First of all, good riddance to Van Jones, President Obama's former Green Jobs Czar. As I wrote previously, he is a radical loon who doesn't belong anywhere near the White House. I'm glad he resigned (or was forced to resign. We may never know). I'd be more than happy to never write about him again, but some comments from Democrats subsequent to Jones' resignation, together with Van Jones own resignation statement, compel to bring him up one more time.
Let's start with liberal radio talker Alan Colmes, who said "Van Jones is a mainstream liberal." Wow. Let's hope not. If Van Jones is a mainstream liberal, then a mainstream liberal is a radical Communist revolutionary race-mongering anti-semitic 9/11 Truther who thinks white polluters are targeting minority populations, who thinks whitey is spraying toxins on illegal immigrants, who thinks the entire American capitalist system should be overthrown, who thinks Republicans are a**holes, who thinks all wealth should be redistributed, who thought the Rodney King race riots were righteous, and who supports Mumia Abu Jamal, the cop killer. If Van Jones is a mainstream liberal, this country is in even deeper trouble than I thought. I better step up my attacks on liberals. Granted, I have heard pretty much all the above sentiments echoed by liberals, but I thought it was mainly confined to the lunatic fringe of liberaldom, the acolytes so blinded by propaganda that they can't see what divisive hatemongers like Van Jones are promoting, which is nothing less than the destruction of the very system that made America the world's pre-eminent economic, scientific, and military power (note to liberals – if you were offended by this reference to American exceptionalism and feel urged to rebut it, YOU are one of the lunatic fringe).
Next up is former Vermont Governor and former DNC Chairman Howard Dean, who said Van Jones' resignation was a "loss for the country." A loss for the country ? What country, Cuba, Venezuela, or what ? Certainly not this one.
Then there is the laughable resignation statement made by Van Jones himself:
"On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy , opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide."
And, of course, by "vicious smear campaign," and "lies and distortions," Jones means – accurate, direct quotes of Jones exact words, with accompanying videotape and corroborating written proof. Jones is literally saying, "who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes ?" Classic.
The only remaining questions are:
How did Van Jones ever get to the White House in the first place ? Isn't there supposed to be a vetting process ? Will the "most transparent administration in history" bother to answer these questions ? I'd be amazed if it does. What I expect we will get is more of the usual non-answers from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, combined with the type of blather spewed by Obama's professional spin-doctor David Axelrod on Meet The Press. Check out Axelrod's changing responses to David Gregory's questions about Van Jones:
MR. GREGORY: Van Jones, who's been an adviser to the White House on environmental policy, resigned overnight because of some inflammatory comments he's made over time, including a petition he signed that blamed the government for the 9/11 attacks. Was this an issue that got to the president? Did he personally order that he be fired?
MR. AXELROD: Absolutely not. This was an, an–this was Van Jones' own decision. You know, he is internationally known as an advocate for green jobs. And that's the basis on which he was hired. He said in his statement that he didn't want his comments to become a distraction from the issue, which is so important to the future of our economy and communities around the country. And I commend him for making that decision.
MR. GREGORY: Was he the victim of a smear campaign as he alleges?
MR. AXELROD: Well, look, this is a–you know, the politician environment is, is, is, is rough and so, you know, these things get magnified. But the bottom line is that he's showed his commitment to the cause of creating green jobs in this country by removing himself as a, as an issue and I think that took, that took a great deal of commitment on his part.
MR. GREGORY: But was the president offended by what he said?
MR. AXELROD: I haven't spoken to the president about this. As you know, this, this thing has bubbled up in the last few days, and frankly, my conversation with the president have mostly been about health care, which is where our focus should be right now.
MR. GREGORY: Do you find it–what he said objectionable?
MR. AXELROD: Well, I haven't read all of, of his comments, either, David. Again, I'm focused on how we get health security for all Americans, how we get this economy moving in the right direction. We've pulled back from the abyss of a potential collapse and now we have to build for the future and get people back to work. I think those are the things that we should be focused on and that's what I am focused on.
Notice that Axelrod said "absolutely not" when asked if the President ordered Van Jones to be fired, but then in a later question said he hadn't even spoken to the President about Van Jones. Sounds like that "absolutely not" from Axelrod is an "official version" rather than a statement of fact, though it's always difficult to tell when, if ever, Axelrod is being honest. After that, Axelrod pretended to not even know what objectionable statements Van Jones made, in order to weasel out of answering another question. Like I said, spin is what David Axelrod does. He's not even very good at it (but better than Robert Gibbs, who is the Scott McClellan of the Obama administration, or worse), if you ask me, but he gets by with it, because the media never presses him very hard on much of anything.
