4 - Tuesday, October 28, 2008 C niorl The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com ci C I 4e IictIVig n ily Edited and managed by students at the University ofMichigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@unich.edu ANDREW GROSSMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF GARY GRACA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR GABE NELSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations representsolely the views of their authors. FROA THE DAILY Six more years o eVin Michigan's interests best served by incumbent Michigan voters have an easy choice in this year's U.S. Sen- ate race. They can go with the incumbent candidate who already has 30 years of experience dutifully and ethically representing them. Or they can go with the challenger who has just six years of experi- ence in the Michigan House of Representa- tives and is content running on a platform of catchy conservative planks like low taxes and family values. The 30-year incumbent is, of course, Ben- jamin Franklin-look-alike Sen. Carl Levin. First elected to the U.S. Senate in1978, Levin is one of the country's most powerful sena- tors, and one who hasn't been corrupted by the power like many of his colleagues. His clout has helped bring more federal money - 94 cents to every dollar of tax money, to be exact - back to Michigan, which desper- ately needs any help it can get. His support has been integral to bringing grant money to the University of Michigan, too. Power isn't the only reason to re-elect Levin, though. As chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, Levin is wide- ly recognized as one of the country's most knowledgeable minds on the war in Iraq - something either presidential candidate will need if elected. He was also one of the war's earliest opponents and the master- mind behind many of our efforts to get out since, including the timetables that Presi- dent George Bush first disregarded and has since come around to support (in principle). Levin'sRepublican challenger, state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk has given voters little reason to throw off their long-time sena- tor. He has run a traditionally conservative campaign, promising to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, reinforce family values and oppose all spending earmarks. This narrow ideological rigidity was on display recently when Hoogendyk opposed the Wall Street bailout because, he believed, it wasn't the government's responsibility to get involved. The best argument Hoogendyk has been able to level against Levin is that because he has served so long, he is a corrupt part of the Washington establishment. But there is no evidence to suggest that Levin has ever done anything but serve Michigan's. best interests. Carl Levin has been a stand-up senator for the state of Michigan for 30 years. He deserves the opportunity to serve our state for six more. Voters would be crazy not to re-elect Democrat CARL LEVIN for Unit- ed States Senator from Michigan. We are number 48 in everything and Arkansas and Mississippi aren't going anywhere." - Former NBA star Charles Barkley, announcing his intention to run for governor of Alabama in 2014 in an interview with CNN yesterday. ELAINE MORTON 7AT CALLS E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU 61A A1 .ls z T he scxries+ ,pr Aftd McCi... cands~ X A~ what's A1weer' Co-hkm'eS... PtlM ias presidient Bush on the big screen W hen Oliver Stone - the politics' most controversial figures. liberal ones, have latched onto him self-appointed liberal his- Now, Bush joins the ranks of Nixon as a great subject for their books, and torian of contemporary as another fallen conservative idol probably does a great deal in explain- America - first dissected and dramatized by a liberal ing why Stone approached Bush in announced he author. the manner he did. Like Nixon, Bush was making a film It's true what many critics have is relatable. about George W. said about "W.": Its portrayal of Bush But this still leaves the question, Bush, I'm sure con- is a sympathetic one. That said, it's "Why?" Why bother at all, especially servatives every- not a positive one. In the film, Bush, if Bush is still in office and so many where put their as portrayed by Josh Brolin, is dumb, people are bound to be furious at this faces in their hands _ dumb, dumb. But he's likeable. Cer- portrayal of him as a misunderstood and groaned. Even tainly, he's not the villain of the film. nitwit? now I'm sure most So where did this come from? For The answer, at least as far as I haven't bothered BRANDON the past fewyears, Bush's depiction in can tell, is that Bush is no longer a to see "W.," which CONRADIS the media has steadily mutated from threat. In a couple months Bush will was released in a dimwitted wannabe-cowboy into a be out of office, and a Democrat will theaters more than maniacal ideologue. Suddenly, Stone, probably have replaced him. There's a week ago and has more or less failed a leading leftist ideologue in his at the box office among a flurry of own right, has come out with a film perplexed, astonished and outright that portrays Bush as a beleaguered angry reviews. everyman, burdened by the constant Hov W . became None of this surprises me. Con- dissatisfaction of his father, his alco- servatives have enough to be miser- holism and his career failings. This is the unw itting able about as the likelihood of having the man much of the public has made another conservative, president in out to be "the bad guy"? office slides further and further What Stone has done with Bush away. Meanwhile, any film that tack- is what Perlstein and other liberal les a subject as controversial as Bush authors throughout the years have is bound to generate ire and admira- done with Nixon: He has crafted no longer any reason to demonize tion from critics in equal measure. Bush into a tragic figure. the man: Even in the eyes of Stone, In fact, "W." is a pretty frivolous In an essay published in The New apparently, he has suffered enough. film, one