Elsewhere in Minnesota headlines this morning …

ST. CLOUD: Michele Bachmann bans press, makes quick cameo at own public forum. People who can’t take her for more than 10 minutes didn’t have to. [St. Cloud Times]

MINNEAPOLIS: Memo to self: Try that chokehold again. Coleen Rowley revisits a local angle on the U.S. government torture program, in light of the latest revelations. [MN Progressive Project]

ST. PAUL: Tony Sutton’s long ascent to become MNGOP chair. His cure for the “Obama hiccup”? Slam another Diet Coke. [City Pages]

MINNEAPOLIS: City council could go to court to block referendum from ballot. The park board’s bid for independent taxing authority might burn out like a 2004 medical-marijuana reeferendum. [Star Tribune]

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Budweiser can’t do the can, says “U.” The King of Beers’ gold-and-maroon cans go the way of Victoria’s Secret U of M–themed togs. [Star Tribune]

AVON: Bones of prehistoric woman dug up at construction site. Since it’s going to be a credit union, she’ll be reburied with no added fees. [St. Cloud Times]

Moorhead, part of the MnSCU system, which faces a $50-million budget cut (Creative Commons photo by J. Stephen Conn via Flickr)

For Minnesota’s college administrators, the announcement of the Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s unallotment plans was a good news/bad news story. The size of the budgetary hit was not as big as they expected. But, it’s still a substantial amount. They were prepared for it, but it’s still coming.

The governor announced that the state’s two higher-education systems — which comprise 32 colleges and state universities, four University of Minnesota campuses in greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities’ U of M campuses — will each take a hit of $50 million dollars, or about a 3.6 percent drop. Many of these campuses are a couple of hundred miles away from St. Paul where the budget decisions are made.

Kurt Hanson, a provost of Northland Community and Technical College in Northwest Minnesota, said the recession hasn’t hit that part of the state too badly, because of its proximity to North Dakota, which is doing relatively well. His school primarily provides job training programs, two-year degrees and general education credits for North Dakota and Minnesota students. Several months ago the president of the Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) system told the member schools to look for money to cut, Hanson recalls.

“What we were given was a target of about 11.7 percent reduction in our allotments,” he said. That meant a $1.5 million mark for Northland to hit for the 2010 fiscal year. “We achieved that through some efficiencies in course section deliveries. If we had a psychology course that had cap of 40 and we had two sections with about 20 students, we’d reduce it to one section.”

That’s also meant leaving some positions open if people left them. Hanson said he knows his school is the type of institution that people turn to if they lose their job and want to pick up classes or a degree that would provide people with job training. The recession can help keep enrollments for schools like this relatively high, and at Northland, the fact that tuition is holding steady for the second straight year is appealing to prospective students.

“We certainly feel that we will be an important part of retraining people for the downturn in the economy,” Hanson said in an interview.

Edna Szymanski, the new president of Minnesota State University at Moorhead, had a different situation to deal with: a deficit and a subsequent hiring freeze. Between that and the new budget, Szymanski said: “It’s my job to say, ‘No.’”

Szymanski said that she and her fellow system presidents were told to expect bad budgetary news. She said that the previous deficits combined with the new figures will probably mean about a $9 million hit. “It was our job to keep the university alive during the recession and we did.”

Szymanksi said she doesn’t see a lot of competition from other institutions including ones that are right across the river in Fargo, N.D. “[North Dakota State University] is a graduate institution that focuses on research for that state. We primarily provide undergraduate education and some graduate programs.”

The University of Minnesota system was prepared for a cut in the neighborhood of $73 million. The CFO of the system, Richard Pfutzenreuter, told the Star Tribune: “I was just telling someone, well, the front end of the car got taken off, but at least the whole car isn’t destroyed.”

Continuing the analogy, it’s the out-state campuses, like the one that serves Crookston, that are going to have drive this car.

University president Charles Casey said it’s important that people realize that the University of Minnesota includes campuses like his at Crookston, which serves some 1,200 students. Casey says that his campus tries to train students directly for work, and has been dropping two-year degrees in for newer four-year degrees, like Communication.

“Saying I feel a little bit of frustration would be an understatement,” said Casey, who noted that his school has been trying to cast a wider net in its recruitment while also addressing budget realities, like dropping extras such as hockey. Casey said the school is hoping that that scholarship and federal stimulus money will hold tuition down and enrollments steady.

“I think it’s the reality today and we have to deal with the situation we have and not make as many investments as we have in the last couple of years.”

Students, too, are worried about funding levels. Tyler Smith, president-elect of the Minnesota State College Student Association, told the Star Tribune that “we’re still disappointed about the continued cuts to higher education,” fearing big tuition increases in the future and “decreased quality today.”

Meanwhile, the states two university and college systems are looking for a way to handle whatever good news comes along and bracing for more bad news.

In winning the most votes by a slim margin, Franken is “tainted,” according to Republican state Sen. Geoff Michel. And while Michel won’t find an argument with that assertion from the Wall Street Journal’s editorial writers (from whom he may have taken inspiration for his choice of words), history suggests that a slim winning margin won’t hurt Franken at the polls six years from now.

Eric Ostermeier, writing at his Smart Politics blog from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, takes a look back at past victors in Minnesota elections to the U.S. Senate and finds that “there is virtually no difference in the re-election success rate of those who won narrowly and those who won by large margins.”

In fact, Ostermeier reports, senators who won by double-digit margins did slightly worse in the next election cycle than those who won by narrower margins. His conclusion:

In short, if past is prologue (and all things being equal), should Franken prevail and choose to run in 2014, he would seem to have about a 67 percent chance of winning reelection, as 15 of 22 Senators have done before him.

If it seems a bit early (or even a bit nutty) to run the numbers already on Franken’s chances in 2014 on a day when senators of his own party thought better of even trying to seat him a first time — well, it was early. A date-stamp reveals that Ostermeier posted his electoral research on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 2:38 a.m.

12:05 p.m. Paulsen says his reason for running for the 3rd District is that Congress is ‘broken.’ Paulsen also says he has learned civility from retiring Representative Jim Ramstad, for whom he once worked in D.C. Ramstad and Paulsen have criticized the Ashwin Madia campaign for its ‘gutter tactics’ in this race.

12:13 p.m. Paulsen says he was not a fan of the stimulus check that was sent out earlier this summer. He is opposed to these ’short-term solutions’ and the country needs real economic incentives by making changes to the tax code, and making these changes permanent (he wants to make permanent the Bush tax cuts).

12:20 p.m.: Been here five minutes and already lost a liveblog post to the U of M’s wifi system. I’ll try to catch up. Paulsen is speaking, has referenced Sweden as lowering corporate tax rates and China (where Paulsen has visited) as a country where Schwan’s ice cream could sell its products to a billion Chinese.

12:25 p.m.: China, Japan, India, Sweden — he’s really touring the world with this speech. China has 1.2 billion people, will soon be the top English-speaking country in the world, will quadruple higher ed enrollment in next decade.

12:30 p.m.: Prof. Larry Jacobs asks crowd (of about 40, half of yesterday’s Madia event) to write questions on cards. Jacobs asks about what to do at the current moment in the financial crisis, if you’re fiscally conservative. Paulsen: As Republican, I’ve been frustrated with party members for not exerting fiscal discipline — a bipartisan spending spree. And that goes for Bush administration as well. It’s about living within your means, which is hard for legislators — to say no. Proposes sunsets for funding legislation. 

12:35 p.m.: (Another point where Paulsen echoes recent sounds from Madia camp: simplifying tax forms, a move U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel endorsed while in town to stump for Madia.) Fiscal responsibility, as he grew up as a good German Lutheran, means to conserve. Jacobs: Would you have voted for second bailout plan that passed. Paulsen: Reluctantly yes. Bill had improved with FDIC insurance limits fix, pricing corrections. But what’s going to happen next? Wants to make sure taxpayers see an upside with repayment in the future.  

12:40 p.m.: Paulsen makes two metaphors that might be seen as unfortunate, to Iraq and New Orleans. What is our economic exit strategy? He’s concerned that financial sector is moving from new York to Washington, D.C. Then he cites Hurricane Katrina (ouch!) as evidence D.C. can’t do stuff right. Paulsen gives example of the farm bill as one in which Republicans went along with legislation that isn’t financially sound. It’s wrong, and thinks his constituents don’t really support it. He supports agriculture, but not to the tune of subsidizing millionaire farmers. Pharmaceutical industry policy has been helpful, a good thing, although there’s still too much chaos or choice. Jacobs comes back to the cost side of it: Would Paulsen have voted for the program? Paulsen: Yes. (Notion of the government not being allowed to strike best deal with pharmaceutical companies isn’t raised by either Jacobs or Paulsen, although Jacobs seemed to be driving at that.

12:45 p.m.: Paulsen: Regular commercial banking industry is probably over-regulated. Jacobs: Clarifies that Paulsen wants regulation for unregulated areas of financial sector. Paulsen agrees. Jacobs: What about regulating credit card companies? Paulsen: I’m not a fan of regulation and wary of overstepping proper bounds. Jacobs: A new agency is being proposed to regulate consumer credit. Paulsen: To push home ownership towards folks for whom its unsuitable — there needs to be regulation of that. For me it doesn’t make sense that people would expect to buy a home with no money down and expect someone to buy their mortgage as part of a package. Jacobs: But would you be in favor of expanding regulation in subprime mortgage area? Paulsen: Absolutely. jacobs: Asks re: AIG, insurance industry. Paulsen cites states’ role in regulating insurance. So-called “too big to fail” companies like AIG … there didn’t seem to be a consistent standard on that from the Bush administration. 

12:50 p.m.: Jacobs: Conservatives seem confused about where nationalization of banks stops. Paulsen: i am suspicious of that. We seem to be in uncharted waters. Good to see G20 come up with a plan. Whether you’re conservative or liberal, question is what is the appropriate role for governement. Jacobs: So you would take into account functioning of markets in determining whether government should be involved. Some people seem contagion as different industries (airlines, health care) ask for help. Would you take these on case-by-case basis or is there an overall appropriate answer? Paulsen: Review each situation on its own, not ideologically.

[Several liveblog posts seem to have been lost to an Iffy U of M wifi signal. I’ll try to recover them and edit them back in.}

1:00 p.m.: Jacobs: Obama is president, let’s say. Support line item veto? Paulsen: Yes, no matter which party has presidency. It’s a good tool for eliminating pork. Jacobs: how do you propose to control rising cost of education for middle class? Paulsen: References his four daughters, and the cost of their weddings (joke) let alone education. Debt load for students is so heavy it could be next subprime mortgage crisis if job market can’t support them on graduation. Solution is financial aid, such as Pell grants and the state’s program. Jacobs; Regulate tuition hikes? Paulsen: I’d look at it. Is it over-regulation? The top-down model presents false choices between spending options. Jacobs: How do you increase the number of engineers, for example. Paulsen: Require higher math at younger age, although I’m resistant to idea of federal government doing more that asking states to set goals. Paulsen cites Chinese who get up a 6 a.m. to study. Jacobs: Support free trade? Paulsen: Yes. It was a travesty that Columbian free trade was sidelined by Congress. Special interests and unions got hold of that one.

1:10 p.m. Jacobs: Free trade losers raises question of what to do about those on the downside who are anxious or losing jobs? Would you support job programs? Paulsen: We’re always going to have workforce resources for retraining. Cites his trip to India to bring up retirement-like accounts that individuals and employers can contribute to for individual lifelong learning savings.

1:15 p.m.: Very small crowd is hanging out in animated conversation in the hall. A couple student reporters are interviewing others in the audience as the event breaks up. I’m going to repair to a table in the lobby where the wifi signal is better and try to reconstruct this liveblog from various peices that may be floating in cyberspace.

1:30 p.m.: Interesting example of market forces at work at the reception afterwards. There seems to be more pizza today than yesterday, perhaps in response to not having enough yesterday. But today there are fewer people to feed, so the extra pies reflect a basic difficulties in supply meeting anticipated demand. Perhaps government could step in at least temporarily to regulate pizza distribution for campus events — but if so they must act soon, because Independence Party candidate David Dillon will be here at noon on Friday for his turn to be grilled by Jacobs and student questioners. Will Dillon draw people who attended Madia’s event, or Paulsen’s? As in politics, the third party presents a catering conundrum:

A lightweight foam paperweight freebie at the HHH institute event.

DFL candidate Ashwin Madia spoke Monday over the noon hour at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, in a Charlie Rose-style dialogue with Prof. Larry Jacobs. Tomorrow, Madia’s Republican opponent in the 3rd district congressional race, state Rep. Erik Paulsen, will appear at the same venue. The title of Madia’s presentation today is “Green Fuel, Green Technology and Greenbacks: A Plan to Protect Our Environment and Our Economy.” The event’s over now, but read a liveblog archived after the jump, and look here at noon Tuesday for a liveblog of Paulsen’s appearance. 12:06 p.m.: Jacobs introducing Madia to applause from about 30 gathered at the HHH Institute. Madia will speak for 20 minutes.

12:11 p.m.: Madia: Dependence on oil is an economic problem, a security risk and an unsustainable planetary concern.

12:14 p.m.: More like 50 people here now. Madia knocks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for downplaying environmental impacts.

12:17 p.m.: Madia: Potential to lead world on carbon neutral technology. Do it now or buy it in 10 years from China. Switchgrass! How? Unleash power of private sector: Let people make a profit, with tax incentives and rebates for businesses and consumers who invest in carbon-neutral tech, as in Israel. Also: R&D.

12:20 p.m.: Madia: When prices for oil were high in the 1970s, the country focused on saving energy, even putting solar panels on the White House roof — which were removed when oil prices dropped.

12:25 p.m.: Madia ends with Humphrey quote, under huge wall collage of mementos from Humphrey’s career. Jacobs dives into dialogue with question on people’s faith in technology. How feasible, cost-effective? Madia’s answer: Not there yet, but very much so to both. If U.S. puts $14 billion per year toward alternative energy technologies, lots of technologies possible. High prices now are creating political will to change: Don’t let that opportunity slip away.

12:30 p.m. : Jacobs: Administration moved away from carbon sequestration technology (his second reference to this … he must really like it). Madia: Today carbon sequestration. Compares to Star Wars technology (favorably, I think). Jacobs: What do you say to West Virginians who rely on coal for jobs? Madia; World is changing. It’s true we’ll lose some jobs but we’ll gain jobs in alternative energy industries. I’m not too worried, because with progress comes more jobs. Jacobs’ last question re: cap-and-trade proposals. Madia: [Missed part of answer here] It won’t hurt public pocket book. Doesn’t support government price controls. Jacobs last-last question [actually first audience question read from a card] re: transportation spending. Madia: Highways to western suburbs jammed, but what if light rail went out there? Ease congestion, increase productivity, spur economic growth, cut pollution, save money on gas and vehicles. Cites Israeli model again, but at Jacobs’ prompting, doesn’t think we need a gas tax to fund changes.

12:40 p.m.: Madia: Pushes pay-as-you-go philosophy. Jacobs: Give us two examples of source of revenue, from what cuts? Madia: Get rid of tax benefits for oil companies and pharmaceutical industries, Iraq pull-out … He gets through six things so fast I lost the thread, and someone in the crowd starts to laugh, just at his speedy delivery, I think.

12:45 p.m.: Jacobs presses on cost competitiveness of green technologies. Would you favor raising costs of carbon-based energy technologies? Madia would not make costs more expensive for carbon-based energy, but would make it cheaper for alternative energies. Jacobs: Offshore drilling? Madia: Maybe that’s part of it, but don’t give oil companies carte blanche. Wants “responsible” drilling, where companies can demonstrate oil’s there and potential for environmental damage is limited. “It’s got to be more thoughtful than ‘Drill, baby, drill.” Jacobs (now reading audience questions off cards?): What’s your view on nuclear power? Madia agrees with Gore: It’s part of an overall strategy.

12:50 p.m.: Jacobs: California had fuel-efficiency standards … should Minnesota and other states set energy policies for themselves, or should it be federal standards? Madia: Both. Hard to argue with California, and even cities can have own policies. But ultimately it’s a national problem. It’s embarrassing that states and cities have had to move forward on these issues as the federal government drags its heels. Jacobs: What about business resistance to state and local energy policy changes? Madia: That argues for need for national energy strategy. Jacobs: with audience question on federal flood insurance. Madia: Hasn’t looked at that issue.

12:55 p.m. Jacobs: What to do about student indebtedness, financial literacy? Madia: Find out why costs increasing and what can be done to contain rather than shift cost from one party to the next. Jacobs: Ethanol’s future? Madia: I’d like to see more cellulosic-based fuel, recognizing the fuel’s importance for the state. Jacobs: That’s still on the drawing board though, as opposed to ethanol. Madia: It’s several years away, but tax incentives and government R&D can hurry it along. Jacobs: Other transportation ideas? Madia: Invest in roads, infrastructure, mass transit. “Smart Cities” concept, with less travel due to Internet and telecommuting from home. Or simply living close to work. Jacobs: How about railroads and airlines? Rethink those  from energy standpoint? Madia: No concrete ideas, but admires China’s rail system as model for regional travel, to reduce demand for air travel – either a government system or, better yet, private systems. Jacobs: What committees would you want to be on in Congress? Madia: Armed Services committee, a budgetary committee –- to make cuts though, not to bring home bacon. Jacobs: Would you make pledge not to accept earmarks? Madia: No. I won’t take middle-of-the-night inserted items, but I would take line items for needed things like the new I-35W bridge.

1:00 p.m.: Question: How does government partner with people to solve problems? Madia: That’s a broad question. Government can’t do this alone is a central theme to my campaign. Specifically, with energy: People need to change habits, even the way they think. “I don’t think my kids are going to be raised that same way” — referring to current energy practices, but a notable answer considering Republican profiling of him as not being a family man. Jacobs, in a final question, picks up on that point: “Do you consider yourself a role model for childless, mortgage-free young people who want to change the country?” Madia explains reference to Paulsen attacks. The most important decision you [young people ] will make is economic policy. Whew — in the very last sentence he utters at this event, Madia finally uses his favorite word, “fulsome,” I think in reference to a national energy strategy. I submit he’s the only candidate for Congress this year making regular use of that SAT-level word. Jacobs announces free T-shirts and reception after speech. Ending applause from now maybe 75-100 people in the room. Maybe the latecomers heard about the free T-shirts.

1:15 p.m.: T-shirts are one thing … free pizza is something we can all agree on. But in a quarter of an hour, this student crowd put away four pies.

1:30 p.m.: HHH Institute students are actually hanging around in the central atrium, talking about issues they just heard about — tax credits and such — and dissecting the dialogue. I guess this is the after-party. Tomorrow: Republican candidate Erik Paulsen, whose theme wasn’t announced as of this morning. But HHH staff here told me they got late word it’ll be the economy, and what tomorrow’s leaders (read: you guys at the Humphrey Institute) can do about it. Like the pizza, the event is free and open to the public, as is Friday’s installment with Independence Party candidate David Dillon. But if you can’t make it, MnIndy expects to liveblog again tomorrow at noon, same bat channel. And with that, this liveblog is officially dead … for now. For another take on today’s proceedings, check out a pizza-and-offspring-status-free liveblog from the Humphrey Institute’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance’s blog, Smart Politics.

The research received a boost this week when it was announced that Xcel Energy was awarding the team a $150,000 grant to continue the groundbreaking work.

“This gift will not simply fill a gap, but will give us an opportunity to expand our research and development capacity and help to launch larger efforts in this area,” Robert Elde, dean of the University’s College of Biological Sciences, said in a release.

The Metropolitan Council and the University’s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment have been investigating the potential for algae-to-fuel technology since 2006.

Algae contains oil that can be extracted and turned into biodiesel. The research team is trying to determine which types of algae contain the most oil and are the easiest to grow. It ultimately hopes to find an efficient way to cultivate algae from the 250 million gallons of wastewater that the Metropolitan Council cleans and discharges each day.

“Union-busting.” An “insulting settlement.” Even some tears. The UpTake’s Noah Kunin and Charles Gearin captured reactions by members of the University of Minnesota’s AFSCME union as they found out about a settlement with management. The responses ranged from surprise to anger, and a prediction from one member that the settlement — which will send workers back to their jobs on Saturday — will result in the departure of some staff.

Isaack Mola, a graduate instructor in the political science department and a participant in the recent hunger strike, says management is wrongly making salary comparisons with private sector counterparts, instead of workers at other state agencies.

“This administration sees this university as… nothing more than a private corporation,” he said. “The fact that they’re not willing to pay their workers what other state workers are earning and are comparing themselves to the private sector. This is a public institution; it’s a land-grand institution and we need to fight to ensure that it remains a public institution. It’s part of the commons. It belongs to the people.”

“While rank-and-file members are unified that this is bad deal for AFSCME they are divided on whether or not AFSCME is stronger as a result of the strike,” writes Kunin. “Older members tended to be pessimistic on future collective bargaining with the University of Minnesota while younger workers were optimistic that increased collaboration with other unions and greater public support would make the University ‘think twice’ the next time.”

Bigger than a vest: Locally, we’re witnessing the “corporatization of our very public university,” writes The Good Fight’s Kyle Pendergast. In the largest collegiate naming deal ever, TCF Bank will pay $35 million over 25 years to have its corporate identity atop the $288 million football stadium for the University of Minnesota. But naming TCF Bank Stadium is the tip of the iceberg: The financial institution will also get prime access to the coveted student demographic. It’ll have the option to extend its ATM contract on campus, it’ll lease space for a branch on the West Bank, it’ll get the chance to replace competitor U.S. Bank at its Coffman Union location when that bank’s lease expires, and it’ll continue sponsoring the “U Card.” TCF will also launch a branded bank card targeted at alumni, with some proceeds benefiting the school. The university says the deal will eventually bring in an additional $43 million in profit. The 50,000-seat, open-air stadium is scheduled to open in August 2009.

Rape and the U’s image: Just after the stadium’s logo was unveiled, the university football program’s image was taking a hit: Cornerback Dominic Jones was arrested on third-degree felony criminal sexual conduct charges. Now free on $25,000 bail, Jones is accused of having sex with an 18-year-old woman while she was “physically helpless.” The victim’s blood-alcohol content was at least .30, and Jones recorded a portion of the assault with his camera phone, according to the criminal complaint [pdf]. Jones and three other players have been dismissed from the team over the allegations, although the Associated Press reports the school is still honoring their scholarships.

Losing face on Facebook? The Star Tribune reports that university officials are fuming over a KSTP report about questionable images it found on U of M football players’ Facebook and MySpace pages, some apparently in violation fo the school’s student code of conduct. Of all the images — including, says the report, shots of jersey-wearing athletes partying, plus one capturing a player’s bare backside smooshed against the head of another player, both of whom are identified by name — the U is particulary incensed by one that shows 20-year-old offensive guard Nedward Tavale “holding up what looks like a pitcher of beer,” in the words of KSTP reporter Kristi Piehl. University news service officials insist it’s raspberry tea. KSTP news director Chris Berg stands by the story and says university officials haven’t been cooperative in commenting on the story.”Our reports speak for themselves,” he said. “Eyewitness News will continue to follow this story in earnest until someone from the University in a leadership position decides to return our calls.”

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Minnesota troops and families were fed and linked up across the world.

Read MoreSt. Paul Fire Chief Doug Holton has been named Milwaukee’s new chief. This move comes after a no-confidence vote from the firefighters union.

Ramsey County Board commissioners gave themselves a 25 percent raise after a study comparing salaries of officials in other counties.

A junior high school in Eagan and a senior high school in Willmar were closed this week along with eight buildings on the University of Minnesota campus after a bomb threat.

“My dad is always on my mind,” she says. “When I watch TV and hear that someone died, I wonder if I’m going to get that call. It’s stressful, and now I have to worry even longer.” She says the troops “shouldn’t be risking their lives every day for a stupid war. They should at least be given answers about what’s going on.”

The lead editorial in the same issue asks, “What would it take for an end? What is the threshold or the final headcount that leads to a withdrawal? Is it 4,000? 5,000? How will we know success and will we ever be so inclined to declare it?” Another story covers the thoughts of MSU students either preparing to be shipped out to Iraq or currently serving there.

Just up the road at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Kelli Lassig of the Gustavian Weekly wonders, “What is the appropriate response to war and bloodshed, brought to a country without the permission or even consideration of its people? Should we ask them to stand with us, to simply stay out of our way or better yet, should we ask them to thank us for what we’ve done?” In the editorial she takes issue with President Bush’s statement in an interview with 60 Minutes in January that “the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude.”

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Daily castigates the mainstream media for lapping up the Bush administration’s allegations of Iranian meddling in Iraq. “On 24-hour cable news in particular, the ongoing conflict with Iran is treated in almost the same way as the death of Anna Nicole Smith,” according to an unsigned editorial in the University of Minnesota’s student newspaper. Beginning Friday, Feb. 16, the Oscar-nominated documentary “Iraq in Fragments” will be showing at the U’s Bell Auditorium on the Twin Cities campus. Let’s hope it will attract a crowd.

There are many reasons why America’s university students remain largely indifferent to the Iraq war and why protests have been rare. The primary difference between now and 1967 is that today there is no draft. The numbers that go off to fight are smaller, too. President Bush’s “surge” of 21,500 additional troops brings the U.S. total in Iraq up to a little more than 150,000. Compare this to more than half a million U.S. soldiers in Vietnam at the height of that war in 1969.

Another factor is that those who are called to fight in Iraq are older. They are not green draftees in the traditional student age range of 18 to 21 years old. Many are reservists and members of the national guard, often family men and women in their 20s and 30s. Finally, the body bags returning from Iraq are still less than one-tenth the number of those that came back from Vietnam, which took over 58,000 American lives.

Too many of today’s college students still lack connection to the war in Iraq, but at least discussion of the conflict is ensuing on many campuses. Fortunately, that includes dialogue on the pages of some student-run newspapers at Minnesota’s colleges and universities.