The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam h ! r Tuesdsay, April 17, 2012 - 8A Romne pursues Possibilities Soon-to-be Republican nominee proceeding with caution BOSTON (AP) - Don't look for a vice presidential shocker from Mitt Romney. His choice of a running-mate - a search he announced yesterday he has begun - will be guided by both his methodical, risk-averse corpo- rate training and the lessons his party learned from Sarah Palin's selection. Preparedness to serve and loyalty to Romney are likely to trump other credentials as the all-but-sure. Republican nomi- nee looks to avoid the blowback John McCain faced four years ago with his surprise choice of the little-known, first-term Alas- ka governor for the GOP ticket. Questions about Palin's readi- ness to serve, McCain's decision- making and his advisers' vetting came to define the Arizona sena- tor's flawed campaign. Mindful of that, Romney will put experience at the top of his list of .qualities as he chooses a No. 2, according to senior advisers and GOP operatives familiar with his thinking. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak candidly about a process Romney himselfis tryingto keep as private as possible as he works to narrow a field that may begin with as many as a dozen prospective can- didates. "The hallmark for Governor Romney's candidacy, and how he would be as president, is that he approaches these decisions in a well-thought-out methodical way," said Steve Duprey, a former McCain adviser and current New Hampshire-based member of the Republican National Committee. "It won't be like the McCain cam- paign where there was a big sur- prise and effort to create a game changer.". For all the secrecy surround- ing the process, the former Mas- sachusetts governor did give a few hints about his plans yes- terday, disclosing that he had chosen his former chief of staff and 2008 presidential campaign manager, Beth Myers, to lead the vetting and analysis of pro- spective running mates. Several other members of the tight-knit cadre that has surrounded Rom- ney for years also are likely to be involved. Romney was largely tight- lipped beyond the staffing announcement. He said the selection would certainly happen before the Republican National Convention in late August. But he wouldn't provide any more guidance on any internal dead- line his team has set. And when asked about potential choices - and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, specifically - Romney hedged, as he has consistently in recent months. "Well I think he's one of the terrific leaders in our party, but I think it's way too early to begin narrowing down who the poten- tial vice presidential nominees might be," Romney said in an interview with Diane Sawyer:of ABC News outside Fenway Park in Boston. "Butwe're beginningthat process, we'll talk about a lot of folks, and then go through he kind of vetting and review process that you have to go through to make sure whoever you select will pass the evaluation that's required by the American people.". In addition to his running mate being prepared to assume the presidency, Romney has laid out only one other public criterion: that he or she oppose abortion rights. The condition could help reassure social conservatives that Romney is serious about his oppo- sition to abortion - a sore point because he supported abortion rights when he ran for the Senate in 1994. Several Republicans familiar with Romney's thinking down- play the importance of choosing a running mate from a particular battleground state or an impor- tant voting demographic. Romney also is expected to avoid a candidate with the kind of star power that might distract too much attention from the party's main campaign themes - Republicans are working to make the election a referendum on President Barack Obama - or overshadow the GOP presidential nominee himself. Rubio, 40, is one such celebrity candidate. And the junior Florida senator also has little experience, in the midst of only his second year on Capitol Hill. a HElKO JUNGE Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, who is facing terrorism and premeditated murder charges, reacts as a video presented by the prosecution is shown in court, Oslo, Norway, yesterday. Breivik confessed to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre and went on trial in Norway's capital yesterday. Norway's -mass killer cries at hearing tears no'utofpity' Unrepentant killer denies authority of judge in case OSLO, Norway (AP) -Anders Behring Breivik shed tears as he went on trial yesterday for kill- ing 77 people - but not for his victims. The emotional display came when prosecutors showed his anti-Muslim video. Dressed in a dark suit and sporting a thin beard, the right- wing fanatic defended the July 22 massacre as an act of "self- defense" in his professed civil war, and sat stone-faced as pros- ecutors described how he killed each of his victims. But he was gripped by emo- tion when they showed a video warning of a Muslim takeover of Europe and laden with cru- sader imagery that he posted on YouTube before the attacks. Suddenly, the self-styled "resis- tance" fighter's eyes welled up. He cringed his face and wiped away tears with trembling hands. "Nobody believes that he cried out of pity for the victims," said Mette Yvonne Larsen, a lawyer representing survivors and victim's families in the court proceedings. Breivik showed no signs of remorse on the first day of a trial that is expected to last 10 weeks. After being uncuffed, he extend- ed his right arm in a clenched- fist salute. He refused to stand when the judges entered the room. "I don't recognize Norwe- gian courts because you get your mandate from the Norwegian political parties who support multiculturalism," Breivik said the first time he addressed the court. The 33-year-old Norwegian also announced he doesn't rec- ognize the authority of Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen because he said she is friends with the sister of former Nor- wegian Prime Minister and Labor Party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland. Eight people were killed in Breivik's bombing of Oslo's gov- ernment district and 69 were slain in his shooting massacre at the left-leaning Labor Party's youth camp on Utoya island out- side the capital. Breivik has said the attacks were necessary to protect Nor- way from being taken over by Muslims and that he deliber- ately targeted the governing Labor Party, which he claims has betrayed Norway with lib- eral immigration policies. "I admit to the acts, but not criminal guilt," he told the court, insisting he had acted in self-defense. While Norway has a legal principle of preventive self- defense, that doesn't apply to Breivik's case, said Jarl Borgvin Doerre, a legal expert who has written a book on the con- cept. "It is obvious that it has nothing to do with preventive self-defense," Doerre told The Associated Press. The key issue to be resolved during the trial is Breivik's mental state, which will decide whether he is sent to prison or into psychiatric care. Anxious to prove he is not insane, Breivik will call right-wing extremists and radical Islamists to