make me laugh.

Speaking of that: I got an unsolicited text from Lizzie's campaign last night. Hahahahaha: "BLOCK."

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15 users have voted.

@WaterLily always nice to meet a fan!

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2 users have voted.
Not Henry Kissinger's picture

it was only a matter of time before she finally got around to boiling the rabbit.

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20 users have voted.

The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

JekyllnHyde's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger @snoopydawg

As for Warren...

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10 users have voted.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

@JekyllnHyde n/t

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3 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

Listen to her tone of voice. Was this part of the setup too? And look at how Bernie exists the stage.
Female dawg and all that! I am thoroughly disgusted with what Warren did. How does one throw anyone away like she did? Ugh!

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24 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

snoopydawg's picture

@snoopydawg

Funny how they kept the video on Warren talking first with Biden and then on to Bernie. Did someone feed Liz her line?

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23 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

ggersh's picture

@snoopydawg

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19 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

WaterLily's picture

@snoopydawg I don't say this lightly.

What a See You Next Tuesday.

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2 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

@WaterLily

Sorry this went over my head. Inside joke or a morning problem?

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1 user has voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

WaterLily's picture

@snoopydawg It's sort of an acronym for what I'd like to call Warren, but don't like doing so in polite company.

Honestly, though, that entire exchange makes my blood boil. She's an evil witch.

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5 users have voted.

@WaterLily I've never heard "it" put that way before. Lol!

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2 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Pricknick's picture

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26 users have voted.

Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Bob In Portland's picture

I think I used the word "sinecure" earlier when trying to figure out what she was going to do after her numbers started dropping last month (although I don't have any faith in any polls). I think VP fits under the "sinecure" definition, with the real possibility that doddering Ol' Joe can't be hidden from the public like they did with Reagan, meaning Liz makes it into the White House through the back door when Biden gets wheeled out. I can see a narrative for her to slide right in with the in-crowd. Or maybe she was always in the in-crowd. Her being the progressive pragmatist school marm. Or neo-progressive pragmatist school marm.

And speaking of the word "progressive" I remember when "liberal" was today's "progressive" and I fear that if Operation Warren is successful we'll have to come up with a word to mean what progressive used to mean.

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31 users have voted.

@Bob In Portland while Biden watches cartoons and is fed applesauce, Warren runs the world.

Very good point about changing of the meaning of words to gaslight and obfuscate. Alleged fiscal conservatives invaded and occupied Iraq on a credit card owned by China, People's Republic of. Conservatives want small government, zero meddling in Your Freedom - unless you are a woman who wants control over your body or a person of colour who wants to exist.

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13 users have voted.
PriceRip's picture

          How wasn't the orchestrated attack a real attack, but you know we weren't there for the actual tête-à-tête so how could we troglodytes possibly discern the truth when the great minds of CNN asking their exquisite, explicative questions were troubled by the Sanders' defenders (obviously sycophants and lackeys) responses.

          Well I guess we are all part of a conspiracy cell. There is no other possible explanation.

RIP

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25 users have voted.
Situational Lefty's picture

"Bernie Bros" at this point. I guess she's desperate.

I hope she's just getting bad advice. Lord knows there are enough idiots staffing the DNC, DCLC, New Democrats, Third Way and who knows how many else organizations offering their services.

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19 users have voted.

"The enemy is anybody who is going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on." Yossarian

thanatokephaloides's picture

Pretending to address injustice and inequality will have to wait until at least after the ink dries on the Biden-Warren ticket.

If Biden/Warren is the ticket, get ready for four more years of the Chump. I'll vote for Trump myself, and millions of others will as well.

Sometimes, you have to actively dodge the bullet.

Fuck Joe Biden and the Dubya admiration he rode in on.

punctuation adjusted for format change

Amen!

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17 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Pricknick's picture

@thanatokephaloides

I'll vote for Trump myself, and millions of others will as well.

It's the evil we know.

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11 users have voted.

Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

@thanatokephaloides all this uproar about Bernie Sanders supports "need to answer for" alleged sexism and alleged name-calling, can someone please ask Joe Biden supporters to explain why they support what amounts to a terrorist enabler?

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13 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

(sidenote: this post was autoremoved from r/SandersForPresident*, anyone a member from there that can tell me why?)*

I've seen a lot of these responses:

"She's trying to convince progressive voters to go for her instead of Bernie as a desperation move."

"It's a media-fueled argument that actually isn't as bad as it seems."

