THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2011
NATIONAL
PAGE 5A
Obamas remain generous in visit to Hawaii
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Apparently the new White House "swag" rule doesn't apply to diplomatic protocol.
First lady Michelle Obama presented sterling silver orchid brooches and sterling silver cufflinks with Hawaiian Koa Wood to the leaders and spouses who gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
The gifts came only days after President Barack Obama signed an executive order banning souvenirs that federal agencies buy with taxpayer money to promote their work — items like coffee cups, T-shirts and pens.
First lady Michelle Obama and other spouses of APEC leaders walk to see a performance by the Honolulu Boys Choir at the APEC Spousal Luncheon at Kualoaakan in Ka'a'aawa, Hawaii on Sunday.
SUSAN WALSH/ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
The effort was part of a broader executive order to cut $4 billion in waste to redirect the money to more pressing needs and make government more efficient.
Michelle Obama said it certainly helped her husband's cause when he asked her to marry him two decades ago.
World leaders commonly exchange gifts as an act of goodwill and diplomacy. The White House said the gifts represented "a distinct part of the aloha spirit and helps forge new bridges of friendship and understanding."
with the words. "Made Exclusively for Michelle Obama."
When you pop the question to your future wife, it never hurts to be from Hawaii.
The intricately designed orchid brooch was handcrafted in sterling silver by Hawaiian artist Wayne Keeth while the cufflinks were designed by Kara Ross, using wood from Hawaiian woodturner Keith Maile. The cufflinks are engraved
"That's really one of the reasons I married Barack," the first lady joked during a luncheon for spouses at the APEC forum. "When I realized that this is where wed be spending the holidays, I said, 'Yes — I love you'"
The Obamas typically spend the Christmas holidays in Oahu, the island where the president was born and spent most of his childhood.
day night, meanwhile, Hawaiian guitarist Makana wore a homemade "Occupy with Aloa" Tshirt, a reference to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
"Our family has the privilege of coming here — the burden of coming back here every year," Mrs. Obama said to laughter.
Even amid the swaying palm trees and blue skies, Obama had plenty of reminders of politics back on the mainland.
At the entrance of the J.W. Mariott Resort Hotel, where Obama addressed APEC leaders, four little girls each held up a piece of paper with letters spelling out the name "C-A-I-N," a reference to Republican presidential contender Herman Cain.
During a gala dinner on Satur
During his performance, Maka-
na repeatedly sang a protest ballad called "We Are the Many," which included lyrics such as "The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw ... and until they are purged we won't withdraw."
NATIONAL
Wisconsin governor faces recall
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The effort to recall Wisconsin's controversial Republican governor is expected to begin Tuesday, although his opponents have yet to come up with a candidate to replace him.
The recall effort comes in response to a Wisconsin law passed earlier this year that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers. Gov. Scott Walker's proposal sparked weeks of protests that drew tens of thousands of people to the state Capitol, and two Republican state senators who supported it were ousted in recalls last summer. Seven other lawmakers targeted for their support or opposition of the law survived recall elections.
Walker, who was elected last fall, isn't eligible for recall until he has been in office for one year. Democrats have been working closely with union leaders on the effort, and they plan to kick off their petition drive Tuesday. They must gather more than 540,000 signatures by Jan.17 to force a recall election.
The governor has already
started raising money to fight the recall thanks to a donor who filed paperwork on Nov. 4 for a fake recall effort. The maneuver allowed Walker to begin accepting unlimited donations.
Nicole Larson, spokeswoman for the state Republican Party, responded to the recall effort by saying Walker "remains completely focused on the task at hand — saving taxpayer dollars and creating a business friendly climate so Wisconsinites can get back to work."
Meanwhile, potential candidates to replace Walker are jockeying for position behind the scenes and preparing for a primary to narrow the field if the party doesn't unite behind one person. The possibilities include former U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and state Sen. Jon Erpbenbach — one of 14 state senators who fled to Illinois in an ultimately futile effort to block a vote on Walker's bill. Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk also could be a contender. Her home area includes Madison, the state capital.
Democratic strategists would
love to convince one of the two biggest names in Democratic politics — former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold and retiring U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl — to run, but they believe they could win with a candidate who has some name recognition even if the person has never held statewide office.
"I think people really do, at some level, believe a rocking chair with nobody sitting in it would be a better governor than Scott Walker," Democratic Party strategist Sachin Chheda said.
Marty Beil, executive director of the 23,000-member Wisconsin State Employees Union, said he's not worried about Democrats not yet coalescing around a candidate.
"I believe that we get the signatures, then we get the candidate," Bell said.
But former Democratic Party chairman Joe Wineke said that although he didn't feel a rush to choose a nominee, some party members are "very nervous about the lack of a defined candidate" as petitions are being circulated.
Neither Feingold nor Kohl appears interested. Feingold, who
lost his bid for reelection last year, said he wouldn't run for anything in 2012, and Kohl's spokesman has said the 76-year-old senator has no desire to run. He's retiring when his Senate term ends next year.
Obey said he would like to see Kohl or Barrett run to replace Walker, but if they don't, he won't rule out running himself. The 73-year-old served more than 40 years in Congress and was a powerful force behind the scenes in Democratic politics for decades.
"We'll cross if we come to it," Obey said. "Right now, my main purpose is to try to convince one of them to run and see to it that people remember there's a huge amount at stake and we cannot afford to have the opposition to the governor split in different directions."
To that end, he said the priority must be making it clear to the public that the recall effort is moving forward.
"The issue is Scott Walker" Obey said. "The issue is not candidate A or candidate B."
CLEANUP ON AISLE 4
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
Construction crews work on removing the debris from the demolishing of the Dillons at 1740 Massachusetts Street on Wednesday afternoon. The building will be completely removed to make room for a new building to take its place.
'OCCUPY' PROTESTS
JAY FINNEBURGH/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Scott Olsen, 24-year-old Iraq war veteran, lies on the ground bleeding from a head wound after being struck by a by a projectile during an Occupy Wall Street protest in Oakland, Calif. Olsen suffered a fractured skull while marching with other protesters attempting to reestablish a presence in the area of the disbanded camp, said Dottie Guy, of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. Police Chief Howard Jordan says an internal review board and local prosecutors have been asked to determine if officers on the scene used excessive force.
Veteran hurt in protests released from hospital
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friends say that Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran who suffered a serious head injury during a police raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment, has been released from the hospital.
Wall Street protesters nationwide have rallied around Olsen's plight. A second Iraq War veteran was hospitalized earlier this month after Oakland officials said he was hurt during another round of protests, but has since been released.
Olsen suffered a skull fracture during tear-gas filled clashes between police and demonstrators on Oct. 25.
The 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran had been attending Occupy protests in San Francisco and Oakland after working his day job as a security software engineer.
Below City or City Park Against the War said Sunday that Olsen was released last week. She says he can now read and write, but still has trouble talking.
RALLYING THE TROOPS
JAIN TRIMBLE/KANSAN
Brig. Gen. Vic Braden speaks to KU ROTC students in Budig Hall during Veterans Day. Braden discussed topics that included leadership in a coalition environment and career life in the military. Braden has been in the military for 31 years and served in the Persian Gulf (1990) Bosnia (2003) and Afghanistan (2010).