that shouldn't upset any- Republic called "The Movement's Like Nixon, Bush will go from being body. If anything, it follows the same Remains," Sam Tanenhaus addressed Public Enemy No. 1 to a key subject pattern many contemporary political the recent trend of liberal scholars for all kinds of psychological litera- histories have taken for the past cou- writing about the history of conser- ture, plays and films. ple of decades, and will probably set vatism, which he described as "rich And, with "W.," Oliver Stone has the tone for the way in which Bush in rebellious appetites, inunexpected put himself at the forefront of this will be viewed by the public in the victories, in stimulating characters." movement. It's hard to say whether years to come. His examples included "What's the or not it will really be influential - Take the liberal fascination with Matter with Kansas?" author Thom- again, the film hasn't made a huge Richard Nixon, for example. Rick as Frank and Perlstein. impact at the box office. But it's sure- Perlstein's "Nixonland," an excellent Tanenhaus made one interest- ly a precursor to what we'll see in the literary account of the Nixon years, ing point about Nixon, claiming the future when it comes to the way the and Stone's earlier film on the subject, man was, out of all the contemporary media views our current president. "Nixon," are both examples of liber- American presidents, "most like us, in als attempting to explore the compli- his doubts and insecurities." This is Brandon Conradis can be cated psyche of one of contemporary the reason why so many writers, even reached at brconrad@umich.edu. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Letters are edited for style, length, clarity and accuracy. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. AMERICAN MOVEMENT FOR ISRAEL IVIEWPINT Understanding the Iranian threat 0 0 Vote Schauer 7th District race is an example of important nat'l fight In the race to represent Michigan's 7th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, Republi- can incumbent Tim Walberg is experienc- ing stiff competition from his Democratic opponent Mark Schauer. Starting with his victory in the 2Q06 Republican prima- ry against a highly regarded incumbent and continuing with his offensive com- ments about state issues, Walberg has only strengthened the case against his own re- election. Luckily, Schauer provides voters with a strong alternative. Backed by shameless pro-life and anti- tax political action committees that ran a vicious campaign from the shadows, Wal- berg beat his more experienced, moderate primary opponent Rep. Joe. Schwarz in 2006. Considering that prominent Repub- licans like Sen. John McCain endorsed Schwarz, Walberg's upset was indicative of what the Republican Party has quietly become in recent years: far, far right, and preoccupied with social conservatism. Though it's hard to distinguish whether the bitter aftertaste of his campaign is to blame, Walberg's influence in the House has been limited. Michigan leaders have repeatedly criticized his comments on state affairs, questioning his knowledge of pertinent issues. In one instance, Wal- berg irked former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick by likening the situation in Iraq to Detroit. In another, Walberg took credit for the construction of a new runway at the Battle Creek airport - which he had voted against. Walberg's tasteless conservative pander- ing has only intensified in his campaign for re-election. A recent advertisement from his campaign preposterously compares Schauer with controversial filmmaker Michael Moore, while others misrepre- sent Schauer's stance on illegal immigra- tion and protecting jobs. Considering that Walberg's favorability rating fell to 42 percent in May and many of his Republi- can colleagues are rushing to endorse his opponent, the level of desperation appar- ent in his increasingly absurd attack ads isn't surprising. As the state Senate Minority Leader and Gov. Jennifer Granholm's "go-to guy" on budgetissues, Schauer is a strong candidate. His policies on education and the economy - albeit a little vague - demonstrate a rec- ognition of important issues that Walberg has lacked. Schauer's extensive community involvement and state government experi- ence have offered him an unmatched grasp on the issues, bolstering his capacity to effectively represent the district. Though the Daily doesn't typically endorse in races outside of Ann Arbor, this race is worthy of an exception. It is one of the most closely watched races in the state. The 7th Congressional district includes part of Washtenaw County. And most importantly, the ideological conflict between Walberg and Schauer typifies many conflicts occurring in congressional campaigns across the country. That is a battle the far right should lose. The Daily, therefore, endorses MARK SCHAUER for U.S. Representative from Michigan's 7th Congressional district. I Definitely Dingell After more than 50 years, incumbent still the right choice I n Michigan's 15th Congressional dis- trict, a district that includes all of Ann Arbor, the choice is between a seasoned statesman and an underwhelming chal- lenger. As the second longest-serving U.S. representative in history, John Dingell has a proven track record of public service and leadership - a record that his Republican opponent Jack Lynch can hardly begin to challenge. Realistically, state Republicans can't expect to be able to knock Dingell out of his seat. Lynch's political experience is largely limited to his membership on the Washt- enaw County Republican Executive Com- mittee. According to his website, most of his career has involved "making people and companies more productive through com- puter technology," which is fine, but hardly an adequate qualification for a member of Congress. By squaring off against the solid, respected incumbent, he's simply in way over his head. It's not that Lynch doesn't have his own merits - his credentials just aren't as impressive as Dingell's. Lynch calls for "a new vision