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--SUPERS --

:00-:14
Rene Marsh
Washington

:40-:42
Sen. John Kerry
(D) Massachusetts

:56-1:07
Obama for America

1:08-1:22
Rene Marsh
Washington

--LEAD IN --

The Presidential Election is less than five months away.
Before election day, the candidates will take part in three debates.
Rene Marsh tells us - we are learning a little more today about how one candidate will prepare.

--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS --
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY WILL BOTH PRACTICE BEFORE HITTING THE STAGE FOR THOSE THREE DEBATES THIS FALL.
SO THEY "CAST" SOMEONE TO PLAY THEIR OPPONENT.
NOW WE KNOW WHO WILL HELP PRESIDENT OBAMA.
ON THE LEFT MITT ROMNEY - ON THE RIGHT SENATOR JOHN KERRY.
BOTH HAVE TIES TO MASSACHUSETTS AND THE FIVE TERM SENATOR KNOWS ROMNEY'S RECORD WELL.
BECAUSE OF THAT THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TAPPED SENATOR KERRY TO PLAY THE ROLE OF THE PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE DURING THE PRESIDENT'S DEBATE PRACTICE.
KERRY'S JOB?
TO ANTICIPATE ROMNEY'S ANSWERS SO THE PRESIDENT CAN KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
KERRY IS NO ROOKIE WHEN IT COMES TO DEBATES.
the president and I shared the belief
HE WAS THE 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND DEBATED PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH THREE TIMES.
AND HIS FAMILIARITY WITH HIS FELLOW MASSACHUSETTS POLITICIANS RECORD WILL BE ADVANTAGEOUS.
Mitt Romney was not an effective leader of Massachusetts.
A RECORD THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN HAS REPEATEDLY ATTACKED IN ITS CAMPAIGN ADS.
--REPORTER ON CAM TAG --
IF RECENT POLLS ARE AN INDICTION - IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY CLOSE RACE THIS FALL.
AND THESE DEBATE PERFORMANCES WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW WHO WILL PLAY ROMNEY - BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHO WILL HELP MITT ROMNEY.
IN WASHINGTON, I'M RENE MARSH, BACK TO YOU.

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