mbt £idiian 0Ual ONE-HIUNDIED) NINETEENYX S LEARS O E PITO I EDOM Ann Arbor, Michigan Friday, October 3, 2008 michigandaily.com * CAMPAIGN 2008 * Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, speaks before thousands at Michigan State University yesterday. Obama supporters are holding out hope that he'll visit the Uni- versity of Michigan before the election. FOR A SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION, GO TO MICHIGANDAILY.COM Obama rallies supporters at MSU McCain pulling out of Mich. GOP nominee to focus efforts on other battleground states From staffand wire reports In a major concession, John McCain decided to abandon campaign efforts in Michigan, pull adver- tising, cancel scheduled campaign visits and reassign staffers to other battleground states. A GOP official told The Associated Press the cam- paign made the decision Wednesday night and passed on the withdrawal orders to staffers yesterday, after which the Republican presidential nominee's cam- paign confirmed the decision to withdraw from the battleground state. "Operations will be .scaled back," said Mike DuHaime, the campaign's political director. The decision marked the first time either McCain or his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, has tacitly conceded a traditional battleground state in the race for the White one. McCain's campaigowat spending $1 million a week in Michigan, which holds 17 electoral votes, and will now divert those resources to other states. The campaign made the decision Wednesday night, as polls showed the Democratic nominee increasing his lead over McCain. A poll released last week by the Detroit Free Press and conducted by Selzer & Co. showed Obama with a 13-point lead in Michigan. Brady Smith, chair of the University's chapter of College Republicans, said the move marks a new strat- egy for the state. "It's going to rely on people who are passionate for John McCain," Smith said. Smith said he saw the move to "stragetically rede- ploy" resources as smart, adding that the decision doesn't represent alack of concern for the state. "John McCain cares about the state of Michigan," Smith said. "That's why he made it such an important state after the convention." Political Science Prof. Michael Traugott said McCa- in's move to reallocate resources shows he's admitting defeat in the state, but looking to other states to win the 270 electoral votes necessary for the presidency. "n John McCain's case, he has somewhat more limited resources thanBarack Obama,Traugott said. "They feel as though they have a better chance of win- ning electoral votes in some other states than Michi- gan, and that's where they should spend the money in advertising." In a campaign now unfolding across more than a dozen states, fhe decision means Obama can shift money to other states like Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina, where he is trying to eat into tradi- tional Republican territory. McCain's resources will be sent to Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida and other more competitive states, and aides said he would try to put Maine into play as well. By pulling out of vote-rich Michigan, McCain con- See MCCAIN, Page 7A Presidential hopeful focuses on higher education, economy By CAITLIN SCHNEIDER Daily StaffReporter EAST LANSING - A cold drizzle started moments before Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama took the stage at a rally Thursday on the campus of Michigan State University, but the rain couldn't dampen the spirits of the thousands of attendees. Many of them waited more than three hours to witness Obama's first rally at a public university in Michigan. In his roughly half-hour-long address, the Illinois senator covered many of his usual talking points, though he adapted his speech to touch on issues particu- larly relevant to his audience, including the nation's ailing auto industry, green energy and the role of higher education in helpingthe economy. "We're going to make sure that the research and development that's needed for this new energy economy is done right here, because we've got some of the greatest universities here in Michigan," he said. "We've got to use them to bring the innovation that will drive our econo- my to the twenty-first century." Obama spoke at length on how he plans to strengthenthe struggling Mich- igan economy. He encouraged students to do community based work and join the Peace Corps in return for reduced tuition. See OBAMA, Page 7A ROCKING OUT FOR OBAMA * Hip-hop artist Jay-Z will perform at Detroit's Cobo Arena on Saturday to promotevoter registration. Free tickets are avaiable at the Campaign for Change' offices in Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield and Wayne9 Courty's Carrton Townshi p. * Bruce Springsteen will play a free acousticset on Monday, headlining the Obama rally on the Eastern Michigan University campus. Ticket details are not yet available. Gates are expected to open at 3 p.m. and the program is expected to begin at 4:30 p.m. sOURCE/Daily UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION Search for dean of students starts anew First committee failed to find a replacement for retired Eklund By EMMY KIRKSEY For the Daily After failing to find a replacement for the retired Dean of Students this past spring, a new search committee formed this fall is again looking for candidates to fill the position. Linda Green, a spokeswoman for the Division of Student Affairs, said the previous committee interviewed several candidates. She wouldn't say what prevented the University from hiring any of them. "Several candidates were brought to campus and they went through the interview process and the result was we didn't make a hire, and so we had to start over the process," she said. Now, the search committee for the administrator charged with over- seeing students' issues has adopted several changes in hopes of finding a replacement for Sue Eklund, who retired last year. The new search com- mittee will work with a new consult- ing company, Greenwood/Asher and Associates, which specializes in exec- utive search, consulting and training. The committee has expressed, an interest in getting more students to participate in the search process. Both undergraduate and graduate students can fill out evaluation forms to give their input to the committee. Uni- versity administrators will also host forums for the final candidates so stu- dents can interact and pose questions to the finalists. Donica Varner, the University's assistant general counsel, stressed the importance of student participation in the selection process. "It is critical for students to have access to the administration and for See DEAN, Page7A TOWN AND GOWN POLITICS TELL US ABOUT THE RABBIT After criticism, mayor says job at University isn't a conflict of interest Hieftje the latest in a series of city officials to teach By SARA LYNNE THELEN Daily StaffReporter It's become almost common- place for city officials to hold a s second job at the University - Ann Arbor's largest employer. Still, at a recent Ann Arbor City Council meeting, city resi- dent Tom Wall said Mayor John Hieftje was serving "two masters 5 at once" by holding a job with the University. Hieftje, who has taught at the University since 2006, is currently a part-time lec- turer in the University's Gerald R. Ford School of Pub- lic Policy. He HIEFTJE earns $15,000 from the Uni- versity for teaching an annual: class - a 400-level course titled "Local Government, Opportunity for Activism." At the City Council meeting, Wall, who lost to Hieftje in this summer's Democratic mayoral primaries, calledtHieftje'sinvolve- ment "a clear conflict of interest" that might influence his city votes on University-related motions. Hieftje defended his University appointment during the meeting by citing other past mayors who also held positions with the Uni- versity, including Political Sci- ence Prof. Samuel Eldersveld, who taught full-time during his mayoral term, and State Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor), who taught part-time. "If (Wall) wants to impugn the record of all these past mayors, he's free to do that," Hieftje said in an interview. "But Sm happy to See MAYOR, Page 7A Butters grazes in the front yard of his house on North Thayer Street Thursday. His owner, LSA junior Tyler Cole, said he lets the rabbit stay outside for three to eight hours a day soit can eat its natural diet - grass and leaves. Cole said most neighbors have respected Butters and have enjoyed see him outside. WEATHER HI:f61 GOTANEWSTIP? ON THEEDAILY BLOGS INDEX NEWS ..........................2A CLASSiFIEDS............A...6A Call 734-763-2459 or e-maili Wal-Mart owns a rock band? Vol. CXIX, No. 24 OPI N ON............. ...4A S P ORTS.. . .. 8A TOMOR1ROW LO: news@michigandaily.com and let us know. THEFILTER.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM OORThe Michigan Daily ARTS........... ..5A FOOTBALL SATURDAY. 1B