"It's a misunderstanding due to language."

"We know Bernie, he'd never say anything like that; she's committing political suicide by doubling-down on this statement."

"It's over, forget about it, lets move on."

----

I think we're missing the point of this feud/attack.

Just a few days ago, we had posts talking about Warren slipping hard in the polls and how she should drop out and endorse Bernie, that progressives stick together and win this thing, etc. I think the real reason this story was propagated was to make a character attack against Bernie so that Warren won't have to endorse Bernie anymore.

Liz is, overall, an above-average candidate. She's many people on this sub's #2. Her followers are mainstream progressives. But we've seen that she's had flashes of establishment: taking corporate money, billionaire donors, endoring M4A as a "framework", giving the nod to Hillary in 2016, etc. We've seen how she's corporate; she's lip service to policy that Sanders has championed for a looooong time.

I don't think this was a hail mary attempt at saving her campaign. In fact, I think it was her surrender. Warren will probably drop out in the coming weeks. She has a lot of backers. Her endorsement of a candidate has a lot of weight. And it's a "no-brainer" that before this entire fiasco, she was likely to endorse Bernie.

However, with this attack on Bernie's character, it makes it easier for her **not** to endorse Sanders, and give nod to Biden. I specifically use the word "easier" because I believe she's gone full establishment.

If she flat-out endorsed Biden without this "feud," people would be on to her about being establishment. With this feud, she avoids that rebranding and can say, "As much as Bernie and I agree on policy and are outsiders, I can't in good conscience endorse him after his 'a woman can't be president' comment."

She takes a "moral highground," making her look even stronger while still dropping out and supporting the establishment.

Link

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30 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

@snoopydawg the SandersforPresident subreddit has a lot of great discussion on it.

I wonder how that endorsement will land, and when. Day before Iowa? The best that I can hope for is that this ends her career and her prospects on the speaker's circuit grift.

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12 users have voted.
Wally's picture

@Le Frog

The more Warren resorts to chicanery and treachery, the more money I give to Bernie.

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15 users have voted.

@snoopydawg First, I don't think she is playing to lose (or for VP or any other slot), nor do I feel her campaign thinks they are over. We can think that, but I'd say it's still pretty up in the air for her at this point. She's not in Klobachar territory yet.

Second, I don't think Warren endorsing Bernie, should he be the nominee, is a given at all. 2016, anyone? While I understand the media reporting their non-aggression pact and how chummy they've been to this point would make it look that way, I don't believe she really believes in Sander's issues.

Third, in 2016 she was able to endorse Clinton without trashing Bernie (though some would argue the endorsement itself was a middle finger.) Again, the story has been all about how much the two are on the same page and her going against him like this just to avoid an endorsement really makes no sense.

And fourth, if she was looking for an out, as the author implies, surely she could find one without wrecking her own personal standing in the process. Since she still seems to be trying to appear as a "progressive" of some stripe, it makes no sense to stab the head of the Democrat's progressive wing in the back.

Just doesn't add up to me. I really think the simplest answer is likely. Her numbers are slipping so they decided to go negative. It's an old playbook and sometimes works, especially when you have a compliant media willing to work with you.

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6 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

snoopydawg's picture

Warren could have said all this in private on the phone, through email or set up a meeting. She pulled this stunt on national TV in front of cameras and microphones. This reeks of manufactured outrage, just like the timing and nature of her other smears.

Warren plays fast and loose with the truth and this whole episode stinks of Clinton campaign / Republican tactics. Never Warren. Ever.

What. The. Fuck.

Imagine being a pathological liar and having the nerve to whine and attack Bernie like that, angry and pretending to be a damn victim, after colluding with CNN to promote a damn LIE and do a baseless, ludicrous "sexist" smear job on him. A smear job so fucking bizarre and stupid that anyone with access to YouTube and internet can debunk it in two minutes and prove that Bernie has been advocating for women's rights for decades. He even encouraged Warren to run for president in 2015, FFS!

Link

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25 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Centaurea's picture

on the onstage interplay between Warren and Sanders after the debate. The vlogger suggests that Warren knew their mics were still hot and may have been trying to bait Bernie into an argument to use against him.

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18 users have voted.

"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

snoopydawg's picture

@Centaurea

Warren knew she was mic'd up and went over to call Bernie out on what she says he said. This was lower that snake dung and it is definitely affecting Liz and boosting Bernie. The surprised hurt look on his face says a lot. If he said that back then why did she sit on the story for a year? Huh, Liz? Not important to throw your friend under the bus back there?

