Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

BIEBER? ‘NEVER’ HEARD OF HIM

“Never Say Never” provides back-stage look at pop phenom ARTS University of Wisconsin-Madison

Column: GOP boasts a wide variety of wellqualified presidential candidates for 2012 OPINION

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Walker’s budget plan sparks protest

$3.6

Billion Wisconsin’s budget deficit.

5.8

percent Amount of state workers’ salaries that would go toward pensions.

percent Amount of state workers’ salaries that would go toward health care.

UW students flood capitol to protest budget repair bill, look to salvage funding for university By Ariel Shapiro the daily cardinal

Hundreds of Madison residents, including UW students and faculty, rallied at the state capitol to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill Monday, kicking off what promises to be a turbulent week for the new governor. Democrats and unions criticize the bill, which will raise state workers’ contributions to health care and pensions while taking away unions’ bargaining rights, calling it an attack on labor rights. UW-Madison students partaking in the Valentine’s Day rally distributed valentines at the capitol in an effort to convince Walker and the rest of state government not to cut funding for the university in the upcoming budget. “Have a heart, don’t tear the UW apart,” the valentine said. “Make sure UW gets all the love we need in your budget proposal.” Sophomore Kate Gutkowski said she turned out to rally because she is concerned about what Walker’s proposals could mean for her education. “It just seems with the budget cuts he’s making our tuition more expensive and our degree less valuable, less impressive,” Gutkowski said. Although Walker has not yet announced any specific funding cuts for the UW System, university employees are up in arms over the budget repair bill. Communication arts graduate student Amy Tully, who will be subject to the proposals in

the budget repair bill as a teaching assistant, said she is most upset with how the bill will take away state workers’ rights to negotiate with the government. Walker held a press conference Monday afternoon addressing the public’s visceral reaction to the bill, saying many of the protesters were misinformed. He said the increased pension and health care contributions rate for state workers is reasonable, and that it is a sacrifice that has to be made. “If I have to choose between 5,500 or more state government employees and an equal or larger amount of local employees and teachers and others being laid off versus making very modest contribution changes for pension and health care, I am going to choose those changes,” he said. Walker also said the bill will not affect students, and the redirection of funds from teachers’ benefits will mean more money in the classroom. “Unless someone can find me a kid who’s paying for the health care or pension benefits in this state, this budget repair bill has no impact on children,” he said. “Zero.” Chancellor Biddy Martin sent out a letter to the UW community Monday expressing concern about how the bill and potential upcoming cuts could affect the university, but did not directly condemn the legislation.

5,500

JOBS What Gov. Scott Walker said he would have to cut without these contributions.

photos by ben pierson/the daily cardinal

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Students and other Madison residents came out in droves to protest Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget repair bill Monday. Protests are expected to continue throughout the week.

Seven GOP senators rumored to be wavering on budget bill, including Majority Leader Fitzgerald

Legislative Fiscal Bureau: Proposed changes would save state $107 million over fiscal year

By Adam Wollner

By Patrick Tricker

the daily cardinal

Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill may be in jeopardy as rumors swirl around seven Republican state senators said to be on the fence about supporting the legislation. Among those reportedly wavering is state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau. State Sens. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, Randy Hopper,

R-Fon Du Lac, Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, are reportedly undecided on the bill. Several of the legislators’ offices stayed out of touch Monday, including the Ellis office, which disconnected its phone, and Olsen’s office, which had a full mailbox. There has been public outcry across the senators page 3

the daily cardinal

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released a memo Monday saying Gov. Scott Walker’s budget adjustment legislation would save the state $107 million for the 2010-’11 fiscal year, not including money owed to Minnesota and the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund. The bill would eliminate collective bargaining rights for state employees—other than

policemen and firefighters—and prohibit collective bargaining for anything other than wages. It would prohibit bargaining over overtime, working conditions and pension plans. Unions would not be able to deduct dues from employees’ salaries and employees would have the right not to pay, while remaining a part of the union. Any wage increase for public employees, beyond inflation, would have to be lfb page 3

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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tODAY: partly sunny hi 36º / lo 32º

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892

Oh, I get it. It’s funny because it’s sexual.

Volume 120, Issue 89

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com

WEDNESDAY: partly cloudy hi 43º / lo 36º

Editor in Chief Emma Roller

Managing Editor Parker Gabriel

News Team Campus Editor Kayla Johnson City Editor Maggie DeGroot State Editor Ariel Shapiro Enterprise Editor Alison Dirr Associate News Editor Scott Girard Opinion Editors Dan Tollefson • Samantha Witthuhn Editorial Board Chair Hannah Furfaro Arts Editors Jeremy Gartzke • Todd Stevens Sports Editors Mark Bennett • Ryan Evans Page Two Editor Victoria Statz Life & Style Editor Stephanie Rywak Features Editor Stephanie Lindholm Photo Editors Ben Pierson • Kathryn Weenig Graphics Editors Dylan Moriarty • Natasha Soglin Multimedia Editors Erin Banco • Eddy Cevilla • Briana Nava Page Designers Claire Silverstein • Joy Shin Copy Chiefs Margaret Raimann • Rachel Schulze Jacqueline O’Reilly • Nico Savidge Copy Editors John Hannasch, Andy Kerber, Samy Koskol, Abbie Kriebs, Melissa Sharafinski, Justin Walker