testify during the trial, to show that others also share his view of clashing civilizations. One mental examination found him legally insane, while another said he wasn't sick enough to be committed to psy- chiatric care instead of prison. If deemed mentally competent, Breivik would face a maximum prison sentence of 21 years or an alternate custody arrange- ment under which the sentence is prolonged for as long as an inmate is deemed a danger to society. Breivik did not appear to have any family or support- ers in court. His parents, who are divorced, did not attend the hearing. His father, Jens Breivik, answered when The Associated Press called his home in France onyesterday. "I don't want to comment on anything," he said before hang- ing up: Anne Marita Milde, a psy- chology professor at the Uni- versity of Bergen, said Breivik's tears during the- video show he's not completely "flattened" emotionally - even though they didn't come when you might have expected them. "He may in many areas be emotionally flattened, that he doesn't display emotion and so on, but it's not all or nothing here -there are facets within behavior," she said. EPanetta calls for new steps to stop assaults in military CAROLYN KASTER/AP President Barack Obama, left, listens to Colombian singer Shakira during a land titling event for Afro-Colombian communi- ties in Cartagena, Colombia, Sunday. FolloWing Latin American summit, Obama looks to domestic issues, presidential race Defense Department says 86 percent of sexual assaults unreported WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Leon Panet- ta on yesterday announced new steps to combat sexual assaults in the military, with serious offenses such as rape and forc- ible sodomy subject to a court- martial review at the authority level of Army colonel or Navy, captain. "Sexual assault has no place in the military. It is'a violation of everything that the U.S. mili- tary stands for," Panetta told a Capitol Hill news conference after a closed-door, meeting with members of the House Armed Services Committee who have pushed for the Penta- gon to take aggressive steps to stop sexual assaults. ' The Pentagon said Friday that the number of reported sexual assaults had increased slightly last year, with 3,192 cases involving service mem- bers as either victims or per- petrators. But the Defense Department also has esti- mated that 86 percent of sex- ual assaults go unreported, a reflection of the fear some have for the prosecutorial system or their own standing in the ser- vice. Panetta said that as Pen- tagon chief he would issue a directive changing the way cases are handled. A higher authority within the military now will review the most seri- ous cases, ensuring that cases remain within the chain of the command and leaders are held responsible. He said he would work with Congress on legislation imple- menting several other initia- tives, including creation of special victims units within the services, allowing National Guard' and reserve members to remain on active duty after they file a complaint and an explanation of sexual assault policies to all service members. within 14 days of their entry in the military. These initiatives are likely to be included in the sweep- ing defense bill that the House Armed Services panel will be, craftig beginning next week. "This is a strong package. It is essential, we believe, to being able to prevent and respond to the crime of sexual assault," Panetta said. "There's no sil- ver bullet when it comes to this issue. But what is required is that everyone, from the secre- tary to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs all the way down, every the command level, be sensitive to this issue, be aware that they bear the responsibility to take action on these cases. The most important thing we can do is prosecute the offenders." Panetta, who was joined by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, mentioned the steps the Pentagon has taken previously, including the cre- ation of a 24/7 hotline and the selection of a two-star general to head the Sexual Assault Pre- vention and Response Office. "Our men and women in uniform should not fear their fellow service members," Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told reporters at the news con- ference. Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., talked of a "renewed commitment to address this grievous issue." Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., focused on treating victims with respect. In its annual report to Con- gress, the Defense Department said there were 3,192 reports of sexual assault involving ser- vice members as either victims or perpetrators at the end of September 2011, a 1 percent increase over the previous year. The number of reported cases in 2010 was 3,158 assaults, in the previous year it was 3,230. The report also found that courts martial were used more. frequently now in disciplining offenders. Of the 791 military sexual offenders punished last year, 62 percent faced a court martial. That compares with 52 percent in 2010 and 30 per- cent in 2007. The proportion of cases in which less severe forms of discipline are pursued, such as administrative actions and discharges, has declined in that same period. "Sexual assault is a crime that has no place in the Depart- ment of Defense, and the department's leadership has a zero-tolerance policy against it," the report said. Trip marred by allegations against Secret Service WASHINGTON (AP) - Presi- dent Barack Obama is returning to his familiar agenda of righting the U.S. economy and winning a second term, wrapping up three days of Latin American summitry that yielded mixed results and were clouded by a Secret Service scandal Domestic issues are imme- diately on tap, with the Senate scheduled to vote Monday on Obama's proposal to increase taxes on millionaires. The pro-' posal stands little chance of pass- ing Congress, but Obama has cast it as an election-year theme as he seeks to paint sharp contrasts between himself and his likely Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. Obama returned to Washing- ton late Sunday with a key free trade deal with Colombiaready to be fully enforced next monthand" with important face time with' Latin American leaders that can- not hurt his diplomatic outreach. But the weekend trip to Carta- gena, Colombia, for the sixth Summit of the Americas also underscored old and new fissures that exist between the United States and its southern neighbors, from the U.S. isolation of Cuba to calls by some Latin American leaders to defang the violent drug cartels by legalizing drugs. The trip was clouded by unseemly allegations against Secret Service personnel and military service members work- ing on security in Cartagena ahead of Obama's arrival. Obama, at a press conference in Carta- gena, said that if the accusations, proved true "of course I'll be angry." The Secret Service sent 11 agents home and placed them on leave for misconduct as the agen- cy investigates what happened. Five members of the military working with the Secret Ser- vice were confined to quarters, pending an investigation into an alleged prostitution scandal. ,