Grapevine: Are university commencements fair and balanced?

close

Video

Grapevine: Are university commencements fair and balanced?

More liberal speakers reported at top schools

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Talk to Me

America's top universities are not fair and balanced when it comes to the political ideology of commencement speakers.

That's according to the Young America's Foundation Commencement Speakers Survey.

It says 29 liberals will speak at the top 35 schools, including 16 Obama administration officials and appointees.

Only one conservative made the list.

During the Obama presidency, administration officials have spoken 29 times.

Bush administration officials? Just 14 times in his two terms.

Falling Short

Americans Elect (AE), the group that wanted to nominate a centrist third-party candidate has admitted it came up short.

None of the potential candidates mustered the minimum support needed to qualify for the group's primary.

The organization mounted a $15 million effort to get on the general election ballot in 29 states giving it greater reach than the Green Party.

Democrats and Republicans anxious about AE changing the outcome of a close election, May be breathing easier right now but, not so fast.

AE leaders are trying to decide if the group should nominate a candidate without a primary but that would require the board to change its rules.

An announcement is expected Thursday.

Live with Regrets

And finally, former Special Adviser to President Obama for Green Jobs, Van Jones regrets the environmental movement was so quiet during the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Jones said quote -- "I guarantee you, if John McCain had been president, with that oil spill, or George Bush had been president with that oil spill, I'd have been out there with a sign protesting. I didn't, because of who the president was."

Jones said he's tough on progressive leaders, including himself who did not stand on their principles.