NEWS
The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 3
CAJcT S
MSA votes to support textbook
Caucuses see
record turnout
The turnout at Monday's Iowa Demo-
cratic caucuses, at more than 121,000
registered voters, marks the largest
crowd of caucus-goers in Iowa history.
Turnout estimates last weekend ranged
between 100,000 and 125,000 voters.
Gephardt rally has
all the trimmings
Even by providing an open bar and
a free Chuck Berry concert before the
caucuses, U.S. Rep. Gephardt of Mis-
souri could not muster the support for
a caucus victory in Iowa. Guitar leg-
end Chuck Berry hyped supporters
with a version of "Johnny B. Goode"
whose chorus was altered to "Go, Go
Dick, Go, Go."
Poll: Most caucus
voters are anti-war
In an entrance poll broadcasted by
CNN before caucuses were called to
order, 75 percent of voters said they
opposed the war in Iraq. But the cau-
cuses' most prominent opponents of
the war, former Vermont Gov.
Howard Dean and U.S. Rep. Dennis
Kucinich of Ohio, finished behind
Kerry and U.S. Sen. Edwards of
North Carolina, both of whom sup-
ported an October 2002 resolution
authorizing a war with Iraq if neces-
sary.
Still, there is some debate as to
how important the war even was to
Iowa voters in choosing a presiden-
tial candidate. A New York
Times/CBS poll conducted Jan. 12
to 15 stated that 15 percent of the
1,022 persons polled cited the econ-
omy as the most important cam-
paign issue, while only 6 percent
cited the war in Iraq.
Dean camp remains
unshaken after
third-place finish
Dean's third-place, 18-percent fin-
ish in the caucuses came much to the
surprise of voters who had watched
the candidate climb the polls and shat-
ter a Democratic record for most
funds raised in a single quarter, $15
million by Dean for the quarter end-
ing Jan. 1.
Yet in the waning hours of Dean's
post-caucuses celebration, held in the
Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines,
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa.) told
The Michigan Daily, "The underpin-
nings of the Dean campaign are
stronger than any of the other candi-
dates."
Gephardt delivers
patriotic speech
after caucus loss
Gephardt, in an address Monday night
preceding his decision to pull out of the
contest for the presidency, told support-
ers and members of the media, "I've said
in this campaign many more times than
the media following this campaign have
wanted me to say it, that my father was a
milkman and my mother was a secretary.
... So my life is an American life." He
added, "I consider myself to be the luck-
iest person alive."
Kerry emphasizes
his wife's support
Candidates received enthusiastic
support from listeners at rallies
throughout the weekend in Iowa.
Rhythmic chants of "Dick and Jane"
and "J-K All the Way" and "Go, John,
Go" could be heard at Gephardt, Kerry,
and Edwards gatherings. At Kerry's
celebration party on Monday night he
thanked his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry
for all her assistance on the campaign.
When the crowd responded with
chants of "T-H-K, T-H-K" Kerry said,
"If you continue like that she'll show
you some of her African ... (pause)
African," trailing off. Heinz Kerry
was born in Mozambique. Kerry
continued by saying, "I couldn't
thank Teresa Heinz Kerry enough for
her help."
Caucuses draw
global coverage
Reporters from Al-Jazeera, the Kyoto
News, the London Daily Herald and
college newspapers wound their way
through Des Moines' Skywalk walk-
ways last weekend during the caucuses.
Tourism skyrockets during election sea-
son in Iowa and its capital "bustles with
new energy" said Des Moines residents
Doris and Norm Knight.
Behind the
cameras. GOP
By Cianna Freeman
Daily Staff Reporter
In its second year of operation, an online stu-
dent textbook exchange will begin to receive
money from the Michigan Student Assembly
after representatives voted to allocate funds to the
website during last night's meeting.
The website, DogEars.net, is a secure site that
serves as a cheaper alternative to campus book-
stores.
The online bookstore allows students to
exchange used and new textbooks among them-
selves.
After a preliminary run during which site
mangers did not charge MSA, the website is now
endorsed and paid for by MSA.
Currently, 1,420 books are selling online with
about 870 transactions totaling $9,000, said MSA
Rep. Jesse Levine.
DogEars.net is used by thirteen other universi-
ties nationwide, such as Columbia University and
he University of Indiana.
"Columbia University has heavily publicized
their website and their transactions have totaled
around $100,000," said Levine.
However, some MSA members were skeptical
of sponsoring the website.
"The website is a good idea because it can stop
unnecessary e-mails. However, the e-mail system
does seem to work," said Rep. Laban King.
"I feel that we should be talking about adver-
tisement not because DogEars.net is not some-
thing new but it is something that (the) majority
of students have not heard of," he added.
MSA representatives also discussed the Annual
Association Big Ten Students Conference.
This weekend, nine of the 11 Big Ten schools
will send student representatives to the conven-
tion of student governments to discuss issues that
are prevalent on their various campuses.
The conference is a good way to network with
other campuses, MSA Treasurer Elliot Wells-
Reid said.
"The goal of this conference is to start working
through the ideas and projects that you want to
accomplish as a student government," Wells-Reid
said. "It allows students from (the) Big Ten to
interact, discuss current issues, and network, so
when they return to their home schools they can
carry out the proposals."
Tim Wise, a prominent white anti-racist essay-
ist and activist, was chosen as one of the speakers
at the conference.
"ABTS is traditionally mostly whites. So when
we were thinking through how we wanted to
communicate the concept of diversity and our
exchange
experiences as a student body with affirmative
action, we thought that Tim Wise was a good
choice of someone who we knew the audience
would connect with," Rep. Jackie Bray said.
