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Friend or Foil?

President Obama spent months embracing special interests, now he's blaming them for the backlash against his health care proposals.

For several months, President Obama sought to create an air of inevitability around the passage of health care legislation by touting the cooperation of all the so-called “stakeholders” in the industry, many of whom have historically opposed such efforts.

When he launched his health care push in March, Obama held a White House summit with representatives from 169 different labor, industry, and policy organizations.

Obama declared from the East Room that there was a “clear consensus that the need for health care reform is here and now.” He went on to say that “Insurers agree:  Scott Serota with Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said to consider past opposition the past, it is not the present; the time is right for action now.”

In May, Obama announced a deal with industry groups to wring $2 trillion of savings out of the health care system over 10 years.

“I just concluded a extraordinarily productive meeting with organizations and associations that are going to be essential to the work of health care reform in this country -- groups that represent everyone from union members to insurance companies, from doctors and hospitals to pharmaceutical companies,” Obama said.

Among the groups involved in the deal were the largest insurance industry lobbyist, America’s Health Insurance Plans, as well as the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Then in June, Obama announced a deal between PhRMA and AARP to save $80 billion on prescription drug costs over ten years. Separately, PhRMA joined with the liberal Families USA to take out an ad playing off the “Harry and Louise” spots that helped derail health care legislation in 1994, only with the opposite message. “We can get the job done this time,” the Louise character says in the new ads.

And the AMA, which once stood opposed to government-run medicine, endorsed the liberal House Democrats health care bill, which introduces a new government-run plan.

Yet in recent weeks, with support for their health care proposals cratering, the White House and the Democratic Congress have begun lashing out at “special interests” for trying to block legislation, turning Obama's industry friends into convenient foils.

“(S)ome will try to delay action until the special interests can kill it,” President Obama said in the Rose Garden last month. At an appearance in Raleigh, North Carolina, he said: "The truth is, we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn't always work well for you. "

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called health insurers “the villains in this.”

The attacks grew harsher this week as Democrats sought to discredit citizens who voiced their opposition to health care legislation at town hall meetings, painting them as tools of corporations. On Thursday, Obama’s Organizing for America group emailed that “Members of Congress have been home for just a few days, and they're already facing increased pressure from insurance companies, special interests, and partisan attack organizations that are spending millions to block health insurance reform.”

But the question is: if the Democrats’ push for health care legislation is being supported by the AMA (the special interest for physicians); AHA (the special interest for hospitals); AHIP (the insurance lobby); and PhRMA (the big bad pharmaceutical industry lobbyist), then which powerful special interests are the ones trying to block reform?

“You just named them,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Ohio Democrat told me when I posed the question to him during a Thursday conference call hosted by Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal group that has played an active role in the health care debate. “They’re out to do it their way…. Don’t think these interest groups aren’t out there every day fighting to keep their share and enlarge their share of the public health care dollar in this country, and they’re a big reason why this is so difficult.”

Brown pointed out that drug companies were trying to make sure legislation protects them from competition from generic versions of expensive biologic drugs, while insurers are campaigning against a government-run plan. “They’re trying to shape this bill,” he said.

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About the Author

Philip Klein is The American Spectator's Washington correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Philipaklein

Letter to the Editor View all comments (69) | Leave a comment

Appleby| 8.7.09 @ 6:41AM

Obama hates opposition -- he cannot understand opposition to his ideas does not mean people hate him, and thin skinned as he is, he takes everything personally to the point that he is beginning to resemble a 14 year old girl whose mother wont let her get a tattoo, wear shortie pajamas to church, or stay out until 3:00 a.m. on school nights.

Keep up the pressure boys and girls. The more he is thwarted, the sillier he will look and sound. And the sillier he sounds, the less dangerous he will be.

Big J| 8.7.09 @ 6:54AM

I see the tide turning. Opposition at town halls, phone calls, emails etc. are working!

To all who participate: please don't disqualify these efforts by getting violent. I suspect the 2 or 3 stories I have heard were probably perpetrated by proponent groups, in an effort to discredit the opposition.

