Obamechanic Tinkers with Colleges; Education Commissar Wants Institutions to Seek Federal Accreditation

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Byline: Robert Knight, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

When I was in college, a professor from the Middle East was giving me advice in his office.

He said, My son (he fancied himself a mentor), truth comes in three colors: blonde, brunette and redhead. At the time, I was unmarried, and it seemed to make sense, although I was leery because of his reputation as a skirt-chaser. I wanted to get married, not start a harem.

Today, truth on campus may be coming in only one color: red.

The Obama administration seems determined to bring academia under the government's heavy hand. You'd think President Obama would leave it alone, because most college professors probably voted for him. But wait. The real aim seems to be to politicize the academy even more.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants all schools that accept federal student aid to have a license from a state agency that would list authorized institutions. Anyone else would be out of luck. The state agencies would follow …