At the beginning of last night's meeting, MSA
also held an open house, which invited students
to learn more about what student government
does and becoming a part of the Assembly.
"It was a really good opportunity for people
who didn't get involved last semester to have a
chance to become a part of MSA. Committees
and commissions are open all the time we are
always looking for students, senior and freshman
to get involved," said Communications Commit-
tee Chair Rachel Fisher.
"I was also impressed with all the different
kinds of people who came - freshmen, sen-
iors, those involved in the Greek system and
those who live in the dorm," she said.
Declaration of Independence
Automaker expects to get
larger market share in 2004
DETROIT (AP) - Financing oper-
ations and asset sales propped up
earnings at General Motors Corp. in
the fourth quarter as profits from the
automotive business fell, but the com-
pany beat Wall Street earnings esti-
mates and provided an optimistic
outlook for 2004.
The world's largest automaker said
yesterday its net income for the Octo-
ber to December period equaled the
$1 billion it earned in the same period
a year ago. The most recent quarter's
results, also boosted by special items,
amounted to $2.13 a share, compared
with $1.71 a share in the fourth quar-
ter of 2002.
Revenue rose to $49.1 billion from
$45.6 billion a year earlier.
But global automotive operations
were off 31 percent from strong
results in the fourth quarter of 2002
when GM used heavy consumer
incentives to post extremely robust
sales and meet U.S. market-share
goals.
GM's global market share declined
to 14.7 percent last year from 15 per-
cent in 2002. U.S. market share for
2003 was 28 percent, down from 28.3
percent a year earlier.
"While overall market share was
down, we were pleased with our sales
momentum in the second half of
2003," GM chairman Rick Wagoner
said in a statement. "As we continue
our aggressive new-product cadence,
we're optimistic about increasing mar-
ket share in 2004."
GM is scheduled to introduce 12
all-new vehicles in the United States
this year.
GMAC, the company's financing
arm, earned $630 million in the
fourth quarter - a fourth quarter
record. For the year, GMAC reported
income of $2.8 billion, up from $1.9
billion in 2002. Income from mort-
gage operations more than doubled,
but many observers say that side of
the business is likely to moderate this
year as the wave of mortgage refi-
nancing fades and national fiscal poli-
cy likely tightens.
Merrill Lynch analyst John Casesa
said GMAC's earnings accounted for
roughly three-quarters of the
automaker's total net income in the
fourth quarter, yet he lauded the
company's overall performance given
the difficult pricing environment
because of costly rebates and financ-
ing deals to spur sales.
GM and other major automakers
have said they hope an improving
economy and other factors will allow
them to scale back incentive offers
this year, though no one has backed
off yet.
"GM's fundamentals are improving
steadily in the face of an increasingly
competitive environment," Casesa
said in a research note. "However, the
difficulty of reducing incentives in an
overcrowded North American market
is a major factor limiting margin
"GN's fundamentals are
improving steadily in
the face of an
increasingly competitive
environment"
- John Casesa
Analyst, Merrill Lynch
expansion."
GM's global automotive operations
earned $396 million in the fourth
quarter, down from $574 million in
the year-ago quarter, excluding spe-
cial items. Fourth-quarter results
reflected lower income in North
America, increased losses in Latin
America, reduced losses in Europe
and sharply higher profits in Asia
Pacific.
GM attributed higher pension and
health care costs in the United States to
the deterioration in profits.
The automaker said it generated
$32 billion in cash last year - three
times its original target - which
allowed it to contribute $18.5 billion
to U.S. pension plans and $3.3 bil-
lion to a trust for retiree health care
benefits.
GM ended the year with its U.S.
hourly and salaried pension plans fully
funded after beginning 2003 nearly
$18 billion behind.
AP PHOTO
Regent Lord Master Tim Harrison of the newly declared Republic
of Boon Island, Me., reads the island's declaration to break off
from the United States yesterday with the help of Security
General Ron Foster.
Detro00it cops plead
1yto corruption,
ace 1Ti--e in meson
DETROIT (AP) - Two of the 18
current and former city police officers
facing federal charges of conspiring
to violate the constitutional rights of
suspects pleaded guilty yesterday in
the case and agreed to cooperate with
the government by testifying.
Troy Bradley, 36, of Detroit, pleaded
guilty to a felony charge of conspiring to
deprive individuals of constitutional
rights, while Nicole Rich, 25, of St.
Clair Shores, pleaded guilty to a misde-
meanor charge of aiding and abetting
the deprivation of rights, the U.S. attor-
ney's office said in a statement.
The pair acknowledged writing false
police reports to justify arrests. Bradley
had been charged with conspiracy
against rights, deprivation of rights and
aiding and abetting the deprivation of
rights. Rich had been charged with con-
spiracy against rights, aiding and abet-
ting and lying to investigators.
Messages seeking comment were left
with attorneys for Bradley and Rich.
Under a deal with prosecutors,
Bradley agreed to accept six months in
prison, resign from the police force and
appear in a videotape in an FBI-spon-
sored program to teach law enforcement
personnel to stay honest, the Detroit
Free Press reported on its website. Rich
accepted a year in prison and resigna-
tion. But if they provide substantial
assistance, the government agreed to
recommend probation.
Conspiring to deprive individuals
of constitutional rights carries a
maximum sentence of 10 years in
prison and a $250,000 fine, while
aiding and abetting carries a maxi-
mum sentence of one year in prison
and a $100,000 fine. A sentencing
date hasn't been set.
Don't Spend
Spring Break Broke.