His first and surely preferred choice is to persuade Mr Putin that letting him serve another term would suit everybody in their clan.

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Thurmond would have to serve another full term after this and live to 106 to beat that.

CNN: AllPolitics - Strom Thurmond Becomes Longest-Serving US Senator

He seemed to greet his new status as another trophy, saying he wanted to serve out the remainder of Mr Cubas's term, which lasts until 2003.

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