Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

TV columnist Mark Riechers takes on the king of corporate media, Rupert Murdoch ARTS

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BADGERS SPY BEAR TRAP VS. GRIZZLIES Forward Jon Leuer says Badgers won’t overlook sleeper opponent tonight SPORTS

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Study says early voting leads to lower voter turnout

License fees for street vendors increase

By Alison Dirr

By Grace Urban

The Daily Cardinal

Early voting policies lead to lower voter turnout according to a new study conducted by UW-Madison political science professors in conjunction with the Government Accountability Board. The study examined voter turnout in states where citizens may either vote on Election Day or through an early voting option. If implemented in Wisconsin, early voting would allow citizens to cast their ballots as early as September or October, Barry Burden, UW-Madison political science professor, said. Although this alternative to Election Day voting is more convenient for some, the study found this option might not increase voter turnout, which is the desired effect. “It probably does help some people get to the polls that would not otherwise vote, but on net, we think it lowers turnout,” Burden said. “It certainly doesn’t increase it.” Burden said Election Day turnout decreases if the hype surrounding a singular Election Day disappears. “If you have everyone voting on Election Day, it is an exciting, stimulating event that brings everyone out to the polls,” he said. Burden estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of Wisconsin voters take advantage of the in-person absentee system, where residents can vote in the weeks before the election on an absentee ballot. Currently, clerks must collect and hold absentee ballots then retrieve them from their respective envelopes on Election Day. The clerks act like voters and wait in line with other voters to feed the ballots into the machines, Burden said. In-person absentee ballots may be replaced by early voting in some municipalities. Creating an early voting system would allow voters to feed their ballots into the tabulation machine directly, cutting down on administrative costs. Like absentee votes, these ballots would not be tabulated until Election Day. Although this system may seem to have many advantages, overall, Burden said it may only solve cost or convenience problems. “If you’re interested in maximizing voter participation, we would not say early voting is the way to do it,” he said.

Street vendors will need to pay a little extra for their operating licenses because of a proposal approved by Madison’s Common Council Tuesday night. The proposal, sponsored by Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, increases street license fees for mall and concourse food vendors, merchant vendors and licenses, as well as other fees for arts and crafts vendors. Not all alders, however, felt comfortable approving the item because of sympathies for small business owners. Ald. Thuy Pham-Remmele, District 20, said she received phone calls from concerned vendors and reminded the committee that fees have been raised “25 percent within the past six years.” “I feel very uncomfortable approving this,” she said in opposition. “I want to bring your attention to the plight of small business people.” The Council also discussed Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s submission of citizen committee appointments. Pham-Remmele said she was concerned regarding the transparency of appointments, especially the long tenure of appointees and the representation of each district on the committees. “Because these appointees make every decision in town … shouldn’t they be scrutinized a little bit?” she asked. “Let’s do it transparently, let’s do it fairly.”

danny marchewka/the daily cardinal

UW-Madison College Republicans held a panel Tuesday to address the possible impacts the recently passed health-care reform bill may have on students as well as the insurance industry.

Panel addresses concerns with health-care bills By Robert Taylor The Daily Cardinal

The UW Madison College Republicans hosted a health-care panel discussion Tuesday in response to the current bills moving forward at the federal level. The health-care reform bill, recently passed in the House, is currently in the Senate where Democrats are attempting to pass their own version of the bill. Tuesday’s panelists spoke to the potential impact such bills might have on students, the insurance industry and health-care delivery. Jon Sender, director of Federal Relations and Strategic Communications for UW Health,

speaking solely on his own behalf, said the current delivery system of health care was unsustainable and costs were growing at an unacceptable pace. Sender said the government must find a way to cut spending on health care in the future. Although some audience members said they worried such cuts may lead to rationing, Sender said the health-care system is not limitless and there are already restraints on who can receive certain services. “Rationing occurs every single day in our health-care system,” he said. Terri Courtney, who works with the Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters, defended the insur-

ance industry, saying they pay out 85 cents of every dollar they take in. She also questioned the claim that there are 47 million uninsured persons in America, citing that most of the uninsured choose to be that way. “The real number of uninsured is probably closer to 18 million people,” Courtney said. When asked about a mandate requiring all uninsured people obtain insurance, a provision included in several proposals, Courtney said that it would help spread costs and control prices. “Health insurance becomes affordable if everyone is in the pool,” she said. “The risk is spread across more bodies.”

vendors page 3

UW PACE project says alcohol crimes are down By Maggie DeGroot The Daily Cardinal

Alcohol-related crimes on campus and the surrounding community have steadily decreased over the past six years, according to UW-Madison’s PACE Project, whose members held a meeting Tuesday at Memorial Union to present their findings. Aaron Brower, the vice provost for teaching and learning, said the research was done using a geographical information system. The GIS data showed how crime moves around the city hour by hour. The four crimes specified in the GIS data included liquor violations, noise complaints, vandalism and the most severe assaults and batteries. In comparison to the data from 2003, the amount of these crimes, with the exception of liquor violations, has

gone down. Brower said he thought this occurred because police were able to ticket liquor violations early, before they turned into a more severe crime, such as assault. According to the project’s findings, the binge-drinking rate on campus has stayed relatively the same from 1993 to 2009. A male who has five or more drinks within two weeks is considered a binge drinker, and a female is considered to be a binge drinker if she has four or more drinks within two weeks. The data also showed an increase in detoxification admissions beginning in 2004. Brower said that this could have happened because the university sent advisory messages to students to call for help if needed. The average blood pace page 3

Isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal

Members of the UW PACE Project discussed methods of controlling the binge drinking culture on the campus community Tuesday.

