I don’t think taking private money biases a researcher any more than taking public money. Those who fund university research are no more pure than those who fund private research. If someone takes money from the Sierra Club, AEI, The American Lung Association, RJ Reynolds, Planned Parenthood, the NRA or Handgun Control (or whatever they’re calling themselves now) I don’t care. As long as their work is fair and accurate. Universities, being what they are these days, lean very hard left and thus there is a lot of pressure to satisfy those who run the place and decide who gets funded and who gets tenure. There are numerous stories of researchers shunned by their colleagues because they doubted Al Gore’s version of climate change, the deleterious effects of second hand smoke or the efficacy of gun control. They’ve been picketed, denounced by the faculty senate, had paint thrown on them or denied tenure. Strangely enough, some of them have left to join the conservative think tanks because they are the only place that will welcome researchers who do not toe the PC party line. The worst examples currently are among climatologists and meteorologists where any questioning of the politically correct dogma will get a scientist written out of the profession. Scientists are being hounded because they dare to use the scientific method and actually test theories against observed facts. There are many examples, but I’m sure you know that. What it boils down to for me is that I think university, government and “Public Interest” research is likely to be at least as biased as that done by conservative think tanks. In fact, I think the greatly increased scrutiny of AEI, Club for Growth, Heritage and NRA studies often makes them superior since any error or oversight, any cute tricks with data or weasel words will be instantly pounced on while those on the other side often get a pass. Do you think, for a moment, that if John Lott had produced a report for Sarah Brady that supported confiscating every firearm in private hands that there would have been problems for him in academia? That any of his data or conclusions would have been questioned on campus?

We all like to think of ourselves as rugged individualists. But when push comes to shove most of us are sheep who do what we are told. Worst of all, a lot of us become unpaid agents of whoever is controlling the agenda by enforcing the current dogma on the few rugged individualists who actually exist.