import re
strings = [
"race a car",
"A man, a plan, a canal: Panama"
]
for s in strings:
s = re.sub(r"[^a-zA-Z0-9]+", "", "".join(s).lower())
if s == s[::-1]:
print("true: for {0}".format(s))
else:
print("false: for {0}".format(s))
aW1wb3J0IHJlCnN0cmluZ3MgPSBbCiAgICAicmFjZSBhIGNhciIsCiAgICAiQSBtYW4sIGEgcGxhbiwgYSBjYW5hbDogUGFuYW1hIgpdCgpmb3IgcyBpbiBzdHJpbmdzOgogICAgcyA9IHJlLnN1YihyIlteYS16QS1aMC05XSsiLCAiIiwgIiIuam9pbihzKS5sb3dlcigpKQogICAgaWYgcyA9PSBzWzo6LTFdOgogICAgICAgIHByaW50KCJ0cnVlOiBmb3IgezB9Ii5mb3JtYXQocykpCiAgICBlbHNlOgogICAgICAgIHByaW50KCJmYWxzZTogZm9yIHswfSIuZm9ybWF0KHMpKQ==