angelica engel actue engel

atalie walks up State Street, drenched in sweat. It’s Valentine’s Day 2011, and Natalie is feeling hot. It’s gotta be at least 50 degrees out. Then, she overhears a man say to a woman, “I apologize for my complete inability to do anything romantic.” Natalie texts Jack: Are you going to do anything romantic today? My friend from home apparently is sending me flowers, which is horrifying. Jack: See, I would like to avoid being romantic today in fear that it would be looked upon as horrifying… Natalie sits at a computer in the Veteran’s Museum as a vibrant crowd of TAs marches under her window. She gazes at the shouting mass as they assemble on the capitol building steps, and she cries a little bit. Humans

are so awesome. Someone in the room says, “So are we supposed to talk about this reorganization or just nod and bend over?” Natalie thinks, “My valentine to Scott Walker: Fuck you.” She giggles quietly. After Natalie finishes at the Veteran’s Museum, she receives a text from Jack telling her that he is at North Campus Union, if she’d like to swing by. Natalie: Ok, I will let you know if/when I am coming. That’s what she sai—nevermind. Jack: Pssh! Trust me. I’ll know when you’re coming. Jack, again: I hope we never have sex… that way I can keep up this façade of sexual dominance. Natalie sits at a computer in Memorial Library. The kid at the computer next to her receives a phone call. He says into the phone, in the silent computer lab, “Happy anniversary to you too.” Natalie: I hope we never have sex because we’d probably just break

each others’ hearts. Jack: Can’t we think more romantically, forget about hearts, and just say w— The text cut off there. Five minutes later, Jack: —e are satisfying the soul? Natalie texted half of a reply, deleted it, and then began texting another, better reply, when suddenly Jack appeared next to her in the computer lab. If this were really a romantic comedy starring Jack Black and Natalie Portman, Jack and Natalie would definitely have immediately had sex up in the stacks. However, real life is more documentary style, and thus boring things like botany lecture intervene. Botany… boring? How could talking about all the turgid vacuoles ever be boring, especially on Valentine’s Day? I will explain. Plant cells have water bubbles in them called vacuoles. When the vacuoles are engorged with water, the plant cell is stiff, or “turgid.” This has everything to do with Valentine’s Day. Last week, in a lecture hall full

Girl in Fresh Madison Market: I’m glad the snow is melting. Now there are guys riding down the bike path again and I finally have some hot ass to check out.

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Cole Wenzel Advertising Manager Alyssa Flemmer Accounts Receivable Manager Amanda Frankwick Billing Manager Katie Breckenfelder Senior Account Executive Taylor Grubbs Account Executives Nick Bruno • Alyssa Flemmer Matt Jablon • Anna Jeon Dan Kaplan • Mitchell Keuer Becca Krumholz • Daniel Rothberg Shinong Wang Graphic Designer Jaime Flynn Web Director Eric Harris Public Relations Manager Becky Tucci Events Manager Bill Clifford Art Director Jaime Flynn Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Hannah Furfaro • Miles Kellerman Emma Roller • Samuel Todd Stevens Parker Gabriel • Dan Tollefson Samantha Witthuhn • Nico Savidge

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of Christians, someone read off the big screen at the front of the room, “Your soggy box lights up the whole room!” They were playing Mad Libs, and all the fornicators giggled. Valentine’s Day 2009, it was Natalie’s cousin Brad’s 24th birthday. He and Natalie had made plans to meet at Dobra and discuss their lives. Forty-five minutes after Brad was supposed to be there, Natalie called him to see what was going on. Brad groggily told her, “Yeah, it’s not going to work today.” Natalie asked later what had happened. Brad said, “I was hungthe-fuck-over.” He then described his Valentine’s/birthday evening. He went to Restaurant Muramoto by himself after officially getting out of bed at 8 p.m. “And it was perfect,” he said. Brad moved to San Francisco the following August. He put his history major to use by getting a job at Ancora. I could never be a history major, even if they do have more fun. Comments for Angelica? E-mail her at aengel2@wisc.edu.

Girl getting out of a cab on State Street: Yeah, I called him ‘maxi pad’ ’cuz I had a crush on him. Gay guy at Metcalfe’s: How are we doing on vitamins? Gay guy 2: Ummm we should go to Trader Joe’s to get more omega 3’s.

Guy in Grainger Hall: Even if there is not enough snow, if there is blowing—what it boils down to is how hard it’s blowing.

Girl in Chipotle: Do you think Feingold is attractive? Girl 2: He’s got a nice butt. Mayor Dave’s cute too.

Girl in Vilas Hall: When I had on those beats by Dr. Dre headphones, listening to this song, it was like... what I imagine crystal meth would be like.

Girl in the Stiftskellar: I have nothing to tell anyone on Twitter. Like what would I say? “I took my third shit of the day... it was not satisfying.”

Shakespeare professor lecturing on “Hamlet”: —Then we have the ‘casual slaughters,’ like the death of Gertrude somewhere along the way. —Those worthless characters—Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—die. People say the darndest shit, so submit your Overheards to vstatz@dailycardinal.com or comment on this weeks’ submissions at dailycardinal.com/page-two.