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

page two 2

THURSDAY: showers hi 45º / lo 33º

TODAY: showers hi 49º / lo 37º

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

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

Football game sparks dreams of diamonds

Volume 119, Issue 51

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

JILLIAN LEVY one in a jillian

News and Editorial edit@dailycardinal.com Editor in Chief Charles Brace Managing Editor Justin Stephani Campus Editor Kelsey Gunderson Caitlin Gath City Editor State Editor Hannah Furfaro Enterprise Editor Ryan Hebel Associate News Editor Grace Urban Senior News Reporters Ariel Shapiro, Robert Taylor, Kayla Torgerson Anthony Cefali Opinion Editors Todd Stevens Editorial Board Editor Qi Gu Arts Editors Kevin Slane Kyle Sparks Sports Editors Scott Kellogg Nico Savidge Features Editor Diana Savage Food Editor Sara Barreau Science Editor Jigyasa Jyotika Photo Editors Isabel Alvarez Danny Marchewka Graphics Editors Amy Gifﬁn Jenny Peek Copy Chiefs Kate Manegold Emma Roller Jake Victor Copy Editors Kathy Dittrich Katie Foran-McHale

Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Alex Kusters Advertising Manager Katie Brown Billing Manager Mindy Cummings Accounts Receivable Manager Cole Wenzel Senior Account Executive Ana Devcic Account Executives Mara Greenwald, Kristen Lindsay, D.J. Nogalski, Jordan Rossman, Sarah Schupanitz Online Account Executive Tom Shield Mara Greenwald Graphic Designer Web Directors Eric Harris, Dan Hawk Marketing Director Mia Beeson Archivist Erin Schmidtke The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. 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. 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 typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 200 words, including contact information. Letters may be sent to editor@dailycardinal.com.

Editorial Board Charles Brace Anthony Cefali Qi Gu Jamie Stark Todd Stevens Justin Stephani l

Board of Directors Vince Filak Alex Kusters Joan Herzing Jason Stein Jeff Smoller Janet Larson Chris Long Charles Brace Katie Brown Benjamin Sayre Jenny Sereno Terry Shelton l

omance is not my thing. Some people like it, some don’t. I am in the latter category. Sure, ﬂowers are nice, chocolate is better, but I’d rather have a six pack of Spotted Cow and a slice of Ian’s any day. I guess I’m just too cynical for most “typical” date-night activities like horse-drawn carriage rides. All I would think about is how much shit is coming out of that giant mammal with each step it takes. How romantic. This weekend however, even I felt my heartstrings tugging. At the football game Saturday, a tuba player in the band proposed to his girlfriend and fellow band mate. I’ve only seen two other proposals before in my life; one in a restaurant in Chicago and one at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Seeing two people get engaged provokes weird emotions in me: half envy and half sympathy at knowing

that they’re stuck with each other forever—or at least until they save up enough money to pay their wedding debts off and file for divorce. Saturday was already an emotionfilled day for me. I’ve had football tickets every season since my freshman year and this was my last game as a Badger. As excited as I am about graduating and moving to a city where it never snows, there are some things I’m really going to miss about Wisconsin, and football is definitely one of them. Where else can you see members of the marching band spell out “Marry Me, Kayla?” and then hear thousands of student fans start cheering, “She said yes! She said yes!” It was a magical moment in a magical city. And it got me thinking... if someone were to propose to me, what would I want? And where? Tubas are great, but I’m not in the band and the football season is over, so clearly, that’s not even an option. But the idea behind Mr. Tuba Player’s proposal was fantastic. Find something your significant other loves and then somehow incorporate a diamond ring into it. Genius! So what could one of my many

suitors do to impress me and secure my hand in my ﬁrst marriage? I think the most obvious answer is take me to a Justin Beiber concert... actually, it would be much better if he were Justin Beiber and he proposed on stage. But not all dreams come true and not all 15-year-old pop stars are ready for marriage. Back to the point: I love to travel, so a surprise proposal in a foreign land would be perfect as long as it isn’t cliché. My hubby-to-be had better stay away from the Eiffel Tower on Valentine’s Day because at least 15 other couples get engaged there on Feb. 14 and I’m way too selﬁsh to share my moment with anyone. I want something really out there. Like popping the question on a camel ride in Egypt. Or having my husband wrestle a hippopotamus on a safari and emerge victorious with a giant diamond ring in hand. Then again, maybe receiving a diamond in Africa isn’t really appropriate. Actually, scratch those last two. My absolute favorite city in the world is London; I studied abroad there last semester and, after completing my two years with Teach For America, I plan on going back

