Critics rail against liberal bias for commencement speakers -- Democrat speakers outnumber Republicans 2-1, survey finds -- By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times

This year's Democratic commencement speakers outnumber their Republicans counterparts by more than 2 to 1, according to a survey by Campus Reform.

In what critics describe as another example of liberal bias on campus, 56 Democratic officeholders, appointees and operatives are slated to speak this spring at university graduation ceremonies.

Only 26 Republicans are scheduled to deliver college commencement addresses, the study found.

"This proves how liberal our nation's universities are. There is a severe bias against conservative viewpoints and an unwillingness to offer true diversity of thought," said Caleb Bonham, editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, which pushes for greater conservative representation at universities.

Part of the discrepancy can be explained by having a Democrat in the White House. Cabinet officers tend to be popular graduation speakers, and 10 of the 16 secretaries are slated to speak at commencement ceremonies, including Secretary of State John Kerry at Yale University and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz at Dartmouth University.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden is scheduled to deliver the addresses at the University of South Carolina and the University of Delaware.

Past presidents are often sought-after speakers, but as Campus Reform points out, neither of the surviving two former Republican presidents — George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush — are slated to deliver addresses this year.

Meanwhile, President Clinton will speak at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus, while his vice president, Al Gore, is scheduled to deliver remarks at Princeton University.

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