That said, it is interesting to watch the reactions to our opposition. David Axelrod is calling emergency meetings to instruct congress on how to deal with angry voters back home (read: crash course in Chicago Thug Politics). Town halls are being canceled in favor of private "one-on-one meetings", and Obama is asking us to "snitch" on each other for having opposing viewpoints.

The socialist ship has sprung a leak and is sinking fast.

I am with Appleby. Keep it up.

Darin| 8.7.09 @ 7:03AM

Big J makes an excellent point. Those who attend these meetings need to remain civil in raising and discussing points.

However, remain vigilent because it would surprise me for Obama supporters to create incidents and claim they are part of those who oppose his plans. I recall reading that people opposed to a Republican president (Bush Sr.?) would attend rallies dressed as the KKK and voice their support of Bush. The message being that "the KKK supports Bush." Deceptive and underhanded, but since liberals do believe the ends justify the means, they don't see a problem with such behavior. In short, if you see anyone getting out of hand, let them know that they are only hurting the message. Also let them know that if they continue to act out, you suspect they are an Obama plant (make sure everyone around you hears this) and challenge them to prove otherwise.

Melvin| 8.7.09 @ 7:40AM

What happened in Tampa during a town hall debate is typical what many Americans are feeling.
They write, they email, they call, they voice their opposition to this farce of insurance reform but the politicians and special interest groups that are promoting this bill ignore the pleas and concerns of the majority of Americans who do not want single payer health insurance.
Unfortunately, the violence that erupted is more out of frustration of the politicians and special interests groups most notably the AARP not listening.
The government is cramming this down our throats and we do not want it, but the government continues to shove and as the White House put it, "Shove! it down with twice the force."
If this is the attitude of the White House the American people will also respond with thrice the force. Tampa is only the beginning of the rebellion, I don't condone civil action, but what choice to we have left?

JP| 8.7.09 @ 7:54AM

The health care and pharma groups deserve this beating they are taking. They read the tea-leaves wrong and surrendered to The Anointed One, and were blindsided when Obama and his party turned on them.

If just to serve thier stockholders and customers, these corporations CEOs should inform Congress and the President that all bets are off. What do they have to lose? The Left and Obama just looks at them as usefull idiots who can be soaked.

The President and his pollsters made a huge mistake this week by going after the very people who would provide him political cover. The President appears to be turning our national politics into nothing more than a Cook County slugfest.

By outsourcing his agenda to Pelosi and co. the President lost control of his agenda (if he ever had control of it). The division of labor of Pelosi and the Far Left writes the laws (and takes the heat, but sets the agenda), while Obama sells it (he gets the glory, but misses out on the details) has turned out to be disaster for Obama. He must now sell a bill that 75% of the electorate hates, and now threatens the political lifes of 55-60 Blue Dog Democrats. The debate of ObamaCare evolved into a much bigger debate -a referenda on the entire Democratic governing body.

Should be an interesting August.

sh221b| 8.7.09 @ 7:58AM

Town Hall kabuki theater check list
Open Saul Alinski playbook – check
Demonize and isolate opponents – check
Call protestors well-dressed “mob”-check
Stage event at a locations too small to handle crowds-check
Bus in union supporters who happen to be able to get into meeting-check
Talk down to opponents with platitudes rather than proposals-check
Leave meeting in indignant huff-check
Sit back and watch what happens-check
Shock and awe that violence occurs-check
Cry “Can’t we all just get along”-check
Obama’s beer-wagon rolls in for a teachable moment-priceless

stephanie| 8.7.09 @ 8:54AM

Virginia's senator, Jim Webb is skating out of the country to China for 2 weeks and "we're sorry, he won't be here for any townhall meetings and has none planned when he returns home. Warner has none planned either. Something about "one on one" or conference call meetings. Chicken poops. They will vote for this travesty of a reform, but the least they could do is hear out their constituancy.
We will remember this come next election.