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Meet the candidates: Dane Co. Executive By Ariel Shapiro the daily cardinal

Six candidates will face off in the Tuesday primary to replace Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. The two who garner the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, will run against each other in the April elections. Scott McDonell McDonell, a Democrat, currently serves as the chairman for the Dane County Board of Supervisors and took over as Dane County Executive for the three-week period between the end of Falk’s general term and her extended term. He was the first to enter the race and currently has raised the most campaign funds of all the candidates. He has been endorsed by state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney and 18 County Board supervisors. Joe Parisi State Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, served as the Dane County Clerk before entering the Assembly in 2004. He says he will focus on job creation and environmental sustainability and will create a Dane County Office of Economic Development. Eileen Bruskewitz Dane County Board Supervisor Eileen Bruskewitz, who began serving on the board in 2000, describes herself as business friendly. She was strongly against the proposed highspeed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee, opposes the County

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The City of Madison Board of Estimates authorized a planning process with Marcus/Urban Land Interests for the development of the proposed Public Market Square area Monday. Proposed developments for the area, which is the current site of the Madison Municipal Building, include a market, underground parking ramp, bicycle center and hotel. Marcus Hotels, Inc. owns the rights to any hotel construction on Block 88, and will work with Urban Land Interests to develop a 12-block area near it, including the block where the current Government East Parking Ramp is located. Ald. Satya V. Rhodes-Conway, District 12, said she wants to ensure the hotel will use sustainable methods for energy. “They will do all of the things that it takes to be a sustainable building,” Rhodes-Conway said. “They will manage their energy well, they will create their own energy, they will manage all of their storm water and

Zach Brandon Brandon, a businessman and former Madison city councilman who served from 2003-2008, says he is the candidate best fit to create jobs. Although he is considered the most moderate of the candidates, he received former Gov. Jim Doyle’s endorsement. He proposes creating joint opportunity business zones (JOBZ) and creating an innovation fund. Like Bruskewitz, Brandon is reluctant to purchase land for conservation. Joe Wineke Wineke previously served in the state Assembly and as Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair from 20052009. Wineke, who points to former U.S. Vice President and Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey as his political inspiration, said he wants to protect human services in the county budget. He also says on his website he will focus on the issues of public safety and infrastructure. Spencer Zimmerman Zimmerman, who has run five times for the position and lost each time, says on his campaign’s Facebook page he wants to abolish the Dane County Executive office. He has not been active for much of the campaign.

they will use low-impact development techniques.” After a short discussion with the representatives and George Austin, the head of the project for the city, the board passed the process unanimously. Austin said the planning process is necessary because of the complexity of the different projects coming together and deciding what to do with the Madison Municipal Building. “As you can see there’s a number of disparate components,” Austin said. “We need to begin to pull all that together in a coordinated way to understand how the pieces fit together and support one another to optimize the best project.” Austin also said the city wants more hotel rooms to accommodate the nearby Monona Terrace. Madison capped its contribution to the planning process at $200,000. The original intent of the development was to build around the proposed high-speed rail station, which has since been cancelled. However, the city still plans to build in the area in case high-speed rail returns.

Board of Regents approves discount on tuition for out-of-state legacy students The UW Board of Regents approved a program Friday to give a discount of up to 25 percent to outof-state children or grandchildren of UW alumni. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Joanne Berg told the Wisconsin State Journal UW-Madison has no plans to adopt the program, however.

Battle for the budget

buying land for conservation and supports lowering spending. She also opposes the county borrowing to pay for basic services, saying on her website “families would not borrow to buy an upgrade for their computer and neither should the county.”

Board of Estimates agrees to planning process for Market By Scott Girard

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

news

The Return to Wisconsin program started in 2003 and is already in effect at several UW schools, including Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Parkside, River Falls, Stevens Point and Whitewater. The Board of Regents’ approval allows other UW schools to adopt the program.

protest from page 1 Martin’s letter emphasized the importance of her proposed New Badger Partnership plan is to keep the university financially secure in the face of the economy and

senators from page 1 state, especially from union workers since Walker announced the bill. About 100 union workers protested Walker’s plan outside of Fitzgerald’s home Sunday. Other rallies are scheduled to take place throughout the week at the capitol. Walker’s proposal calls for removing almost all public employee collective bargaining

lfb from page 1 approved by a ballot referendum. The legislation directs the Department of Health Services to study the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the medical assistance program. If it saves money it would require cost-sharing of recipients, authorize providers to deny care and

ben pierson/the daily cardinal

potential cuts. However, the Teaching Assistants Association called on Martin to take a stronger stance against the bill, calling her initial statement “overly guarded.” They asked Martin not use the

Badger Partnership as a solution to the budget repair bill, and that she give “unconditional support for the right to her thousands of employees to bargain collectively.” —Maggie DeGroot contributed to this report.

rights to help make up for a twoyear, $3.6 billion budget shortfall. UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said it is “too early to tell” whether the bill will pass the legislature or not. But Franklin pointed out the senate is fairly evenly divided, so Republicans could only afford to lose two votes to pass the bill. He also said the governor is staking a “tremendous amount”

on this issue and Republican representatives will face great pressure to back Walker. “For GOP senators to fail to back him on this would be a gigantic setback to what has been so far an unimpeded administration and legislature,” Franklin said. Franklin said Wisconsin could see “the political fight of, I think, the last century over this going forward.”

modify existing benefits, as allowed under federal law. The DHS’s actions would be subject to the Joint Finance Committee’s passive review. It would also allow the Department of Administration to sell any state-owned power plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for an amount the department considers in the best interest of the state. The state

may have to pay back the federal government if its funds were used. The bill would also eliminate the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Board and transfer employees to the UW Hospital and Clinics Authority. The Joint Committee on Finance will hold a public hearing Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the bill.

ben pierson/the daily cardinal

Top: protesters filled the capitol rotunda to rally against the budget bill. Bottom: UW students delivered valentines to Gov. Scott Walker in hopes of sparing university funding in the upcoming budget.

Echo Tap outlines plans for final renovations at meeting By Jourdan Miller the daily cardinal

Local bar Echo Tap proposed final changes to their planned renovations at the Regent neighborhood meeting Monday. The plans were approved earlier. Pat Rynes owns the bar, which is located on the corner of West Main Street and South Bedford Street, said he will expand the bar and kitchen, and add an outdoor patio area. Employee Victoria Seward accompanied Rynes and spoke about her desire to see the establishment change its current image. “We’re trying to take the Echo in a new direction,” Seward said. “We’re trying to make it a tavern, where

people can bring their families to eat, more traditional.” After a series of burglaries over the last few years, Rynes said he was eager to move forward with new renovations. Rynes received two $10,000 grants from the Urban Design Commission to include two façades that fit with the surrounding buildings. “I’m excited about it, it’ll be something to see, and will blend in with the nice construction,” Rynes said. “I just can’t wait to start.” On March 7, Rynes will appear before the Plan Commission to apply for a conditional use permit, which would allow the patio to be used for food and beverage service. He will

also have to reapply to the Alcohol Licensing Review Committee for an alcohol license. In response to questions about noise disruption for surrounding community members Seward said they would take neighborhood concerns into account. “The neighbors want us to be proactive about noise,” she said. “The last thing Echo wants is to have late night patrons outside drinking, it’s not the direction Echo wants to take.” Rynes said he plans to begin the renovations after basketball season ends in April and hopes to finish “by the first football game.” The bar will remain open through the construction but will close sporadically.

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David mourns this year’s Oscar snubs David cottrell co-ttrell it on the mountain

photo Courtesy MTV FILMS

Even for those not mezmorized by Bieber’s perfect mane of chestnut hair, “Never Say Never” is actually a decent, despite its fan-centrism.

Bieber fever mildly tolerable By Dave Zhang The Daily Cardinal

Within the past year, the entirety of our uncanny Internet generation has inexplicably developed either a squealing devotion or Pavlovian resentment toward Justin Bieber. Since his debut, this Canadian child star has developed a devoted female fanbase, heralding him an icon of tween (ugh) culture in the same manner the “Twilight” saga was presented as sufferable literature. Although––or perhaps because––Bieber is more wealthy and successful at age 16 than I might ever be, in my mind he was never anything more than another YouTube fad, a parable to Aaron Carter in the ’90s, and doomed to the same obscurity––which is why it pains me to report that his new film, “Never Say Never,” is actually half-decent. Contrary to expectation, “Never Say Never” is not a narrative vanity project in the vein of “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” but a stylish documentary of Bieber’s childhood, from performing on the curb of a theater to his first recording contract–interspersed, of course, with “aaaaww”-inducing baby photos and home videos that hint at his precocious musical talents. Thankfully, the audience is rarely lambasted with deafening concert footage (well, not in the first half, anyway), but instead treated to a chronicle of what can only be described as a typical 16-year-old boy, and even at the very end, one is left with the impression that Bieber is at least somewhat talented. It also makes one appreciate that he is still coping with one of the most meteoric debuts in music history. The loose thread of the film is a performance at Madison Square Garden, with the stated goal of selling out the venue at the conclusion of a 68-stop tour in America. Whether they succeed (take a guess) is barely relevant, as the film’s “Get Him to the Greek”-style days to the performance countdown abruptly jumps from six to one in the matter of an hour. Instead, the bulk of the film is comprised of copious amounts of backstage footage focusing on his omnipresent entourage, from man-

agers to handlers to voice coaches. Interviews also focus mainly on close associates like Usher, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, who lend the film a much-needed helping of professional credibility. Throughout their interviews, the crew constantly compare their relationships to Bieber as family (“that of brother/ sister,” “like a mother”), but considering how his actual family is usually on hand during these segments, seeing him snuggle up with his voice coach does feel somewhat insincere– –I mean, awkward. Yes, awkward.

Even at the very end, one is left with the impression of Bieber is at least somewhat talented.

Of course, the film is also nothing if not pandering. Reality show bits of the crew surprising girls with front-row tickets only serve to reinforce Bieber’s strictly “girls-only” image, and his various photo-ops with cavalcades of overage women do seem to conflict with the “every-day guy” image established in the early segments. Even the film’s more contemplative moments are undermined by a CGI cascade of get-well Twitter messages, letting none forget his status as America’s jailbait heartthrob. Honestly, I thought we’d learned our lesson since the ’80s. All said, this film is still, at heart, made for the fans. Parents seeking enlightenment on their school-age daughters’ obsession might also be well served to see it––though the G rating makes this thankfully optional––but for the rest of us vitriolic Internet savants, it will do little to change your opinions on Bieber or his followers. Personally, if Snoop Dogg says he’s OK, he’s OK. If nothing else, “Never Say Never” is a decently insightful, if sugar-coated, investigation into one of the most divisive musical and social phenomenons to date, one that we might look back on and say, “Oh, yeah, him! What’s he doing now?”

e are less than two weeks from the 2011 Academy Awards, and with them the 2010 awards season will be coming to a close. The Oscar nominations have been out for a few weeks now and while the majority mirrored nominees from other awards, this year’s nominations still managed to commit their fair share of snubs. Perhaps the biggest snub on the list is Christopher Nolan as best director for “Inception”—his sci-fi box office smash. The snub is even more ironic because it is largely cited that the failure of Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to earn a best picture nomination was one of the key factors that led the Academy to expand the best picture race from five to 10 films. While Nolan has received three previous directing nominations from the Director’s Guild of America, he has not received a single directing nomination from the Academy. Clearly the Academy has some unspoken issue with Nolan as a director. “Inception” composer Hans Zimmer took umbrage with Nolan’s snub and has been quoted as saying, “Because it was a commercial success, suddenly they took the idea of artfulness away from him.” “Inception” received eight nominations overall, yet best director was not its only snub. The film also failed to snag a best editing nomination— an award some considered a lock for the film earlier in the year. The epic, multi-dimensional cross-cutting sequence that makes up the climax of “Inception” had drawn high praise, yet it wasn’t enough for a nomination.

“Inception” and Nolan’s chances weren’t helped by the fact that the Coen brothers’ “True Grit” made a surprisingly strong showing at the Oscars, with 10 nominations—the second most of any film. Regarding their film’s nominations, the Coens quipped, “Ten seems like an awful lot. We don’t want to take anyone else’s.” Many interpreted this as a reference to Nolan’s snub as the Coens received an unexpected best director nomination. Another surprise in the best director category was the return to the gentlemen’s club of years past. Last year, Kathryn Bigelow made history, winning best director for “The Hurt Locker,” but this year the women didn’t fair so well. While best picture nominees “Winter’s Bone” and “The Kids Are All Right” were directed by Debra Granik and Lisa Cholodenko respectively, neither received a nomination in the best director category. Probably the biggest casualty in the best picture race was Ben Affleck’s “The Town.” While the film was well received critically and commercially, it only managed a nomination for Jeremy Renner in the best supporting actor category. Some suggested “The Town” was the victim of an early release. A similar fate is often ascribed to Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” which was well received but released very early and failed to procure a nomination. Another shocking snub rocked the best documentary category. “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary from Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim that analyzes the failure of the American public education system, was at one point considered an early frontrunner in the Oscar race. But “Waiting for Superman” failed to even receive a nomination. Some attribute the snub to the controversy that arose around the film’s authenticity and bias. Others have suggested

that since the film has found support among conservatives, the notoriously left-leaning Academy was put-off. Or, maybe the film just lost out to the intriguing allure of the Banksy artdocumentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Perhaps the Academy wants to see if the film’s famously anonymous Banksy will finally make an appearance. On the subject of being nominated, Banksy said, “This is a big surprise. I don’t agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I’m prepared to make an exception for the ones I’m nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me.” Hopefully he’ll make an appearance after all—though Academy rules prevent him from doing so under his traditonal cover of a mask. Almost every acting category seemed to have its own upset. Javier Bardem surprisingly received a best actor nomination for “Biutiful”—a Spanish-language film. A mild surprise was Jeff Bridges’ nomination for “True Grit.” This unsurprisingly knocked out “The Fighter” star Mark Wahlberg, and, unfortunately, Ryan Gosling for his performance in “Blue Valentine.” It’s a disappointment to see Gosling passed over—especially when his costar Michelle Williams received a Best Actress nomination. Meanwhile, John Hawkes rose out of indie-obscurity to a nomination for his intimidating performance in “Winter’s Bone” but knocked out Andrew Garfield for best supporting actor for “The Social Network” in the process. And finally, Mila Kunis failed to earn a best supporting actress nomination for “Black Swan,” likely because Hailee Steinfeld, the fourteen-year-old “True Grit” star, ended up running in best supporting actress rather than best actress. Oh well, better luck next year snubb-ies.

opinion 2012 GOP hopefuls: Worthy competition dailycardinal.com/opinion

matt payne opinion columnist

s the Conservative Political Action Conference wrapped up Sunday, the silent whisper of who will become President Obama’s challenger in 2012 turned into a roar. After the overwhelming repudiation of the President Obama’s policies last November, the next GOP nominee could very likely be the next leader of the free world. Yet little is known about many of these potential candidates, and even less is known about their true intentions. The following candidates are by no means assured to run, but are considered some of the top contenders in 2012.

Sarah Palin: You don’t possibly think she should become President, do you? That’s the line that inevitably comes in any conversation about Sarah Palin. For supposedly being so stupid, Palin somehow managed to elevate herself from a failed Republican candidate for vice president to a newsmaker and reality show star bringing in big bucks. Some conservatives believe those who make insidious remarks against her are ultimately taking advantage of her. It’s true, since her spectacular rise to the national stage in 2008, Sarah Palin has been the recipient of vitriolic, hateful and repugnant personal attacks. You would think progressives would detest such coarse and distasteful rhetoric, but lamentably that is not the case. Although she has certainly had her share of gaffes and misstatements, almost every

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

mistake she’s made has been taken advantage of by her detractors as evidence of her supposed stupidity. Yet every time a far-left critic goes on a tirade about the latest Sarah Palin speech, she remains in the news. If the left truly wanted Sarah Palin to go away they would simply stop talking about her, as she holds neither elected office nor any position of power in any policy making body. Will Sarah Palin become the Republican nominee in 2012? Unfortunately, those same attacks which have helped her gain so much fame and notoriety have also seriously inhibited her chances at a successful run. Palin should remain where she is now—a well-paid, wellrespected leader in the conservative movement. If Sarah Palin does decide to run, most polls right now indicate she would be defeated in the nomination process. After the overwhelming repudiation of President Obama’s policies last November, the next GOP nominee could very likely be the next leader of the free world.

Tim Pawlenty: When Tim Pawlenty spoke at the conservative leadership conference in 2006, I witnessed his enormous potential to lead this country. While I was only 16, I could see that his way of connecting with the public was unique. Not only could he communicate his ideas well, but he also turned a $4.6 billion deficit into a $2 billion surplus in Minnesota, without raising taxes. Furthermore, his Freedom First PAC has demonstrated its ability to

run a solid presidential campaign with a recent presidential ad released to the public. It was perhaps the best political ad I have ever seen, showcasing both America’s greatness and Pawlenty’s potential. As conservatives see more of Tim Pawlenty, they will see more of a true leader capable of taking on Obama in the 2012 election. Jon Huntsman: The former Governor of Utah, ambassador to Singapore under president H.W. Bush and ambassador to China under President Obama, Jon Huntsman has shown he is made of Presidential material. His leadership in Utah coupled with his experience in the private sector makes him an ideal underdog for the Republican nomination. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, his deep understanding of foreign policy gives him a skill set few other contenders have. Although he served in the Obama administration, Huntsman is a staunch fiscal conservative. In 2008, the Cato Institute gave him high marks for his spending and tax policies. While Huntsman remains relatively unknown, if he can effectively communicate his qualifications to the conservative movement, he will have an excellent chance of securing the nomination. Mitt Romney: Mitt Romney, a veteran of the 2008 campaign, is again a strong contender in 2012. Romney finished second at this year’s CPAC straw poll, beaten only by supporters of Ron Paul. While the straw poll is certainly no indication of who will actually secure the nomination (John McCain finished last in CPAC’s 2007 straw poll), it does indicate where current favor lies within the conservative base. That

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Vote for Resnick in District 8 primary BY JORDAN WEIBEL UW-Madison college democrats

Following a weekend of weather atypical of February (and another Badger victory against another inadequate Ohio State team) I’m finding it easier to turn my sights toward the spring elections in April. Happily, election season has two components, and the first chance to vote in 2011 is today—the spring primaries. Getting out the vote on campus is a massive event every couple of Novembers, and I’m sure you all have delightful memories of the scores of pieces of campaign literature thrust into your hands by earnest candidates and volunteers. Thus, the lower-budget campaigns for local government conducted each spring can go quite unnoticed by many in the campus community. In reality, these effects should be flipped; in many ways, local government has the final say on the most important things in student life. Here are just a few examples: the recent Edgewater development, the proposed Badger Catholic renovation, student safety ordinances and Madison’s alco-

hol policy. All of these things are issues that I care deeply about as a student here at the UW, but also as a member of the larger Madison community. Thankfully, I live in a district that has a candidate for city alderman that embodies the best possible fusion of those two viewpoints—Scott Resnick. Scott, an ’09 UW graduate, has been an active and influential member of the Madison community since his arrival on campus, and especially since graduation. For the past two years, Scott has served the State and Langdon Association as its president, working intimately on campus safety, housing ordinances and liquor policy. Scott’s willingness to acknowledge and confront problems is a great asset, and is seen in a couple of his most recent campaign proposals. First, Scott wants to improve lock policy ordinances in Madison. While this seems mundane, there are still many buildings in Madison where locks and/ or passcodes are not changed year to year. A frightening thought, especially when coupled with the at-times lackadaisical attitude of landlords toward key returns. In

a similar vein, Scott also wants to protect tenant rights more extensively. Everyone has heard stories or had themselves one of “those apartments”—run-down, nonfunctional and an antithesis of the beautified places seen during showings. Scott would fight for legislation imposing random inspections on landlord-owned properties, helping to limit these abuses against tenants through city oversight. When Scott decided to run for alderman of District 8 (the largest student district on campus, comprising the Southeast dorms and most of Lakeshore, as well as the College court and part of the Langdon street neighborhood), he did so as someone who will constantly work on behalf of his constituents. He has even pledged to run a “text-your-alderperson” service, with the stated goal of improving response time in the case of constituent emergencies. Today, I hope you’ll join me in casting a ballot for Scott, and then again in April. —Jordan Weibel Communications Chair UW-Madison College Dems

said, Romney does possess a strong aptitude for solving economic issues. Before he entered politics, Romney was hugely successful in the private sector. As a management consultant, he was in close contact with the very business leaders that will drive our economy out of its current slump. He continued on to lead several companies and had a very successful business career before he entered politics, eventually becoming governor of Massachusetts. This executive experience would make him an ideal leader in our current economic condition.

Each candidate possesses certain qualities that make them excellent candidates to run against President Obama and his hugely unpopular policies.

Chris Christie: When Chris Christie won the special election for governor of New Jersey in 2009, he was heralded as a hero of the conservative movement. After Republicans suffered colossal losses in 2008, the idea of a Republican winning statewide office in far-left New Jersey was energizing. Since then he has been a staunch fiscal conservative with a moderate stance on issues like civil unions. He has also stood up to corrupt teachers unions in the state, who have been known to bully lawmakers into accepting their terms. Furthermore, Christie has a no-nonsense attitude about him that’s refreshing in today’s Madison Ave.-like political climate. Although he didn’t speak at CPAC, he still finished higher than many

other hopefuls. Christie certainly has potential, but I don’t think right now is his time. If he can manage to hold on to the governorship, a 2016 run would give him more time to gain further experience and solidify his standing among conservatives and independents. Newt Gingrich: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is a giant of the conservative movement. His intellect, coupled with his understanding of the political process, puts him among the top contenders for the Republican nomination. While speaker, his Congress was able to pass a balanced budget that President Clinton signed in 1997. With our national debt eclipsing the entire GDP of Canada, having someone who has actually balanced the federal budget gives Gingrich much credibility among independents, and even more credibility among the conservative base. There are many other candidates who have the potential to become the next GOP nominee, and possibly President. However, the names and descriptions of each are too many to fit in a single commentary. Some conservatives are disappointed with the current field of candidates. I disagree. Each candidate possesses certain qualities that make them excellent candidates to run against president Obama and his hugely unpopular policies. It is pivotal that in the coming months, conservatives have a lively yet respectful debate on who is best suited to lead the greatest nation in the world. Matt Payne is a junior majoring in Chinese and economics. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

Is Captain Planet your hero and protector of all that is green? Show him you care and write for The Green Room! E-mail:

opinion@dailycardinal.com

comics 6

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Voting today (It’s easy! Hop to it!)

Today’s Sudoku

Is “Let me out you stupid bimbo” one of them? Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about ten.

Evil Bird

dailycardinal.com/comics By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

The Pipesmokers

By Joseph Diedrich jsdiedrich@wisc.edu

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Eatin’ Cake

By Dylan Moriarty eatincake@gmail.com

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

Crustaches

By Patrick Remington premington@wisc.edu

By Dan Tollefson dtollefson@wisc.edu

Hoop Dreams Classic Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com State Your Case ACROSS

1 Birler’s perch 4 Boneless servings of fish 10 Ooze 14 “Flags of ___ Fathers” 15 ___ National Park, Maine 16 Twelfth Jewish month 17 Wrinkle fighters 19 Mineral in sheets 20 Pandora’s boxful 21 Shop with an anvil 23 With sound judgment 25 Georgetown athlete 27 “... ___ he drove out of sight” 28 Access 29 “The Iron Horse” Gehrig 30 Stair part 32 Tiny 33 Have or hold 35 It reduces mineral content 40 Temporary period 41 Cry of mock innocence 43 Bundled, as straw 46 Abbr. for some generals 47 Miss ___ (do an imperfect painting job)

9 Genesis exile 4 50 York’s river 52 Apportions 53 Renounce, as a family member 55 Acquired relative 56 Eyelid attachment 57 Figure eight producers 62 Elemental bit 63 Without secrecy 64 Light knock 65 Clothing store section 66 Edict city of France 67 Berkshire abode 1 2 3 4 5

DOWN

“El,” pluralized Heavily sedated Chinese potable Kind of tree In a very unfriendly way 6 Lawrence of Scandinavia 7 Tokyo, once 8 Common alloy component 9 Full of attitude 10 Hauling vehicle 11 Upper crust types 12 Trick-taking card game 13 Kind of piano 18 Assert positively 22 Singing Osmond 23 Attach, as a patch

4 From square one 2 25 One to toast at a roast 26 Uniform 29 Many in Las Vegas 31 Country lodging 33 PC screen, possibly 34 Jackson hole locale? 36 Suit go-with 37 Fund, as one’s alma mater 38 Permits 39 Try to find truffles 42 “... for what ___ worth” 43 State of extreme confusion 44 Fly a 747 45 Bit of instruction 47 Soothes, as fear 48 Wood strip used as a bed support 51 Labor group 52 Joint covered by a spat 54 Resistance units 55 Winning-everything connector 58 Spring hiree, for many 59 Dark time, in verse 60 Animal that frequently hides on ships 61 Be a mole

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

sports 8

dailycardinal.com/sports

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Men’s Basketball

Badgers look toward Purdue after big win

By Ted Porath The Daily Cardinal

The No. 10 Wisconsin men’s basketball team (9-3 Big Ten, 19-5 overall), coming off of an upset of previously undefeated and No. 1 Ohio State (which sounds vaguely familiar) and winners of four straight and seven of their last eight games is now faced with the task of moving on from their big win and preparing for a showdown with No. 11 Purdue. The star of Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes was junior point guard Jordan Taylor. After scoring only six points in the first half, Jordan stepped up his game and rattled off 21 points to finish with a game-high 27. For his performances against Iowa and Ohio State, in which he averaged 21.5 points per game and 7.5 assists per game, Taylor was also named Big Ten Player of the Week. When asked about Jordan’s big time play during the latter part of games, coach Ryan was very generous with praise.

“Jordan probably has a better feel than most as to making sure he got a good shot,” Ryan said. “There are certain things that you can’t teach somebody, I mean they’ve gotta have that court awareness.” With the Badgers’ win over Ohio State, many are wondering whether the emotional toll of the game or the national spotlight the Badgers put themselves in will have an adverse effect on the team. One could say that coach Ryan is a little more than skeptical of this view. “[The players] know our routine. It’ll be right back to doing what we always do,” Ryan said. “It’s not like this team hasn’t played. I mean we’re not a 5-20 team that just won on Saturday. These guys have been in these situations.” It is hard not to agree with Ryan on this point. The Badgers are a high-quality team themselves. Tied for second in the Big Ten, and have beaten many great teams, includ-

ing four in the top 25. This kind of win for the Badgers is definitely not uncharted waters. The Badgers next opponent will also be very higly touted, in Purdue (9-3 Big Ten, 20-5 overall). Purdue is currently tied with Wisconsin for second in the Big Ten and is coming off a big win at Illinois. This matchup is the 168th meeting between the Badgers and Boilermakers, with Purdue leading the all-time series at West Lafayette 67-16. The two teams have also split their last twelve meetings after Wisconsin won the last matchup 66-59 at the Kohl Center on February 1. The main player the Badgers will have to stop on Wednesday will be Purdue’s center Jajuan Johnson. Johnson scored 23 on the Badgers the last time he played them and left Bo Ryan trying to find the answer that no coach seems to know: how to stop Jajuan Johnson.

BONUS COVERAGE: For Wisconsin men’s hockey coach Mike Eaves’ thoughts on his team’s series this past weekend and thier upcoming matchup with Minnesota, check out dailycardinal.com/sports

Champions League provides sports fans with the perfect time to change their mind about soccer Ryan Evans no, not that one

f you are one of the sports fans that finds themselves lost during the gap between NFL season and baseball’s opening day and don’t quite know what to do with yourself in the mean time, I have a suggestion for you: soccer. It may come as a shock, and if you are like most people in this country, the very word brings up a negative reaction, but bear with me here. Trust me, I understand where the soccer haters of the world are coming from; I used to be one of them. It is a boring sport, it isn’t fast-paced enough, the games are too long and all the players do is dive and feign injuries. I’ve been there, and it was for those reasons that I avoided the sport like it was the communication arts essay I have to write.

I understand where the soccer haters of the world are coming from; I used to be one of them.

But then a funny thing happened: I actually watched a soccer game. It helped that my little brother Isaac is a pretty damn good soccer player (are you listening coach Trask?), but I would have to say it really started during my freshman year. My roommate and three of my friends in our house were soccer players in high school, and another was an avid fan from Jordan, bringing the love of soccer that every non-U.S. country in the world has into the equation. Of course, I started the year

playfully ridiculing them for their love of a sport that I had spent so many years looking down on, but slowly they converted me. I would sit in their rooms and watch the MLS or listen to them discuss the merits of the English Premier League or the German Bundesliga. I even gained a team to root for courtesy of that Jordanian comrade: La Liga’s FC Barcelona. I suddenly saw soccer as something other than the mundane vision I had always carried in my mind. I saw it for what the rest of the world sees it as: pretty damn exciting. I’ll use Barcelona as an example. I was drawn to them as a team because watching them play is like watching a finely tuned machine with the precise, beautiful passing they exhibit, the brilliant ball skills, stifling defense and amazing goal scorers like Leo Messi. The sport that I mocked for years isn’t all that different from hockey, my sport of choice, which helped to open my eyes. And, of course, the World Cup in South Africa helped to seal my status as a new soccer fanatic. There are very few moments in all of sports that have made me stand up and cheer like Landon Donovan’s goal against Algeria. So, for those of you who are looking for something to watch before the Minnesota Twins kickoff their 2011 season in Toronto on April 1, put aside your bias for a second and actually turn on a soccer game. You will be just in time for one of the sports greatest spectacles: The UEFA Champions League tournament. The elimination round of the Champions League starts today. I, of course, will be tuning into the first leg of Barcelona against Arsenal on Wednesday, but when the 16 best teams in Europe get together, you can easily find another game that better suits you. When I say the 16 best teams in Europe, I really mean the 16

best teams in the world, so you know it’s going to be good. All of the stars from the World Cup will be there representing their club teams, such as Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), David Villa (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) and many more of the world’s best players. One interesting storyline from the first round of the Champions League is the matchup of Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, a rematch of last year’s Champions League Final match. Neither team is having the same success they did last year, but it should be a good couple of games nonetheless.

Put aside your bias for a second and actually turn on a soccer game.

But Bayern-Inter and Barcelona-Arsenal aren’t the only compelling matchups in the opening round. RomaShakhtar-Donetsk, AC MilanTottenham Hotspur, ValenciaSchalke 04, Lyon-Real Madrid, Marseille-Manchester United and Copenhagen-Chelsea highlight a Round of 16 that should be the start of a memorable Champions League season. So why not give soccer a chance if you’re not watching anything else? With one of the sport’s most exciting spectacles set to kick-off, it’s the perfect time to start getting into the world’s game. Trust me, if I can be converted into a soccer fan, you can too. What opinion do you have of soccer? Pumped for this year’s Champions League season? E-mail Ryan at rmevans2@dailycardinal.com

Lorenzo Zemella/Cardinal file photo

Fresh of their victory over No.1 Ohio State, jordan Taylor and the rest of the Badgers prepare for another big game against No.11 Purdue “I found it disturbing that nobody else could stop [Johnson]. He is that good,” Ryan said. “He can score inside and out now, he

faces up a lot better and what he added to that team just by getting better as an individual makes them a better team.”