for graduate school. Or to marry Prince Harry. Whichever comes first. It would be really amazing to have some hottie pop the question over a pint of Guinness. Or on the London Eye—in between my fear-of-heightinduced panic attacks. I recognize that none of these scenarios are all that realistic considering I’m single, too broke to afford a plane ticket to Europe any time in the next five years, and don’t actually want to get married any time in the near future— if ever. But, I think most girls would be lying if they haven’t at least thought about getting married and sporting a rock that forces them to drag their left hand near the ground in an ape-like stance. Either way, congrats to you Mr. Tuba Player and Kayla. I’m sure you band geeks will have wonderfully happy lives together. And if not, at least you know that you made memorable proposal history at Camp Randall. That is way more impressive than 50 years of marriage. Have a really exciting idea for proposing to your significant other? Tell Jillian at jlevy2@wisc.edu. She promises to keep it a secret.

the daily cardinal makes fun of you Devin McKee the coolest.

friday night tests are

Hometown: New York Activities: bball an butt plugs Favorite Music: Changes by Tupac, Come Clean by Hilary Duff, Pretty Woman soundtrack, Hate It or Love It by 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Umbrella by Rihanna Favorite Movies: How High starring method man and red... Pretty Woman with my favs Richard and Julia, and The Prestige, basically all romantic comedies. I’m really excited for 27 Dresses and Fool’s Gold Favorite Books: I don’t really know how to read, but I try my best for anything by or about Julia and Richard

Most Embarrassing Item: Oh, Devin... leave your Facebook profile logged in around your roommates again? There is no way you Surrounding yourself with poultry, nerds and athletic voluntarily have THAT much love for Richard succubi? Now there’s a rom-com worth watching. Gere, Julia Roberts and the soundtrack for “Pretty Woman.” We’re also going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you don’t love every romantic comedy, but we’re only speculating here... Missed Opportunities: Alas, if only all of the “Pretty Woman” jokes in your information section hadn’t distracted us from your profile picture. Then maybe we could’ve given you a playful ribbing about why you associate with what appears to be some sort of nerd, an oversized rooster and the ghost of a pedophile. Stupid Fact About Your Hometown: It sounds like New York is tightening up their laws with a no-nonsense policy. On Sundays in New York, citizens are not allowed to carry an ice cream cone in their pocket. Insert your own Sundae pun here.

For the record Corrections or clariﬁcations? Call The Daily Cardinal ofﬁce at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

Saving Grace: There is no way you haven’t noticed the obvious Facebook sabotage done by your roommates/significant other/mom involving “Pretty Woman,” so we’re just assuming you’re being a good sport and keeping it up there for hilarity’s sake. That takes guts, sir.

Want your Facebook proﬁle to be made fun of? Join the group “The Daily Cardinal Makes Fun of You.”

dailycardinal.com/news

Risky Business

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

news

UW study abroad in top ten nationally UW-Madison’s study abroad program ranked in the top ten among U.S. research universities, according to a report released Monday. The report, released by the Institute of International Education, ranked UW-Madison third in year-long program participation, fourth in mid-length programs and sixth in overall participation for the 2007-’08 school year. According to the report, UW-Madison moved up three spots compared to the previous year with an overall 20 percent increase of students going abroad. “It’s a huge priority for the

university and specifically for the Division of International Studies to get as many students as we can to have an international experience during their education,” Masarah Van Eyck, director of communications for the UW-Madison Division of International Studies, said. Van Eyck said she encourages all UW-Madison students to consider studying abroad during their college experience. She said the skills learned while abroad are becoming increasingly valuable. “So many studies have shown that international experiences radically change people’s outlook; they are able to

grapple with complex issues that might have more than one solution,” she said. According to the release, the most popular locations for UW-Madison students are European countries, though China continues to move up on the list every year. Van Eyck said she believes that for every student on campus there is a program to suit their needs and that students concerned about finances can apply for scholarships. She said interested students should contact the department of International Academic Programs or visit www.studyabroad.wisc.edu. —Kelsey Gunderson

Falk declines run for lieutenant governor danny marchewka/the daily cardinal

Joan Mancuso, territorial sales manager for Altria, spoke Tuesday about how to avioid common ethical issues faced by those in the business world today.

UW H1N1 cases decrease University Health Services released statistics Tuesday revealing a sharp decline in the number of H1N1 cases on campus after a slight spike around the end of October. UHS evaluated 46 students with flu-like symptoms during the week of Nov. 8-14, compared to the 115 students evaluated the previous week. Sarah Van Orman, UHS executive director, said it is likely last week’s spike was because of Halloween weekend, but that the numbers of H1N1 continue to vary overall. “It’s not surprising that we did see another small increase, but at this point the activity levels are still pretty unpredictable,” Van

pace from page 1 alcohol content of students brought to a detoxification center ranged from 0.2 to 0.3, which is three to four times the legal limit of 0.08. Other research done compared the liquor license density in 2003 to 2008. In 2003, the downtown area had 168 alcohol outlets and 52 bars. The high-density areas were mainly around the Capitol, but there was an increase of outlets around University Avenue shown in the 2008 data. This year’s data showed an increase of alcohol outlets, but a decrease in the amount of bars.

Orman said. She said it is hard to predict the future of the virus on campus, but said she wouldn’t be surprised if the numbers spiked again after the upcoming holiday breaks. “What we’ve seen with this is that it is coming in waves, and that it is possible when students leave campus and come back we see an outbreak,” Van Orman said. UHS continues to vaccinate only high-risk students, including those with pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes and pregnant women. According to Van Orman, however, UHS will continue to push for more doses of the vaccine and hopes to receive more in early December. —Kelsey Gunderson

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk will not run for lieutenant governor in 2010, according to an aide from Falk’s most recent election campaign. Melissa Mulliken, campaign manager of Falk’s spring re-election campaign, said though people in the Democratic Party have encouraged Falk to run, she will continue her job as Dane County Executive. “The Democratic Party has urged Kathleen to run for lieuten-

ant governor … I’m not surprised. Kathleen has a job she loves, it’s an important job and she’s not interested in running for lieutenant governor,” Mulliken said. Some Democrats have posed the idea of a Democratic “dream ticket” composed of Falk and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. However, Falk’s decision leaves the race open to other Democrats expressing interest in a bid. In September, state Sen. Spencer

Coggs, D-Milwaukee, said he was planning on running. On the Republican side, Ben Collins, a small businessman and military officer, said earlier this month he plans to run. In September, state Representative Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said he was considering a bid. The primary election for lieutenant governor will occur in September of 2010. —Hannah Furfaro

Out-of-towner assaulted by supposed TV personality A visiting Illinois resident was assaulted Saturday afternoon after requesting a picture with a supposed television personality, according to a police report. Around 3 p.m. the victim, a 21-year-old male from Winnetka, Ill., located a Madison police officer after a man hit him in the face with a napkin holder along the 500 block of North Lake Street, the report said.

vendors from page 1 City Council President and Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, said the council is very mindful of the composition of committees regarding

According to the victim, he spotted a man in a bar that resembled someone from a television show. He said he wanted to have his picture taken with the man, but the man refused. The victim then said he was hit with the napkin holder after he left the bar. Another man then punched him several times in the head. The assault left him with a

cut below his eye. The suspect is described as a white male, about 140 lbs. and 5'9" in stature. He is said to be wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a red Chicago Bulls jersey over it. He was also wearing a black skullcap, the report said. Police did not locate the suspect and do not know if he is actually on a TV show.

leadership, expertise and balance. “[There is a] certain level of review that goes on,” Bruer said. “I think this administration has been particularly sensitive to input

and feedback … to encourage new blood on these committees.” “I encourage all alders to encourage their constituents to apply,” Cieslewicz said.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

dailycardinal.com

arts Murdoch haunts Joss Whedon’s dreams dailycardinal.com/arts

Mark riechers jumping the mark A bookcase holding my innumerable DVD box sets has a special shelf that should probably be labeled “The Boneyard.” It holds the complete series sets of “Dead Like Me,” “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” to name a few of the remnants of once-great TV series cancelled before their time. And while a few of those fallen series were axed in momentary lapses of judgment on the part of HBO or ABC, one network stands bloody axe in hand as a serial killer of great television—Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Broadcasting Company.

The lesson of “Dollhouse” is that broadcasters are stuck in the Nielsen-fueled past.

Fox has been responsible for the deaths of such gems as “Family Guy,” “Futurama,” Bryan Fuller’s “Wonderfalls,” “Arrested Development,” “Firefly,” “Dark Angel” and countless others. The network’s ritual is always the same. Executives will move shows around in the programming schedule endlessly, shaking any following of viewers from knowing when new episodes will air. New “Futurama” episodes were scheduled after football games and frequently got bumped in favor of post-game coverage. Then we begin to see long, unexpected breaks between episodes—that’s what did “Family Guy” in during its original run. Finally, the victim is dealt the dreaded Friday night timeslot—given to shows that network executives doubt any normal person would watch. This was the home of sci-fi series like “Firefly” and “Dark Angel,” and unsurprisingly, was the home of

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

another show that recently fell under Murdoch’s guillotine—“Dollhouse.” Yes, Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” felt the burn of cancellation last week due to low ratings. The show is getting squashed five episodes into the second season, with the remainder of the episodes in production slated to air in bursts throughout December and January. Despite the show’s fervent following, overall viewership has been down from last season under the double jeopardy of the Friday timeslot and sporadic episode breaks.

Then we begin to see long, unexpected breaks between episodes—that’s what did “Family Guy” in during its original run.

Frankly, this show has been doomed from the get-go. Fox execs weren’t impressed with the deeper philosophical themes that Whedon wanted the show to be centered on and tinkered with early episodes to make them a bit more “Charlie’s Angels”-esque. Naturally, those were the least interesting episodes of the first season—formulaic, cheesy and insubstantial. The show seemed to be strangled in the cradle.

Without a dedicated group of viewers who actually watch the show when aired, cancellation is only around the corner, particularly if the show is on Fox.

Fortunately, ratings picked up towards the end of the first season when shit started to hit the fan. There was some hope that the show would stick around when Fox opted to renew for a second season due to strong DVR numbers (since the only people watching were watching recorded episodes), but Fox quickly turned on the show when it didn’t blow

photo courtesy of fox broadcasting company

Despite their hysterical and eccentric antics, the Bluth family of “Arrested Development” only lasted three seasons on Fox, a typically short lifespan for a show under the discretion of network executive Rupert Murdoch. up in the second season premiere. Rest in peace, “Dollhouse.” I can’t claim I’m not at fault as much as any fan of the show. I never watched the show on Friday nights and have yet to watch a single episode this season—sorry folks, I have a life to live despite the impression given by this column. But despite the modern convenience of DVR,

Hulu and other time-shifting measures, the lesson of “Dollhouse” is that broadcasters are stuck in the Nielsen-fueled past. Without a dedicated group of viewers who actually watch the show when aired, cancellation is only around the corner, particularly if the show is on Fox. How will these networks adapt as all TV

audiences turn to time-shifting to fit the shows they want into their daily schedules? If you’re Rupert Murdoch, apparently the answer will be to leave nothing for them to watch. If you know what Torgo’s Executive Powder is, e-mail Mark at mriechers@wisc.edu. It’s good for everything except for saving a dead TV series.

comics 6

Hurray for boobies! Children who are breast fed tend to have an IQ higher than children who are not. dailycardinal.com/comics

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dodging balls

Today’s Sudoku

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Angel Hair Pasta

By Todd Stevens and Ben Pierson ststevens@wisc.edu

Sid and Phil

By Alex Lewein alex@sidandphil.com

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.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

The Graph Giraffe

By Yosef Lerner ilerner@wisc.edu

Charlie and Boomer

By Natasha Soglin soglin@wisc.edu

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com kingly literature ACROSS

1 A house may be built on it 5 Day of movies 10 Woodwind lower than a piccolo 14 Soda nut 15 Six-time U.S. Open champ Chris 16 Diversify, as a diet 17 Computer symbol 18 Traffic cop, at times 19 Arch type 20 King book 22 Arctic abodes 24 Perfect one’s skills 25 Lampoon 26 Citizens can make it 29 Bit of superhero attire 30 Catcher behind the plate? 33 Pumps 34 Like a designated driver 35 Roe 36 Greet a villain 37 Indiana cager 38 Hosiery woe 39 D.C.-to-Baltimore dir. 40 Ann ___, Mich. 41 Loud argument in public, e.g. 42 ___ de plume 43 ___ fide (in bad

faith) 4 Dolphin fin 4 45 Lessen 47 ___ spell (relax) 48 Burning with desire 50 King book 54 Fizzy drink 55 Unit of light intensity 57 Brought into the world 58 Singing brothers of “Rag Mop” 59 Get used (to) 60 Like expensive meat 61 Smart-alecky 62 Like neglected furniture 63 Word in a conditional statement DOWN

1 Burlesque piece 2 Caledonian Canal stop 3 Baby wipes additive 4 Wailing Irish spirits 5 Allow to breathe, in a way 6 Ewelike 7 AARP part 8 Blind rage 9 Paint remover 10 Quarter-round molding 11 King book 12 Black-and-white

snack 3 “Bette Davis ___” 1 21 Play with rings 23 “Theater” or “party” add-on 25 Heavy sword 26 Ghostly pale 27 Massive mammal 28 King book 29 Coffee alternative 31 Former Mar-a-Lago resident 32 Lox partner 34 Mercury product 37 Blathered 38 Cook eggs a certain way 40 “___ Called Horse” 41 “And ___ conclude ...” 44 Pixar parent company 46 Beauty’s love 47 Hagar the Horrible’s dog 48 “Pronto!” 49 “Spartacus” setting 50 Don of talk radio 51 Coward of note 52 They may be rolled over 53 Bronte sister 56 Former leader of Burma

Washington and the Bear

By Derek Sandberg kalarooka@gmail.com

opinion dailycardinal.com/opinion

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

COLLEGE REPUBLICANS

Raindrops slowly streak down the beautiful stained glass windows of a century-old Wisconsin church like tears down the cheek of a grieving widow. A funeral procession begins its slow measured march out of the church and into the nearby cemetery. A coffin is slowly lowered into a dark grave. The simple granite headstone reads: ATLAS 1848-2009. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the last year realizes that our state has fallen on difficult economic times. Our businesses are struggling to compete, and our people are having difficulty finding work to support their families. The obvious solution to this problem is for the government to intervene. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about doing this. Unfortunately for us, the people that we’ve elected to represent us in Madison have decided to choose the wrong way.

Lower taxes, less government spending and a focus on creating and retaining jobs should be top priorities for our state.

We would like to ask this of our elected ofﬁcials here in Madison: If we were struggling to carry a great weight on our shoulders, would you throw a sack of bricks on top of it? Instead of lightening the burden on our state’s businesses and general citizenry, the Democrats have only added to our burden through a series of new taxes and regulations in the state budget. According to the ofﬁcial state budget for 2010-2011 which was released this past June, total state spending is expected to rise by 6.2 percent, or $3.64 billion. Where is this money going to come from? Property owners can expect a total $1.5 billion increase in property taxes next year. People are struggling to pay their mortgages, many of them receiving funding from the government, yet they’re going to turn around and raise our property taxes? Doesn’t this seem just a little bit counter-productive? Wait, there’s more. Property taxes will increase under the new budget, yet the value of homes are continuing to decline. Jim Doyle and Wisconsin Democrats must be the only people in the world who can understand that logic, or lack thereof. Yet another burden to be dropped on our backs is a 10 percent increase in the state utilities tax. Wisconsin citizens struggle every winter to keep the heat on as it is, and this tax increase will only add to that burden. There can’t possibly be any more taxes right? Wrong. Currently, the highest income tax bracket in

With Barrett in, Dems can go full speed ahead

Recent state budget offers no assistance to taxpayers By Jon Derenne

the state is set at 6.75 percent, yet according to an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that income tax bracket can be expected to rise to 7.75 percent in 2010. Capital gains taxes are also expected to rise for Wisconsin businesses. This tax increase will only drive the existing businesses in Wisconsin out. We have already seen the departure of the New Page paper mill in the Fox Valley, as well as significant job losses in the auto industries located in Janesville and Kenosha to name a few of the 31,000 manufacturing jobs lost in the past year. As taxes go up, businesses will seek a friendlier business climate (aka a place that doesn’t have a nearly 8 percent state income tax rate) and even more jobs will be lost as a result. There is one silver lining in this perfect storm of a mess. The budget calls for a halt on capital gains taxes for all upstart businesses in Wisconsin. There’s an old saying that really fits this quite well: “Even a blind hog finds a kernel of corn sometime.” Regardless of the wonderful potential the aforementioned tax halt may have, it is not enough. Luring in new business is only part of the solution. We must entice not only new business to come to Wisconsin, but we also must retain the old standards like Briggs & Stratton and the paper industry. What good is it to bring in new jobs if we’re just going to lose the ones that are already here? If we truly want to jump start the economy, we must cut taxes for all businesses, not just new ones. The road to economic prosperity must include new businesses, as well as the current employers. Economic policies like I’m proposing cannot possibly come from men like Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom “the Taxer” Barrett. Lower taxes, less government spending and a focus on creating and retaining jobs should be top priorities for our state. Atlas is a mythical Greek god who carried the Earth on his shoulders. The great philosopher Ayn Rand used Atlas to symbolize the business leaders of the world. There certainly is a parallel between the man who holds the world on his shoulders and business owners, because without either, the world falls into oblivion. We are Atlas. Whether you are a small business owner, an employee, or a corporate big shot, we hold the weight of the world on our shoulders. This new state budget passed by the Democrats in the height of a recession is an added burden. Atlas is shrugging. We are shrugging, and if we don’t get a spotter our backs will shatter. Jon Derenne is a member of the UW College Republicans. The College Republicans can be contacted at wisconsincrs@gmail. com. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

JAMIE STARK opinion columnist

ntil last Sunday, one man save Brett Favre was the most talked-about person in the state. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett kept his mouth shut about his campaign until relatively late in the 2010 gubernatorial race, yet has received more free press than either Republican candidate. For months a Barrett run has been inevitable. Barrett has vied to be Wisconsin’s governor before. In 2002, he lost the Democratic primary to current Governor Jim Doyle. With both U.S. senators keeping to the senate and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind sitting out, Barrett is the highest proﬁle Democratic candidate in Wisconsin. Why did Barrett sit on the sidelines so long? Whether or not his injuries were the reason he waited, as he said, Barrett set up a serious campaign in the time he’s stayed mum. Had the mayor announced earlier, he could have raised more money and been discussing his issues in the news longer. But by waiting, he was still a hot topic, with reference to his now nearly deﬁning act of helping a grandmother and her grandchild outside the Milwaukee County Fair. Barrett successfully kept the media spotlight on him without publicly running, affording him every politician’s dream—a lengthy campaign period of fundraising and platformbuilding outside media scrutiny.

Had Barrett announced sooner, it may have appeared he helped pressure Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton out of the race. More consequently, with the weeks that passed between Lawton’s withdrawal and Barrett’s announcement, discussion about Lawton ceased completely. The spotlight is on Barrett exclusively for the next 10 months of campaigning. Surprisingly, Doyle’s late decision not to run for a third term did not hurt the governor politically, nor has it hurt the Democratic race. He is nowhere near a lame duck and has been asserting himself politically recently. Without an election on the line, Doyle can be more willing to take risks in his last year as governor. So far, discussions about Barrett have lacked any mention of Doyle. The Republicans began with the advantage, but the Democrat can use his open race to make his way to the top of the polls. Barrett may well have already started his general campaign. He is the only Democratic giant left standing with enough name recognition and fundraising capabilities to be a frontrunner from the onset. Any other Democratic candidates will be white noise, quickly squashed in the primary. Their best hopes for the election could be to gain statewide notoriety among hardcore Democrats for running against Barrett. The separate lieutenant governor election may be more contentious than usual if ambitious mid-level Democrats decide to jump into the number two race. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is sending pro-Barrett emails, raising money and making

web ads for him. Most Democrats statewide will quickly ﬁnd themselves Barrett supporters, luckily not by force or default. The Republicans have a more contentious race, with two electable candidates. Although Scott Walker will trounce Mark Neumann in the GOP primary, the longer Neumann stays in, the more money, volunteers and Twitter followers he keeps from Walker. The September primary is just two months before the general election. Next fall, Walker may be scrambling to unite Republicans while Barrett cruises forward with months of party support behind him. The opposite situation didn’t exactly keep the White House from the Democrats in 2008 when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton fought a divisive primary. But in 2010, as in 2008, the Democrats have the upper hand just by being Democrats. With both parties’ leading candidates from the Milwaukee area, their biggest hurdle––being from Milwaukee––is negated. Barrett’s next biggest obstacle may be separating himself from the currently unpopular governor, while Walker’s difﬁculties include winning over moderates and attempting to squeeze meaning out of his ineffective tenure as Milwaukee County Executive. Either way, Wisconsin will soon have a governor from Milwaukee. It seems a running of the Brewers sausages at the Capitol is in order. Jamie Stark is a sophomore intending to major in journalism and political science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

sports 8

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Hockey

Despite missing time with injury, Decker has big impact in return By Nico Savidge THE DAILY CARDINAL

LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Jon Leuer scored 19 points in the Badgers’ win over IPFW Sunday. He will look to bring similar production against Oakland tonight.

Grizzlies hungry for tournament, upset over UW By Scott Kellogg THE DAILY CARDINAL

If the Badgers had to circle a mid-major opponent on their schedule, this would be the one. An early season, non-conference matchup with Oakland out of the Summit League may not catch anyone’s eye, but it should. The Golden Grizzlies have had plenty of recent success, and if it was not for a last-second three-pointer by North Dakota State in the 2009 Summit League Tournament, Oakland would have been in the NCAA tournament with the Badgers. The Golden Grizzlies expect to again compete for an NCAA tournament berth, returning four of five starters from last season. Oakland enters this season as its conference’s overwhelming favorite, receiving 34 of 35 first-place votes in the Summit League Preseason Poll. It also has the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year in senior guard Johnathon Jones, who led the country in assists last season with 290 (8.1 per game). “This is a potential NCAA tournament team,” Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Close said. “They feel this is their year.” Including Jones, the Grizzlies have three players named to the Preseason Summit League First Team, with the other two being senior forward Derick Nelson and junior center Keith Benson. Last season Benson finished fourth in the country with a .622 field goal percentage, and scored 14.3 points and grabbed 7.8 rebounds per game. Nelson sat out last season with a medical redshirt. “Oakland is plenty capable of coming in here and playing well based on what they’ve got back and what they’ve done in the past,” Close said.

Wisconsin has to be happy with itself at this point in the season, comfortably winning its first two preseason and its first regular season games. “As of now I like what I’m seeing,” junior forward Jon Leuer said. “Everyone’s unselfish and doing whatever it takes.” Leuer himself had a strong beginning to this year’s campaign, scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. He may have a tougher time tonight against Oakland, however, as the Grizzlies possess more size than the Mastodons. Leuer may be matched up with Benson, who stands at 6'11". “[They have] some length inside,” Leuer said. “They pose a lot of different matchup problems for us.” The Badgers have played well this season for the most part, but one fundamental they may focus on improving is ball security, as Wisconsin committed 13 turnovers against IPFW. “That was our biggest problem in the first game,” Leuer said. “We had too many turnovers.” The next event for Wisconsin is the prestigious Maui Invitational. The Badgers begin the tournament against Arizona, and may face teams such as Maryland, Vanderbilt and Gonzaga along the way, all squads who qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season. Looking ahead to Maui is tempting, but something Wisconsin cannot afford to do. “Right now [The Maui Invitational] doesn’t mean a whole lot to us,” Leuer said. “Oakland is right in front of us, and if you look past them, you could slip up.”

When the Wisconsin women’s hockey team faced off against Wayne State last Friday, there was one player on the Badger bench who was probably the most anxious to get out on the ice. And when she did, freshman forward Brianna Decker made the most of it. Decker had been sidelined with a forearm injury since scoring a goal against North Dakota Oct. 3 in the second game of her college career. She literally followed her shot, crashing violently into the Sioux net along with her second goal of the game, sustaining the injury that would keep her out for nine games. But on her ﬁrst shift back from the injury, Decker showed she has not lost the skills that made her the WCHA’s Preseason Rookie of the Year. Seconds after hitting the ice, Decker intercepted a Wayne State pass and hit streaking freshman forward Brooke Ammerman, who scored to put the Badgers up 1-0. “It felt great,” Decker said. “It was nice to get out there with the team atmosphere again, on the bench, supporting the team, and I think everything connected well.” “Clearly, she didn’t want to be on the bench any more,” head coach Tracey DeKeyser said. It was no accident Decker hit the ground running. If you came to a team practice in the weeks she was out, you could count on seeing Decker watching practice from the Kohl Center ﬂoor, doing exercises to

get her arm back in shape and trying to stay connected to the team. DeKeyser said she and the team are very excited to have Decker back on the team, not just for the scoring threat she poses but also because of her dedication. “I’m excited because I think the players are excited,” DeKeyser said. “They know that she’s going to work hard every shift and she loves the game, and it’s always fun to play with people like that on your team.” Senior forward Jasmine Giles said Decker’s transition to the college

game has been nearly seamless despite the time she missed. “She came in ready to go, you’d never know she was a freshman if you met her off the ice [or] if you looked at her play on the ice,” Giles said. DeKeyser credited Decker’s skill level for helping with the transition to college-level hockey. “She’s pretty advanced in her vision on the ice and her skill level,” DeKeyser said. “She can snap-release a puck better than most players I’ve seen her age and most players that are even older than her.”

STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Brianna Decker has only played in three games this season, but has already established herself as a threat on Wisconsin’s offense.

What we’ve learned from the NFL’s ﬁrst half division, run through the playoffs and hoist the trophy in February. SCOTT KELLOGG the cereal box

e’ve just crossed the hump of the NFL season. After figuring out where teams were in the first half of the season, most have now found their identity and are either positioning themselves for the playoffs, a wild card race or a draft pick. Each and every NFL season presents its unique aspects, so here is what I’ve thought of the first half or so of the year.

The Patriots are still the favorite Before the season, I declared the Patriots the Super Bowl favorites, and from what I’ve seen so far from them this season I have no reason to change my mind. Tom Brady produced some shaky showings early in the season, but that shouldn’t have alarmed anyone. After injuries any quarterback is susceptible to a start such as that one, like when Peyton Manning struggled out of the gate in 2008. Now Brady is comfortable and the Patriots are looking like their dominant selves once again. New England is coming off a loss to the Colts, but anyone who watched that game knows the Patriots outplayed Indianapolis. If the teams meet again in January, which wouldn’t surprise anyone, the Pats would be my pick. I fully expect the Pats to cruise through their weak

Cutler trade looking weak The Bears did not completely think through the deal they made for Jay Cutler. Cutler is the young guy with the big arm, and Chicago overvalued him, or at least miscalculated. Cutler was 17-20 as a starter in Denver and had never won more than eight games. He’s now only in his fourth season, and never showed any strong signs of being capable of leading a team to the playoffs in the present, backed up by the Bears’ current 4-5 record and minute playoff chances. But the package Chicago sent for Cutler included three draft picks, two of those being ﬁrst-round selections. In addition, Chicago sent away another draft pick, this one a secondrounder for defensive lineman Gaines Adams. Unless the Bears counted on Cutler to begin winning immediately, the trade was illogical—the Bears traded for an up-and-coming player, but mortgaged their future in the process. They now ﬁnd themselves in a tricky position, a team appearing on the downslide without great ability to acquire top young talent. New Barry Sanders Barry Sanders, often regarded as the most exciting running back in NFL history, retired just as I was beginning to follow pro football. I think we’re going to get a new one with Chris Johnson, and the best part is he plays for a terrible team just as Sanders did. Take nothing away

from Adrian Peterson, but this is now the best back in the league. Johnson leads the league with 1,091 yards, 174 ahead of Peterson. What’s even more impressive about Johnson is he plays for a 3-6 team with an unstable quarterback situation, something Peterson cannot claim. Even with opponents focusing on Johnson he’s still averaging 6.4 yards a carry and had a 228-yard rushing game against Jacksonville. The most fun part about watching Johnson is his ability to score from any part of the field, as he has four touchdown runs for 50-plus yards, including one for 91 yards and another for 89. Arena Football League One of my favorite days of the year, conference championship day, will be heavily tainted this year. Besides seeing two teams fight for a trip to the Super Bowl, twice, my favorite part is sitting in my warm living room in late January while players are outside in below-freezing weather. That’s what football’s about. But this year, I, along with the rest of the country, will have to watch two games being played in climatecontrolled domes. In the NFC either New Orleans or Minnesota will probably achieve home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and in the AFC it is Indianapolis. Having the Vikings and the Saints lose to set up a cold-weather game in the NFC is near impossible, so I’ll have to root for the Colts to bow out in the divisional round. It’s depressing. What are your NFL observations? E-mail Scott at kellogg2@wisc.edu.