Melvin| 8.7.09 @ 9:42AM

We can't wait for 2010. The damage will have been done by then. The date that this law will be signed into law is the day the Obama will sign the death sentences for millions of our seniors.
Americans are going to, "DIE" because of this legislation.
Will it be you Stephanie, JP, Darin, Big J, and Appleby? Or will it be one the loved ones of your families?
The corrupt filth that resides in Washington D.C. needs to be forcibly removed to stop this madness.

JerseyJ| 8.7.09 @ 10:02AM

I'm not a special interest, my wife and kids are not special interests, my friends and coworkers are not special interests ... but we're all mad as hell.

We need people to start asking (on camera) the so-called supporters who are showing up at these town-halls to prove they actually live in the districts or states where they're occurring. I ask just about everyone, and I mean just about everyone, I come in contact with what they think about this "reform" and I've not met a single person who thinks what's being considered is a good idea.

Keep at it folks, we're making progress.

Dagny Taggert| 8.7.09 @ 10:13AM

What is most irritating is that the Dem's response is to attack the protesters instead of making a substantive argument in favor of what they're trying to do. When Bush was in office, the attacking of him personally and his policies generally, worked. Now that the policy ball's in their court, they haven't made the case specifically enough to woo public support. Since the policy was never specific, all that's left is to attack the opposition. Very poor salesmanship. Very poor tactics in this battle. If they continue down this tactical road, healthcare reform as they wish it will never happen.

Grzmlyk| 8.7.09 @ 11:46AM

I echo Appleby's and Big J's sentiments.

We need to defang Obama and his socialist agenda, and the time is now, while he is on the ropes (to mix metaphors).

The media won't do it, so we must all register our outrage (isn't that a favorite word of liberals?) wherever and whenever we can.

The is NOW. If we render the beast harmless now, we can neutralize this Utopian, Marxist no-nothing and his merry band of malevolent social engineers.

Now, if only we had a Republican party that stood for something. . . .

Al Adab| 8.7.09 @ 1:16PM

Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind. The time is coming. Sadly, all too many of us will have to pay for the Janus faced Left and their aggression against our Constitution.

As we see at the Town Halls across the country, when the voters expressions don't agree with the preconceived notions of the elites, they have fits and walk away. They seek cheerleaders and are finding discontent. The reaction, silence and denigrate the "mob". I fear for our contry.

Rocco| 8.7.09 @ 1:40PM

While I am in agreement with Grzmlyk's, Appleby's and Big J's posts, the Marine in me - the one who swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC - tends to agree with Melvin. But, the most powerful weapon is ridicule. Despite Franken's claim to being a comedian (a sh@t one at that), Democrats, at least in the leadership, have no humor. They pretend to, but they have thin skins and shallow egos. Make them look ridiculous in front of the cameras, and that's all Americans need to see. We need to run an Information Operations campaign against them, guerrilla style, much as al-Qa'ida does against us. Sooner or later people will take notice. Their poll numbers are plummeting now. Let's help them along.

Grzmlyk's last sentence is telling: "Now, if only we had a Republican party that stood for something. . . . " Where are they? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for an opposition party. Why are they asleep at the wheel?

Rocco| 8.7.09 @ 1:42PM

I meant, fragile egos.....

Tim| 8.7.09 @ 2:02PM

Civilization, in fact, grows more and more maudlin and hysterical; especially under democracy it tends to degenerate into a mere combat of crazes; the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.
H.L. Mencken

Assassins| 8.7.09 @ 3:25PM

News and Views on Jews (beta version)Home
Political assassinations by Jews
Submitted by Administrator on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 01:47
Responding to the strange death of Jörg Haider, nationalist leader poised to become Chancellor of Austria, someone commented, ‘Sometimes people, even the great and famous, just die in everyday accidents.’

Erko replied:

But they’re always enemies of Jews or Zionism, aren’t they?

What’s more, with the isolated exception of Rabin, who seems to have been assassinated by his own people, e.g., the Mossad, no prominent Jew has ever been assassinated or has died in a suspicious accident.

No prominent supporter of Jews and Zionism has ever been assassinated or has died in a suspicious accident.

If these ‘accidents’ were really accidents, we’d expect them to be ‘politically neutral.’ But they’re not. The victims always seem to be someone Jews just happen to be worried about.

Crime Inc| 8.7.09 @ 4:18PM

9
JEWISH CRIME


"Of all the areas of Jewish enterprise," notes Gerald Krafetz, "none has been so overlooked as the field of crime. And it isn't because of a lack of Jewish criminality. For an introspective people, this oversight is significant. It is as if Jewish crime did not exist, an unsavory skeleton is best left in the family closet ... The sociopathology of Jews is not an acceptable notion since it runs counter to both religious precepts and preconceived ideas that Jews have of themselves." [KREFETZ, p. 112] "Jews were ... involved in many of the most visible and spectacular frauds of the post-Civil War period," notes Benjamin Ginsberg, "as well as in economic dislocations and financial manipulations that characterize the era." [GINSBERG, p. 75] In one much publicized scandal for instance, the Jewish governor of South Carolina, Franklin Moses, oversaw the issue and selling of $6 million in fraudulent state securities, as well as funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds into his own pocket. [GINSBERG, p. 75]

In a broader financial sphere, very visibly at the top of the socio-economic pyramid, Jewish businessman Joseph Seligman's nefarious activities in the late 1800s helped to create the infamous "Black Friday" stock market crash. Benjamin Ginsberg notes that the crash

"ruined thousands of investors, implicated President Grant, and led to a
Congressional investigation of [Jay] Gould and Seligman ... Similarly, in
the early 1890s, Jacob Schiff collaborated with E. H. Harriman in the
latter's attempts to wrest control of the Northern Pacific Railroad from J.
P. Morgan and James Hill ... When the price of the Northern Pacific
Stock collapsed, the entire market crashed in the notorious 'Black
Thursday' panic that led to a nationwide economic depression."
[GINZBURG, p. 73]

TJK| 8.7.09 @ 5:23PM

I wish we could do something about the nonsensical ramblings and frankly irrelevant spamming like the message just above mine.
Anyway, for a president to supposedly have taught constitutional law, it amazes me that he continues to embrace things that are clearly unconstitutional, such as wanting names of those who speak in opposition to this farce of a "reform." The man is over-reaching, and the push-back is incredible. My fellow Americans, please stay the course. United, we cannot fail.

2 Gunz, AZ| 8.7.09 @ 5:27PM

Was that Barry's bus I saw running over those insurance companies and other "special interests"? What did these morons expect. This should be a lesson for all who wants to sign up with these thugs.

Scott A Joseph, MD| 8.7.09 @ 5:28PM

A quote from WWII is apropos here. "The Germans know that it is life or death for them here at Kursk. We must see that they break their necks."

I disagree with Senator DeMint. Healthcare won't be a Waterloo for the Dems. But hopefully, it will be their Kursk.

Ken (Old Texican| 8.7.09 @ 5:49PM

Good thought, Doctor.

WWII memory...we sometimes forget that for several years...Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia...were "BEST BUDDIES".

Doctor, sadly the commentators are wailing about us being a "polarized country".

WELL HELL YES!...and proud of it on our side!

People are going to have to take a stand. Fence sitters will get a barbed wire hiney in our country over the next months and years.

Stark choice before us...right the hell now!

Free Americans vs. thugs and ghetto kings.

Mr. Obama is mobilizing street gangs, turning every thing upside down. The losers get the prize and we get the back of their hand or their machine pistols in a drive-by shooting?
Guess again Mr. President.
"Here come da TEAM...here come da TEAM!

Big J| 8.7.09 @ 8:06PM

To Rocco:

Your thoughts are not at odds. Think about that.

On the one hand, you have sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

On the other hand, you have sworn and oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

First: call, write, email, protest, go to the motherchicken's office. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Then,

Well, I don't think I need to explain that one, now do I?

I'm with you, so are many others.

Join the TEAM you are already a part of.

Stay tuned, brother.

defeated pigs| 8.7.09 @ 8:27PM

NEW YORK – The economy's most vexing problem, unemployment, is showing the first signs of easing. And Wall Street is celebrating.

Major stock indexes jumped more than 1 percent Friday after the government said the nation's unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in July for the first time in 15 months and that employers cut fewer jobs. Bond prices fell, driving yields higher as investors left the safety of Treasurys.

Bow to your leader.

Stan Redmond| 8.7.09 @ 10:18PM

This isn't even about heath care "reform." As "defeated pig" eloquently demonstrates it is about arrogance, control, and spite. The obamatons are SOOOO emotionally invested they willsay and do anything to protect their investment. Any attack on the Obama is an attack on themselves. They are so blinded by hate of all things Bush and conservative that they dare not question the OBama or any of the democrats zany policies. The politicians that are supporting and sponsering these government takeovers have their hands in this big pile of money and they aren't about to give it up and the easiest way to get in the Obama cadre is to follow along like a lapdog. It is a scary time because the anarchists are on the Obama's side. They will take advantage of this and put in their operatives to start violence all so a slavish media can cover it as "republicans turn violent" and tah-duh. Posse comitatus suspended to bring order to the streets and "protect" innocent politicians. Read around other forums.

brutus6| 8.8.09 @ 1:28AM

The smart Democrats (a contradiction in terms?) in D.C. have gotta be thinking right now, "Damn! We shoulda reinstated the Fairness Doctrine first, THEN gone after health care reform.."

JAMES Raider| 8.8.09 @ 3:17AM

LET'S NOT BELIEVE THE DOUBLE-SPEAK

Ignoring economic reality is more than simply idiotic.

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2009/08/obama-middle-class-income-tax-increases.html

…..Keep saving every dime you can for tomorrow.

TParty4USA| 8.8.09 @ 3:42AM

Shareholders? What about all those millions and million of real stakeholders?

Like Americans who are patients.

Or who might one day become patients.

Or who are expected to cough up money from their hard-earned income to pay taxes for these socialized health care experiments that are being sugar-coated and wrapped in opaque language as if Americans are too busy (or dumb) to know it's full of snake oil.

You know, all those Americans that the elitist know-it-alls in D.C. consider to be too ignorant to know what's best for themselves.

Those same Americans that the same elitists try to label as "goons" and "nazis" and "mobs" and all of those other community-organizer-inspired monikers designed to insult, intimidate, and dehumanize the targets of their thuggery.

Go project yourself somewhere else, you idiots!

Frankly, from all newscasts so far, the vast majority of folks showing up at town hall meetings and confronting all the so-called elected "representatives" have had their fill already with repeated lies like this one: "You can keep your insurance if you like it" which the supposed representatives should know is a big fat lie if they had read the bill. Maybe instead of liars, they are just morons because they haven't yet read the bill and are just spewing talking points from Puhleez-osi or Reidless in the Wind or Obama himself.

So when the words coming out of these so-called "representatives" (what a joke) mouths are the same old lies, or "talking points" if that sounds more polite, a good yelling is just exactly what they deserve to get to jar them back to realilty -- although a pie in the face might work better to get their attention. At least, that's the way it's been done by our president's profession (liberal "community organizers") in many other contexts -- so pies must be OK.

The biggest crisis right now is a politician crisis. And all it would take is a special election to solve that crisis real quick. And then maybe we could get about enacting health care reform that works for the REAL stakeholders in this mess.

Pingback| 8.8.09 @ 2:10PM

Jack’s Newswatch » Blog Archive » ‘Fishy’ Info May Be Illegal, Critics Say (4) links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Related: Democrats’ Fear Is Showing on Health Care Palin Says Obama’s Plan to Overhaul Health Care is ‘Evil’ Updates: 1:01 pm EDT, August 8th, 2009 — A Sick Debate 2:05 pm EDT, August 8th, 2009 — Friend or Foil? Featured 1 COMMENT You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. 1 Response fernstalbert Says: This is an extention of HR Commissions,  American style.  If you offend…

Trotters = defeeted pigs| 8.8.09 @ 2:25PM

@ defeated pigs - sometimes the leaders bow . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pk2rxHTrsQ&feature=related
sic semper tyrannis

sisyphus| 8.8.09 @ 11:28PM

The following letter was written and sent to the whitehouse by my father.
It is free to be re-distributed by anyone who may wish to do so.

To: Whitehouse Snitch Brigade (Speech Police)

You say you are compiling an enemy list of citizens who oppose the "health care" plan.

Know this, brown shirts:

I oppose this plan.

I oppose your plan to murder me by withholding essential madical or surgical treatment.

I oppose your plan to kill old people by decree of committee.

I oppose your plan to make me pay for treatment denied to my by your commissars.

I oppose your plan to prevent me from paying for treatment with my own money.

I oppose being forced into a single-payer plan.

Is that fishy enough for you, speech police? Try this:

I own my life. I value liberty. I value the right to own property. I value the right to seek my own happiness.

Now put this in your Executive Permanent Data Base:

I am the "manufactured mob" who will never bow to the serfdom you are trying to impose. I say NO to tyrannical government.

I am the one who goes to the window every night and shouts, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more!"

These fishy comments by:
(a 90 year old man) name removed
A very small fish

Their tactics| 8.9.09 @ 8:29AM

TJK, I also wish that this Web site would deter the neo-Nazi comments that keep popping up. "Assassins" and "Crime Inc." are using tactics that are recommended at the Judenfrei Jew Review web site, a cesspool of neo-Nazi excrement.

Their tactics are evident in this recommendation from one of their members; his/her subject is black people, but the strategy clearly is the same for their slurs against Jews: "[P]resent a detailed anecdote of black malfeasance, [but] don't cap it off with how much you hate blacks now. Let the reader live through your imparted experience, and come to dislike blacks on his own."

Somebody needs to flush that toilet.

Michael L. Hauschild| 8.9.09 @ 11:13AM

I have visited the web sites scheduling Town Hall Meetings for both the Republican and Democrat representatives looking for the ones in our area. Nationwide the last six pages of the Democrat’s locations and times are now just blackened pages. The only thing they are “hitting back twice as hard” on is my printer cartridge.

The Crazy Old Coot| 8.9.09 @ 6:14PM

sisyphus--I've aleady turned myself in, but I may use your father's letter to turn myself in again.

A 35 year "crazy old coot"

GG| 8.9.09 @ 11:18PM

Two cabinet ministers have strongly denied allegations of collusion in the abuse of terrorist suspects overseas.
But Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Alan Johnson said it was impossible to remove all risk when using intelligence obtained overseas.
This came as a committee of MPs urged a probe into the transfer of terror suspects through UK territories.
cmc audio rca
wbt audio rca
cmc rca plugs
wbt rca plugs
Last week a committee of MPs and peers called for an independent inquiry into claims of UK complicity in torture.
The Joint Human Rights Committee said on Tuesday the government had not done enough to investigate these claims, because it had been unable to establish whether British officers were involved in mistreatment.
cmc rca jacks
wbt rca jacks
cmc tube sockets
wbt tube sockets
Now the Foreign Affairs Select Committee has also said it has grave concerns that British officers were complicit in torture.
'Hard choices'
But in a joint article in the Sunday Telegraph Mr Miliband and Mr Johnson said the UK "firmly opposed" torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.
cmc binding posts
wbt binding posts
cmc banana & spades
They said there was "no truth" in suggestions it was official policy to "collude in, solicit, or directly participate in abuses of prisoners".
But "difficult judgments and hard choices" had to be made, they added, and while anyone detained in the UK would be treated well, the same guarantee could not be made about those held by foreign authorities.
wbt banana & spades
cmc loudspeaker
wbt loudspeaker
"Operations have been halted where the risk of mistreatment was too high. But it is not possible to eradicate all risk," they wrote.

ghdshop| 3.30.10 @ 1:30AM

Thanks very much for sharing.I am quite agree with you.

Solar Cell| 10.13.11 @ 5:04AM

The President and his pollsters made a huge mistake this week by going after the very people who would provide him political cover. The President and his pollsters made a huge mistake this week by going after the very people who would provide him political cover. The President appears to be turning our national politics into nothing more than a Cook County slugfest. The President appears to be turning our national politics into nothing more than a Cook County slugfest.

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