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Laura Bush-

Barbara Streisand has her eye on Upstate New York, or at least its politics. The entertainer earlier this week made a $1,000 campaign contribution to Oneida County District Attorney Michael Arcuri’s campaign, his spokeswoman Hayley Rumback confirmed. “I think this definitely shows this race is garnering national attention,” Rumback said Wednesday. Arcuri, a Democrat, faces state Sen. Raymond Meier, R-Western, in the November election for the 24th Congressional District seat being vacated by Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford. Arcuri is getting flak from the National Republican Congressional Committee for taking money from the singer. “Maybe receiving the backing of Babs doesn’t raise eyebrows in Hollywood, but Streisand’s positions are way out of the mainstream in Upstate New York,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ed Patru said in a statement. Patru criticized Arcuri for “aligning himself with some of the most notable avowed ultra-left liberals in the country.” The Arcuri camp says Meier, who hosted Vice President Dick Cheney in July and plans to host First Lady Laura Bush at a fundraiser later this month, is showing voters he’ll stick to the Republican agenda in Washington, D.C. “Ray Meier has already demonstrated his ultra-conservatism that’s consistently out of step with this district,” Rumback said. “Voters want to see change in Washington. They don’t want to see more of Dick Cheney.”

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