THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 2008
NEWS
5A
CAMPUS
Groups hope to rock the vote
Political organizations strive for increased registration
BY JESSE TRIMBLE
jtrimble@kansan.com
Efforts to register students to vote on campus are in full swing.
The last day to register is Oct. 20. Campus organizations such as KU Young Democrats, KU College Republicans and Student Legislative Awareness Board are dedicating the next two months to reach as many students as possible.
Andrew Toth, Colby sophomore and president of KU Young Democrats, said it was not just about getting people to vote for Democratic candidates, but rather about overall civic engagement.
"We want this to be a bipartisan effort. We want people who can vote to vote and students who can register to register," Toth said.
where to register
Toth said KU Young Democrats will set up a booth on Wescoe Beach on Sept. 2-4 and Sept. 9-11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Campus:
Wescoe Beach Sept. 2 - 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sept. 9 - 11 at the same times
The table will have information about voter registration and the upcoming state and national elections.
In Lawrence:
Cottonwood, Inc., 2801 W
31st Street, (785) 842-0550
Dillon's (Treasurer Satellite), 3000 W. 6th St.
Audio-Reader Network, KU campus, Lawrence,KS (785) 864-4600
Douglas County Clerk's office, 1100 Massachusetts St., (785) 832-5147
Douglas County Health Dept., 200 Maine St, Suite B,
(785) 843-0721
Toth said KU Young Democrats is working in conjunction with Students for Barack Obama, SLAB and Students for Boyda and Moore. He said KU Young Democrats plan to set up tables in Mrs. E's before the voter registration deadline.
Michael Gray, Buhler junior and legislative director of SLAB, said that he was surprised by the number of students who registered last week.
ECKAN, 1600 Haskell Ave.,
(785) 841-3357
"This is a third of what was done last year within the first week," Gray said. "I think we've done an excellent job just getting the word out to students."
Independence, Inc., 2001 Haskell Ave. (785) 841-0333
KinderCare Learning Center,
2333 Crestline Dr., (785)
749-0295
So far, SLAB has registered
Treasurer South Satellite, 2108 W. 27th St., Suite I
SRS Office, 1901 Delaware St., (785) 832-3700
Veteran's Affairs Office, 745 Vermont St., (785)
843-5233
Lawrence City Clerk, 6 East 6th St., (785) 832-3200
Source: http://www.douglas-county.com/depts/cd/ve/voterreg.aspx
between 100 and 150 students this past week. The group is also reaching out to the Greek and scholarship hall communities in an effort to involve even more students.
Ryan Lawler, Brolingbrook, Ill., senior and SLAB community affairs director, said the main goal for SLAB was to do more than sit on Wesco Beach.
"We want to reach out to students where they live, where they are comfortable and where they are accessible," Lawler said. "We're reaching out instead of sitting back and just considering the circumstances this year."
SLAB has been meeting with several sororities, fraternities, scholarship hall communities and residence halls.
stance on issues like abortion, gay marriage, gun rights and capital punishment. SLAB also included polling locations and instructions for absentee ballots in the packets. The Department of Student Housing distributed the packets through the residence halls.
College Republicans and Delta Force are also joining the effort to help register students.
Toth said increased numbers of students were interested in registering this year compared with previous years.
"People are excited about this. There's a lot of enthusiasm, especially from freshmen," Toth said. "This whole election season is making everyone enthusiastic about civic engagement and involvement."
Edited by Kelsey Hayes
NATION
Sex offender sentenced to death
BY REBECCA BOONE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The jurors' recommendation was binding on U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge, who thanked them, dismissed them and then sentenced Joseph Duncan III.
BOISE, Idaho — A longtime sex offender was sentenced to death Wednesday for the 2005 kidnapping, torture and murder of a 9-year-old northern Idaho boy after federal jurors who watched video of some of the brutality deliberated for just three hours.
Relatives of the victim, Dylan Groene, remained somber as the jury's decision was announced. Duncan murdered Dylan's mother, older brother and his mother's fiance to kidnap him and his younger sister, who was sexually abused along with her brother but survived.
"We're happy with the verdict, but it's a shame — this should have been limited to one death," said Steven Groene, the father of the children. "He should have had the courage and the guts to kill himself before killing anyone else."
Duncan showed no reaction other than smiling as the verdict was passed to the judge.
He took Dylan and the boy's then-8-year-old sister, Shasta, to a remote western Montana campsite where he raped, tortured and threatened them before shooting Dylan in the head and burning his body. Jurors viewed horrifying video Duncan made of him sexually abusing, torturing and hanging Dylan until the boy lost consciousness.
"This defendant is dangerous. He is a predator who takes pride in his work," prosecutor Traci Whelan said. "He earned this day. His actions call out for the death penalty."
Duncan acted as his own attorney but had offered no response to prosecutors' closing argument.
"I have no argument," he told the court.
With an eye toward kidnapping the two children, Duncan stalked their family. In 2005 he entered their Coeur d'Alene-area home and used a hammer to fatally bludgeon their 13-year-old brother, Slade Groene, his mother, Brenda Groene, and her fiance, Mark McKenzie.
Duncan pleaded guilty in December to 10 federal charges involving the kidnappings and the murder of Dylan. He pleaded guilty to the other three murders in state court, where he also could be sentenced to death.
Duncan was arrested and Shasta rescued weeks after the kidnappings when a waitress at a Denny's in Coeur d'Alene called police after recognizing the two as they ate.
After the verdict, the jurors were whisked away from the federal courthouse in two white vans
so they could avoid the phalanx of media covering the hearing.
"The jury speaks the mind of the community." U.S. Attorney Tom Moss said. "By the verdict today, they have given voice to the victims."
In closing arguments, Whelan reminded the jury of Duncan's lifelong "pattern of violence" including a conviction for raping a boy at gunpoint in 1980. Duncan has told investigators he killed two half-sisters from Seattle in 1996, and he is charged with killing a young boy in Riverside County, Calif., in 1997.
Duncan may now be brought to Riverside County to stand trial in the death of Anthony Martinez.
Darlene Torres, Brenda Groene's mother, said she is glad the federal case is over.
"Justice has been served," Torres said. "It's been very painful."
She said that when she saw Duncan in court, "I seen nothing but an evil, empty, coldhearted shell."
It's hard to tell if the end of the federal case will offer any comfort to Shasta, her father said.
"I can't speak for Shasta. I can't get inside her head," Groene said. "Possibly now we'll have to be dragged through a court proceeding in California. If they go ahead with the prosecution, it would be such as waste of taxpayer money because he'll never spend a day in a California prison."
POLITICS
Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the DNC in Denver on Wednesday
Clinton speaks at DNC, formally endorses Obama
BY SCOTT LINDLAW
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Former President Clinton forcefully endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the White House on Wednesday, telling delegates to the Democratic convention that Obama is "ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world."
Clinton was by turns funny, nostalgic and womish, touching on issues like health care and pension benefits.
"With Joe Biden's experience and wisdom, supporting Barack Obama's proven understanding, insight and good instincts, America will have the national security leadership we need," Clinton said.
Clinton pushed back on attacks — initiated by himself and his wife during the bitter primary campaign, and later taken up by Republican John McCain — that Obama is ill-prepared for the White House, especially on matters of national defense.
Clinton campaigned feverishly for his wife, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, in her long-fought primary battle against Obama, and took her loss hard. He had not spoken out as strongly in support of Obama since he clinched the nomination in June. B u n t
Clinton, ever mindful of himself, likened Obama's presidential quest to his own bid for the presidency in 1992, when "Republicans said I was too young and too
But Wednesday,
"...supporting Barack Obama's proven understanding, insight and good instincts, America will have the national security leadership we need."
Jabbing a finger at thousands of cheering delegates, he declared: "I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November."
he was unambiguous in passing the torch of Democratic leadership to Obama.
BILL CLINTON
Former U.S. president
Running just over 20 minutes, the speech by the godfather of the Democratic Party whipped thousands of delegates into an exuberant frenzy. Where a night before they had hoisted "Hillary" banners, on this night they waved American flags.
The delegates stood on their feet and roared for nearly $3\frac{1}{2}$ minutes when Clinton walked on stage. The former president basked in their affection, but after several false starts at his speech, commanded: "Sit down!"
inexperienced to be commander in chief."
is on the right side of history."
"Sound familiar?"
Clinton said.
"It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won't work in 2008, because Barack Obama
He allowed that the primary campaign had generated "so much heat it increased global warming."
The former president's wideranging speech also attacked Republicans for an "exploding" national debt and misguided foreign policy.
Clinton's address elicited some nostalgia of its own among the delegates.
"He can still mesmerize a crowd," said Oregon delegate Sam Sappington.
Standing nearby, Lloyd Henion,
who came to Denver as a Clinton
delegate from Oregon, said the former president "hit a 500-foot home run. He hit all the points."
"That was as clear a message as you could get as to why Barack Obama should be president," Henion said of Bill Clinton's speech.
During the primary race, the former president tried to raise doubts about whether the first-term Illinois senator had the experience to lead the country. He said Obama's opposition to the Iraq war was a "fairy tale."
Clinton's challenge Wednesday night was tall, because he himself had questioned Obama's credentials.
"I mean, when is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running?" Clinton said on "The Charlie Rose Show. "In theory, we could find someone who is a gifted television commentator and let them run."
Last fall, he dismissed Obama as totally unqualified.
Last winter, Clinton said that after "all the mean things" the Obama campaign had said about him. "I should be the last person to defend him. (But) if he wins this nomination, I'm going to do what I can to help him win."
Since Obama clinched the nomination in June, Clinton has seemed less than passionate about an Obama presidency, giving only lukewarm endorsements.
Clinton was departing Denver on Thursday morning, hours before Obama gives his acceptance speech.
Aides said this was standard practice for Clinton, and not a snub. Clinton did likewise at the 2000 and 2004 conventions.
Labor Day Special! 7:30 PM Monday September 1
English Alternative Theatre presents a concert reading of
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning family melodrama by Tracy Letts
y award-winning family melodrama by Tracy Letts Directed by Paul Stephen Lim
Featureing Arnold Weiss, Roberta Gingerich, Ione Unruh, Jim Carothers, Val Smith, Amy Devitt, Jan Chapman, Nan Scott, Jim Hartman, Jeremy Auman, Phill Schroeder, Jerry Masinton, Delinda Pushetonequa
Admission FREE
Lawrence Arts Center (9th & New Hampshire)