and a new voice," but frankly, there's nothing wrong with the old one. It's no coincidence that Dingell has served in the House of Representatives for more than 50 years. He's done a terrific job as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Com- mittee, and has become a leader in the fight for environmental conservation and against climate change. And while he's a fairly lib- eral Democrat, he has some conservative leanings (most notably, his opposition to gun control) that make him a more attrac- tive option with conservative constituents. Despite more than five decades of expe- rience, Dingell doesn't appear to be slow- ing down one bit. He has continued to work on legislation to protect our national resources, institute a universal health care program and improve federal financial aid programs like Pell Grants. And as one of the most powerful and respected repre- sentatives in the house, Dingell uses his high regard to benefit his constituents back home in Michigan. That said, voters should still demand results from Dingell. Because of his com- mittee companionship, he is ina prime posi- tion to prod Detroit automakers into doing what they should have done a decade ago: lead the world in fuel efficiency. But he can do it in a way that protects Michigan work- ers. Dingell can also take charge on higher education affordability, making sure that federal grants are emphasized over loans and that private lenders provide fair inter- est rates to students. If re-elected, Dingell would become the longest-serving U.S. representative in his- tory. Throughout the years, he has devoted himself to serving the people of his district and Michigan as a whole. With that com- mitment in mind, the Daily endorses JOHN DINGELL for U.S. representative from. Michigan's 15th Congressional district. "With God's help the countdown button for the destruction of the Zionist regime has been pushed ... by God'swill, we will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future." - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Words like these on the topic of the destruction of Israel exemplify the dire threat that Iran poses to peace in the Middle East and to international security. Through its pursuit of nuclear weapons and its funding and training of terrorist organizations, Iran has jeopardized what little political stability exists in the Middle East. As concluded by the U.S. State Department in April, Iran is the world's most prominent state sponsor of terrorism. Moreover, Iran not only supports terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, but also directly funds militants who attack U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the United States presidential election only a few days away and Iran reportedly months away from acquiring nuclear weapons, it is imperative that we understand each candidate's plans to keep our citizens and allies secure. Both candidates agree that a nuclear-armed Iran is not an option. John McCain has plans to levy "severe sanctions on Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons tech- nology." Although McCain believes that all diplomatic and economic measures must first be exhausted, he does sup- port military action as a last resort because "there's only one thing worse than military action against Iran and that is a nuclear-armed Iran." This strategy could prove to be advantageous because the threat of military force would strengthen the economic sanctions already in place and could push Iran's leadership to dismantle the country's nuclear program. McCain's plans also raise significant concerns, consideringthat we already have our armed forces stretched thin in two countries and aren't completely sure what Iran's military capabilities are. Although Barack Obama shares the same concern over the Iranian nuclear threat, he believes that we are far from "exhausting our non-military options in confronting this threat." Obama promotes "tough, direct presidential diplo- macy" to pressure Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, offering positive incentives for Iran's compliance like membership in the World Trade Organization and diplo- matic threats of increased economic sanctions and politi- cal isolation if Iran maintains its current course. Obama's strategy of reaching out to Iran could lead to a positive response from Iran's leadership, making it clear that they would have much to gain by ending their pursuit of nuclear arms. His strategy could also back- fire as direct presidential negotiations with Iran could legitimize a regime that has issued many threats against the United States and the West and fail to produce any concessions. If Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, the lives of our troops abroad as well as citizens of our closest allies would be in grave danger. The balance of power would signifi- cantly change and a nuclear arms race could develop among Iran's neighbors. The vast resources from oil production in the region would be used to develop nuclear weapons, further destabilizing an already volatile region. We must act to eliminate these dangerous possibilities before they become reality. To learn more about the Iranian nuclear threat and the candidates' policies on Iran, please come to Dr. Pat- rick Clawson's keynote lecture titled "Will Iran Be The Next Iraq: What Will the Next President Do, and Will It Work?" The event will take place tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Angell Hall Aud. D. Mindy Welford and Stephanie Berman are members of the American Movement for Israel. Dan Neumann and Daniel Maughan are Executive Board members of the American Movement for Israel. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Elise Baun, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Matthew Green, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Shannon Kellman, Edward McPhee, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Matthew Shutler, Robert Soave, Eileen Stahl, Jennifer Sussex, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Margaret Young