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9 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Bob In Portland's picture

@Centaurea That quote from Rumi sounds a lot like a pivotal point in the movie "The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers". Really.

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2 users have voted.
Centaurea's picture

@Bob In Portland

That's actually a pretty appropriate analogy.

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2 users have voted.

"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

Wally's picture

He doesn't want to psychoanalyze but then that's all he does because it is all he's got:

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4 users have voted.
Wally's picture

If you don't recall this tweeter, see here. She also now writes a weekly column supporting Warren in The Guardian.

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9 users have voted.
Centaurea's picture

@Wally

comes to mind here. That's a psychological model of dysfunctional human behavior in which the roles of victim, rescuer, and persecutor constantly switch among the members of the dysfunctional system. The victim turns into the rescuer. The rescuer turns into the persecutor. And so on.

Women historically have had a lot to endure. But the former victims of injustice have turned into the perpetrators of injustice.

Those tweets you posted are not the product of a healthy psyche. They show someone who is projecting her own issues into a situation that does not involve her. There's no rational, logical thinking in those tweets. Just a lot of obsession.

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8 users have voted.

"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

@Wally how to vote by a British writer for a British newspaper now????

Someone please remind of the thread where we all put in our instructions for how Brits ought to vote in their last election?

I am also, Ms Donegan, if someone happens to show you this thread, highly, let me repeat highly, offended by anyone telling me I can't criticize another woman. So, maybe you didn't quite say exactly that, but you surely implied it. You are in over your head, Ms. Donegan; maybe you need to get back to Harry and Meghan coverage.

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3 users have voted.

Mary Bennett

longtalldrink's picture

She (Lyin' Liz) waited until the SEVENTH debate to bring this "harm" to public notice??? Uh, what?

As an aside...do we all remember how Mayor Pete (of all people) owned her for her hypocrisy at the previous debate?

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17 users have voted.

Well done is better than well said-Ben Franklin

the future propaganda shitstorm. Bernie has historically been (for lack of a better phrase) too nice when he has been attacked. Maybe this will help them hone their campaign strategy.

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13 users have voted.

@entrepreneur I would be itching to round up my crew and challenge them all to a duel at 3 pm in the parking lot. However, that doesn't age well. I'm really impressed with his official response as "see this? Media bias, check. Keep knocking on doors, phone banking, and speaking to people you know about all the issues we care about. The rest is just noise." The fundraising haul has been incredible because of Warren.

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14 users have voted.

@Le Frog
And for myself, this stuff pisses me off and I end up sending him more money.

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4 users have voted.

if Bernie wins the nomination it's a sure bet Liz Warren wont be his VP pick.

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21 users have voted.

@JtC @JtC This curious matter throws her judgment, honesty and reliability into question. And if Biden wins the nom, picking her would be an unnecessary and politically harmful major slap in the face to the Bernie backers going into the Nov election.

Bernie would however almost of necessity now need to pick a woman, although months ago he already clearly signaled he would do that.

Biden would much more likely select Kamala Harris, the bussing brouhaha of months ago being long forgotten. Perhaps Stacey Abrams. Maybe Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) one of the 7 House Impeachment Managers just named. An energetic, intelligent Latina (names anyone??) would also be a better pick than Liz.

I do think he (or Bernie if he gets the nom) would go woman, and go for the two-fer if possible. The thinking should be to add some excitement to the ticket, which Joe of course sorely lacks. Naming someone like Klobbachair gets you woman but not much added ticket energy and not any joy for the progressive wing.

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7 users have voted.
OzoneTom's picture

@wokkamile

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6 users have voted.

@wokkamile Bernie should pick NM Governor Grisham as his running mate. She's really moving the state in the right direction after two terms of a awful goper woman.

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3 users have voted.

@MinuteMan an excellent suggestion. Gracias.

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1 user has voted.

@wokkamile

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7 users have voted.

@wokkamile Michelle Lujan Grisham. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Lujan_Grisham

Wait till the Rethugs start in on the insults directed against this accomplished professional woman, and watch them alienate every independent woman voter in the country.

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4 users have voted.

Mary Bennett

@JtC Bernie seems to be much more forgiving than I am on stuff though. Smile

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2 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

@JtC

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3 users have voted.
boriscleto's picture

Except maybe Ivanka. He wants to bang her...

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1 user has voted.

" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "