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Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

Yes We Can ~ Da putem! Welcome to the Romanian American support group for Barack Obama. "Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores ..."

Let's have real reform this year

By Nate - Dec 13th, 2009 at 1:33 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

Dear Senators Cardin and Mikulski,

Let's have real reform this year, one that gives us real choice. Not the A or B, Coke or Pepsi, choices of a rigged private market controlled by an oligopoly of large corporations. This is not cars or stereos, this is whether people live or die. It is simply too important to leave to the private market alone.

I don't need subsidies to funnel more tax payer dollars to private corporations; we've already had $700 billion of that this year. I need a non-profit, publicly run, and publicly accountable option for my health care. One I can afford and trust. And I'd like to have it before the next time I get sick, so I can stop turning to charities for my medical care.

And let's be honest, this shouldn't be hard to do. The majority of Americans (and an even bigger majority of Marylanders) support a public option. So here's a great idea, why don't we give Americans of all ages and incomes the option to buy into Medicare instead of buying on the private market. No new, wasteful, bureaucracy needed, just expand what we have. If a person qualifies for the new subsidies they can choose to apply them to a private plan or a Medicare plan. Simple. Quality, affordable choices. Just like Barack said.

If the fact that I, as your constituent, am 40% more likely to die than you simply because I cannot afford health insurance (whereas my tax dollars pay for yours), and my employer does not offer me health insurance (the hiring freeze in Montgomery County, a result of the recession, means that I have been hired essentially as a permanent temp, instead of a full time teacher, and therefore do not receive benefits), is not enough to convince this Congress to fight for real reform, perhaps it is better we, the people, appeal to your self-interest instead.

So let me make it real simple for you. No strong public option (preferably Medicare open to all ages) = no vote, no canvassing, no phone banking and no donations in 2010 or 2012. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Democrat that feels this way.

Trading the public option for an expansion of Medicare by a decade, is of little consolation to the majority of us uninsured who are under the age of 40. Nor does it change the fact that I, and tens of millions of other Americans, will be mandated to buy a product we cannot afford while giving us no new options as to which product is available to us. So please, I beg you, if the public option is to be canned in favor of expanding Medicare, then make open to people of all ages.

So this holiday season, please, bail out the sick and dying, the laid-off and underemployed; don't bail out the insurance industry. Because again, it's simple math: universal mandate + no public option = insurance industry bail out. You would be forcing me to bail out the insurance companies by mandating I buy their over priced, insufficient products. At the end of the day working class Americans, of all colors and creeds, can no longer afford to “pay the bill for every major government program and get nothing or little in the way of return” (Mikulski, 1970).

How young people are treated by government today will shape how we vote for decades and generations to come. What FDR and the New Deal Democrats did for my grandparents - the children of poor, east European, immigrant factory workers, both Catholic and Jewish - is the inspiration which you, and I, and countless other Americans carry forward with us today.

Let us not forget that it was the critical support of people like us - the millions of first, second and third generation Americans, and their children, whose political views were laid by the haunting experiences of the Great Depression and the progressive agenda of the New Deal - which allowed Democrats to end segregation, to pass civil rights, and to create Medicare. And it was us, together with a new wave of immigrants, which elected not just our first African-American president, but also only the second in our history to have come from immigrant descent. We have now built the alliance of Asian, Latino, “white and black, white collar, blue collar and no collar based on mutual need, interdependence and respect” (Mikulski, 1970). And this time, with laser precision, our anger is generated towards those who have power.

It is time now that this coalition carry the torch forward for a new generation, and remind the people once again what Democrats are supposed to stand for. That is why the young cannot be left out of any compromise on health care, for so too then will we be left out of the experience which made my family, and your families, Democrats in the first place. The young generation is equally part of this new Great Recession; do we not then deserve to be part of this new New Deal? Let’s open Medicare to young and old, rich and poor alike. Let’s do it for our party and for our country. To honor those who came before us, and to lay the path for those to follow.

Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas

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Warrantless Spying Continues - Letter to Obama

By Nate - Apr 8th, 2009 at 6:02 am EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

This is a letter I wrote to President Obama in response to the Obama Administration's current attempts to expand the legal justification for the illegal warrantless spying program inherited from Bush (you know, the one Obama was supposed to disband rather than try and make new legal loop holes for).

I have a link to an article here, not the greatest news site, but they have links to the full text of the DOJ court filings to dismiss suits against the government, and severly limit people's ability to file future suits against the government to protect their Constitutional rights.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_Administration_quietly_expands_Bushs_legal_0407.html

---Begin Letter---

Dear President Obama,

In February of last year you said: "There is no reason why telephone companies should be given blanket immunity to cover violations of the rights of the American people - we must reaffirm that no one in this country is above the law."

In July you then instead voted to grant immunity to those very companies while they were in court for violating the rights of the American people. You insisted this was a necessary compromise, and gave us the following assurances:

You supported the FISA court as the exclusive means of legal domestic government wiretapping:

"The exclusivity provision [of the FISA Amendment Act] makes it clear to any President or telecommunications company that no law supersedes the authority of the FISA court. In a dangerous world, government must have the authority to collect the intelligence we need to protect the American people. But in a free society, that authority cannot be unlimited. As I've said many times, an independent monitor must watch the watchers to prevent abuses and to protect the civil liberties of the American people. This compromise law assures that the FISA court has that responsibility."

You acknowledged that blocking legal action in the courts weakens deterrents against and accountability for illegal wiretapping:

"[The FISA Amendment Act] grants retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that may have violated the law by cooperating with the Bush Administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. This potentially weakens the deterrent effect of the law and removes an important tool for the American people to demand accountability for past abuses."

And you pledged to reform the system to prevent future abuses and protect civil liberty:

"I do so with the firm intention -- once I’m sworn in as President -- to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future."

Now, barely two months into office, your DOJ has done exactly the opposite. It has filed to dismiss suits against the government involving warrantless wiretapping, and further expanded the corrupt Bush interpretation of state secrets and sovereign immunity. The abuse of executive power you pledged to prevent in the future, your DOJ is now expanding. The warrantless wiretapping program created by Bush to circumvent the very FISA court you agreed was the exclusive legal means of wiretapping American citizens, is likewise now deemed to be legal by your DOJ. And since the previous immunity for telecoms didn't weaken deterrent or accountability for illegal spying enough, the grounds given for dismissing the cases against the government is that the government can't be sued, even for actions which are willfully and intentional in violation of existing law, unless the government willfully disclosed the information they illegally obtained.

Given this track record so far I guess we can expect your continued protection of Bush Administration officials against torture charges and investigations. We can expect you to keep hiding the Bush torture memos instead of releasing them to the public. We can expect you to merely relocate Guantanamo detainees in new places, closing the prison only in name. We can expect a trillion more dollars to be thrown at CEOs while we get laid off by them (Geithner and Summer's PPIP plan is just more privatized profits with socialized risks, and it stinks of corruption). We can expect more promises of European style services without admitting they will require European style taxes. We can expect future bailout programs to be crafted, like the current ones, behind closed doors and without the input of other ideas or people outside the Wall Street/Washington bubble your administration is quickly falling into. This isn't what we campaigned for, and it's certainly not what we voted for.

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PUBLIC FOR ALL ... .. .... http://tarnovan.wordpress.com/

By Unknown user - Nov 5th, 2008 at 4:36 am EST

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

PUBLIC FOR ALL ... .. ....
Eugen-STEFAN TARNOVAN (life is an eternity ... ....)BARACK OBAMA-PRESIDENT OF U.S.A “I’M ASKING YOU TO BELIVE!”

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PUBLIC ..........FOR ALL ... .. .... (life is an eternity ... ...)

By Unknown user - Nov 4th, 2008 at 1:39 am EST

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

http://tarnovan.wordpress.com/-Vote BARACK OBAMA to be FUTURE PRESIDENT OF U.S.A

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PUBLIC ..........FOR ALL ... .. .... (life is an eternity ... ...)

By Unknown user - Oct 30th, 2008 at 6:10 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

http://tarnovan.wordpress.com/-Vote BARACK OBAMA to be FUTURE PRESIDENT OF U.S.A:

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A conservative speaks for Obama

By Radu Florescu - Oct 16th, 2008 at 6:01 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

THE HUFFINGTON POST
October 9, 2008

Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.

Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.

I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents.

Obama is our last best chance. He's worth laying it all on the line for.

This is a man who in the age of greed took the high road of community service. This is the good father and husband. This is the humble servant. This is the patient teacher. This is the scholar statesman. This is the man of deep Christian faith.

Good stories about Obama abound; from his personal relationship with his Secret Service agents (he invites them into his home to watch sports, and shoots hoops with them) to the story about how, more than twenty years ago, while standing in the check-in line at an airport, Obama paid a $100 baggage surcharge for a stranger who was broke and stuck. (Obama was virtually penniless himself in those days.) Years later after he became a senator, that stranger recognized Obama's picture and wrote to him to thank him. She received a kindly note back from the senator. (The story only surfaced because the person, who lives in Norway, told a local newspaper after Obama ran for the presidency. The paper published a photograph of this lady proudly displaying Senator Obama's letter.)

Where many leaders are two-faced; publicly kindly but privately feared and/or hated by people closest to them, Obama is consistent in the way he treats people, consistently kind and personally humble. He lives by the code that those who lead must serve. He believes that. He lives it. He lived it long before he was in the public eye.
Obama puts service ahead of ideology. He also knows that to win politically you need to be tough. He can be. He has been. This is a man who does what works, rather than scoring ideological points. In other words he is the quintessential non-ideological pragmatic American. He will (thank God!) disappoint ideologues and purists of the left and the right.

Obama has a reservoir of personal physical courage that is unmatched in presidential history. Why unmatched? Because as the first black contender for the presidency who will win, Obama, and all the rest of us, know that he is in great physical danger from the seemingly unlimited reserve of unhinged racial hatred, and just plain unhinged ignorant hatred, that swirls in the bowels of our wounded and sinful country. By stepping forward to lead, Obama has literally put his life on the line for all of us in a way no white candidate ever has had to do. (And we all know how dangerous the presidency has been even for white presidents.)

Nice stories or even unparalleled courage isn't the only point. The greater point about Obama is that the midst of our worldwide financial meltdown, an expanding (and losing) war in Afghanistan, trying to extricate our country from a wrong and stupidly mistaken ruinously expensive war in Iraq, our mounting and crushing national debt, awaiting the next (and inevitable) al Qaeda attack on our homeland, watching our schools decline to Third World levels of incompetence, facing a general loss of confidence in the government that has been exacerbated by the Republicans doing all they can to undermine our government's capabilities and programs... President Obama will take on the leadership of our country at a make or break time of historic proportions. He faces not one but dozens of crisis, each big enough to define any presidency in better times.

As luck, fate or divine grace would have it (depending on one's personal theology) Obama is blessedly, dare I say uniquely, well-suited to our dire circumstances. Obama is a person with hands-on community service experience, deep connections to top economic advisers from the renowned University of Chicago where he taught law, and a middle-class background that gives him an abiding knowledgeable empathy with the rest of us. As the son of a single mother, who has worked his way up with merit and brains, recipient of top-notch academic scholarships, the peer-selected editor of the Harvard Law Review and, in three giant political steps to state office, national office and now the presidency, Obama clearly has the wit and drive to lead.

Obama is the sober voice of reason at a time of unreason. He is the fellow keeping his head while all around him are panicking. He is the healing presence at a time of national division and strife. He is also new enough to the political process so that he doesn't suffer from the terminally jaded cynicism, the seen-it-all-before syndrome afflicting most politicians in Washington. In that regard we Americans lucked out. It's as if having despaired of our political process we picked a name from the phone book to lead us and that person turned out to be a very man we needed.

Obama brings a healing and uplifting spiritual quality to our politics at the very time when our worst enemy is fear. For eight years we've been ruled by a stunted fear-filled mediocrity of a little liar who has expanded his power on the basis of creating fear in others. Fearless Obama is the cure. He speaks a litany of hope rather than a litany of terror.

As we have watched Obama respond in a quiet reasoned manner to crisis after crisis, in both the way he has responded after being attacked and lied about in the 2008 campaign season, to his reasoned response to our multiplying national crises, what we see is the spirit of a trusted family doctor with a great bedside manner. Obama is perfectly suited to hold our hand and lead us through some very tough times. The word panic is not in the Obama dictionary.

America is fighting its 'Armageddon' in one fearful heart at a time. A brilliant leader with the mild manner of an old-time matter-of-fact country doctor soothing a frightened child is just what we need. The fact that our 'doctor' is a black man leading a hitherto white-ruled nation out of the mess of its own making is all the sweeter and raises the Obama story to that of moral allegory. Obama brings a moral clarity to his leadership reserved for those who have had to work for everything they've gotten and had to do twice as well as the person standing next to them because of the color of their skin. His experience of succeeding in spite of his color, social background and prejudice could have been embittering or one that fostered a spiritual rebirth of forgiveness and enlightenment. Obama radiates the calm inner peace of the spirit of forgiveness. Speaking as a believing Christian I see the hand of a merciful God in Obama's candidacy. The biblical metaphors abound. The stone the builder rejected is become the cornerstone... the last shall be first...he that would gain his life must first lose it... the meek shall inherit the earth... For my secular friends I'll allow that we may have just been extraordinarily lucky! Either way America wins.

Only a brilliant man, with the spirit of a preacher and the humble heart of a kindly family doctor can lead us now. We are afraid, out of ideas, and worst of all out of hope. Obama is the cure. And we Americans have it in us to rise to the occasion. We will. We're about to enter one of the most frightening periods of American history. Our country has rarely faced more uncertainty. This is the time for greatness. We have a great leader. We must be a great people backing him, fighting for him, sacrificing for a cause greater than ourselves. A hundred years from now Obama's portrait will be placed next to that of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and voted for a young black man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss. We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance. We'll tell them that President Obama gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country. We'll tell them that we all stood up and pitched in and won the day. We'll tell them that President Obama restored our standing in the world. We'll tell them that by the time he left office our schools were on the mend, our economy booming, that we'd become a nation filled with green energy alternatives and were leading the world away from dependence on carbon-based destruction. We'll tell them that because of President Obama's example and leadership the integrity of the family was restored, divorce rates went down, more fathers took responsibility for their children, and abortion rates fell dramatically as women, families and children were cared for through compassionate social programs that worked. We'll tell them about how the gap closed between the middle class and the super rich, how we won health care for all, how crime rates fell, how bad wars were brought to an honorable conclusion. We'll tell them that when we were attacked again by al Qaeda, how reason prevailed and the response was smart, tough, measured and effective, and our civil rights were protected even in times of crisis...

We'll tell them that we were part of the inexplicably blessed miracle that happened to our country those many years ago in 2008 when a young black man was sent by God, fate or luck to save our country. We'll tell them that it's good to live in America where anything is possible.Yes we will.

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback.

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Succes for the fundraising event

By Radu Florescu - Oct 10th, 2008 at 6:01 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

On Wednesday, October 8th, Obama supporters gathered for a fundraising dinner at Radu Florescu's home in Bucharest. It was a delightful evening filled with debate and discussion regarding the on-going election campaign and the growing favorable polls for Obama! Many guests also had the opportunity to watch the second debate between Obama and McCain that was re-broadcast on CNN. Due to the high demand to attend a fund raiser event, the Committee for Romanian-Americans for Obama will be organizing a second fund raiser within the next 2 weeks. We will communicate the date & location shortly. Our apologies to those who were not able to attend due to the limited seating available.

John & Radu Florescu

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Fundraising Dinner

By Radu Florescu - Oct 7th, 2008 at 8:06 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

Radu & John Florescu are pleased to announce that they will be hosting a fundraising dinner for Barack Obama & Joe Biden on Wednesday, Oct. 8th at 8:00 p.m. The dinner will take place at Radu Florescu's residence. Any American citizen interested in joining us for what should be an evening of wonderful French cuisine and debate should contact Radu Florescu directly at radu.florescu@saatchi.ro.

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America, wake up and smell the coffee

By Radu Florescu - Oct 7th, 2008 at 7:44 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

I watched the VP presidential candidates debate with tremendous anticipation AND anxiety. With all the "hoopala" about Sarah Palin, all of us were hoping (especially the writers from SNL) for some gaffe that would keep the Youtube ratings up for another few weeks. I knew that general expectations were low for Palin – so low that a garden snake could jump over it. The post debate polls showed that 84% of respondents thought she did better than expected. Big deal. Read More »

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“Americans Abroad for Obama” Commission invites the Americans from Romania to vote

By Radu Florescu - Oct 7th, 2008 at 5:15 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

Rock’n Register on Rock’n Roll music Read More »

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Americans in Romania for Obama

By Radu Florescu - Oct 7th, 2008 at 4:44 am EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

"Americans in Romania for Obama" Commission's first event, lead by John and Radu Florescu, took place on Thursday, the 4th September at Fiat 500 Cabaret Club in Bucharest.

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Madeline Albright in Toledo, Ohio

By Lauren in Chicago, IL - Oct 5th, 2008 at 10:18 pm EDT

Also listed in: 5 groups

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with leaders from northern Ohio’s Eastern and Central European communities to discuss Barack Obama’s plan to restore America’s global standing and bolster our national security. The meeting took place in advance of Albright’s speech at the City Club of Cleveland on foreign policy.

In her private meeting with leaders from Croatian, Slovenian, Serbian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Romanian, Armenian, Ukrainian and Hungarian communities across Northeast and Northwest Ohio, Albright expressed her support for the Obama-Biden ticket. She also listened to concerns of the various community leaders and offered her insight on the challenges that face the country and the world. Albright also recognized the value of Cleveland’s and Toledo’s multicultural heritage.

Representative Peter Ujvagi took part in the meeting on behalf of Toledo's Hungarian American community:

We are pleased with the response from Sec. Albright and Sen. Obama to the concerns of our communities on both domestic and international concerns. It is clear that the Obama-Biden ticket will lead our country forward and provide the change we need to rebuild our economy and strengthen our standing in the world.

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Barack Music Fest - Budapest, HU

By meO - Sep 13th, 2008 at 2:52 pm EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

If you are in, or near Budapest, Hungary on Thursday, 18 Sept, then don't miss our

Barack Music Fest

The nomination of Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for U.S. President is a cause for celebration. Join us on the evening of 18 Sept. for a Barack Music Fest ("barack" means "peach" in Hungarian), featuring some great Budapest-based bands playing Jazz, melodic pop, and country rock.

19:30 Thursday, 18 September
Merlin Szinhaz/Theater
Gerloczy utca 4 (just off of Deak ter)

with Music by:
- The Random Chocolates,
- Moondance Jazz, and
- Mookie Brando
Presentations by the Obama Campaign and US Voter Registration
All nationalities welcome.

Free Entry with advance order of a Hungary for Obama T-shirt.
1,000 Ft. donation requested at the door.

Info and T-shirt orders at:
fest@hungaryforobama.org
and
www.HungaryForObama.org

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AlQaeda at 20: responding to Peter Bergen in WashPost

By Daniel from Bridgewater, NJ - Aug 17th, 2008 at 3:50 pm EDT

Also listed in: Romanian Americans for Barack Obama

Peter Bergen presented an analysis in Washpo's OUTLOOK
section today

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081502981_pf.html

Below is my response:

Mr. Bergen seems to want to have it both ways.
alQaeda, in fact, is an outlet for a male testosterone
problem which men in Indo-Persian-Semitic countries
that happen to be Islamic and thus maleness obsessed
as can be seen reading the Koran (thus sanctifying a
male testo-surge very similar to that exhibited by the
Mizzrahi Israeli who assassinate PM Rabin), something
quite well described by Ron Suskind in his new book
WAY OF THE WORLD. Trouble is it doesn't last long and
is very egocentric, making one competitive, not
cooperative, with fellow Muslims. binLaden's success
was in bringing a number of testo-surges into line for
a while to form alQaeda. Had the US followed through
on its Afghan War, this might only be a subject for
historians. But because of a "bait-and-switch" fraud
deceiving Congress to support war in Iraq by
supporting war in Afghanistan, Bush and neocons
allowed the testo-surged Jihadis to simply exhaust
through aging rather than Jihad. Dr. Sageman studied
the cultural aspects around this surge while Hoffman
is the equivalent of a Cold War professional
anti-Communist Chicken Little. If we end the war on
terror his mortgage payment will default! WE should
consider the neocon propaganda Leninist polarization
scheme that was used to bilk America out of billions
on the day after 9/11 for everything from stealing
Iraqi oil to promoting Israeli domination of Mideast.
ALL THIS FAILED and we are paying 3x as much for oil
and Israel is scared to death, so much so that top
officials have multiple passports (US and EU) just in
case. The scare propaganda terrorism "experts" are
like the military "COIN" experts: people who select
dynamite quotes to seem "in" on the minds of
terrorists. Baloney...Osama succeeded into getting us
to panicky spend ourselves broke into Bush
"entrepreneurial fraud" and war profiteering.
America's 1970s "ME-ist" generation of Chicken Little
boomers scared itself to death about "Islamo-fascist"
Svengalis who can defy physics when in fact, if we had
obeyed the airline law and kept the pilot's cabin
impenetrable, 9/11 would not have happened. Everything
after that is because we chose a cheerleader with his
own macho problem as captain of the football team.

Daniel E. Teodoru

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