In any case, bye bye Van Jones. Get your weak-ass crap outa here, and don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out. Maybe there's an opening for a Communist Green Jobs Czar in China. You can apply at culturalrevolution.com.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
The topic is so soft and easy but you did quite a job of exposing Axelrod and Gibbs in this one. You mentioned Gibbs and tougher questions but it has been my experience with him that he always goes to another reporter when the Fox man gets too tough with him. That is, the once every two weeks that he allows Major to ask a question.
Neither of these two "men" manages a truthful answer very often. I can't wait to see some of the left handed people comment on this one. I bet they stay out.
BTW, they are still saying that Obama did not order that resignation. He should have and he should have made sure the press knew he did. If it wasn't Obama then it must have been Axelrod, Emanuel, or Jarrett. They are the most important people to his White House operation.
Beck 1 Czars 0.
You can see why Obama targeted blowhard nutcase right-wing radio talk show hosts almost immediately after taking office. Chalk up another one for free speech.
Maybe Beck's discoveries and rants should be looked at closer. Obviously he was correct about this one and many others. He isn't a Rush Limbaugh, he gets the facts…if he could only control his mouth and greed.
What I don't understand is the left screamed about the vetting process of Sarah Palen. Look at the people Obama and the Libs are surrounding themselves with. I believe this shows a real charcter flaw in these men and women that is truely anti-"american constitution".
And no matter how the left victimizes itself and cries racism, they are apparently not mainstream nor are they going to be in power for more than the next 4 years. The american people are revolting against this administration because this isn't the change they wanted. They wanted a change but they are finding they didn't want Obama's type of change. I know black people that are now vehemently against this guy and call him a fake and an "Uncle Tom" who during election time wouldn't talk to me because of some of the things I said about Obama. They said they want the whole lot removed and replaced.
I say good riddance to the commie Van Jones. You aren't what America wants.
Good job King
About the vetting….Washington Post…
"Jones's position did not require Senate confirmation, so he avoided the kind of vetting Cabinet officials were subjected to."
This stuff is only a continuation of the disruptive, bust-up-Obama's-agenda playbook by extremist anti-democratic conservatives, like Glenn Beck. Jones, a black man, led an advertiser boycott effort against Glenn Beck because Beck called the president a racist who hates white people or white culture. What nerve! Some 60 businesses have pulled their advertising from Beck's show. Beck wanted revenge….and so he and his minions went about villifying Jones.
Millions of Americans have unanswered questions about 9-11. Anyone doubt that?
The rest of the criticisms of Jones are all small-ball bitches against everything and anything progressive.
Same old.
Neo-con torturers, responsible for the deaths of 100 defenseless detainees and numerous macabre "enhanced interrogations" of innocent captives……plus those who authorized such horror-movie behavior…..are all pure-as-the-wind-driven-snow patriots whose brains can only process the singular, bullsh*t motivation to "keep America safe."
One Obama appointee, on the other hand, who has the same opinion about 9-11 that millions of Americans also hold…….questions which have not been fully answered…..is villified and demonized as some whacko-nut, driven out of his job…..all because his Color of Change group dared to challenge the racist, Beck, on his vile, anti-American hatred.
It doesn't take much for a screeching, incoherent, petty, mob-rule mentality group to stand to their feet and stupidly claim "victory." Driving a black man out of his job for picking on the poor, insane and racist Glenn Beck quickly brings that group to their feet in jubilant celebration.
A lot of very, very small and hateful folks in that celebratory crowd.
Roy,
Yes, Van Jones was an easy target. I couldn't resist another post about him after the way the Dems tried to whitewash the whole situation.
Rev,
Jones was "vilified" with his own words and deeds. I'm pretty sure that isn't vilification. Usually, people refer to that as "the facts."
"Millions of Americans have unanswered questions about 9-11. Anyone doubt that?"
Oh, Rev. Your inner Truther is coming back out. I haven't heard your Truther spiel for a couple years now. Please, do tell (and to think, you called the Birthers nuts). Van Jones signed a document that alleged Bush was behind 9/11.
All your usual tactics (the race card, changing the subject, silly over-the-top name-calling,etc.) aren't going to help either.
I am sorry to see him go. I only wished he had stayed long enough for all of America to learn what this man stood for and what his goals were. Forget the asshole statement and the 9/11 issue and focus on his speeches concerning his view of this country and the real goals behind the policies he advocates. Obama said we would know who he was by the people he surrounded himself with. What better way for the American people to understand the person behind the "blank paper" they elected and to draw attention to the shadow government he is creating through the czars and their respective departments. America voted for change, hope and transformation it is time to understand the meaning behind the slogans and the America Obama wants to create.
About the vetting Rev, he is helping to make decisions that are going to effect all of America. Do you really believe that if a person has a D after his name they can do no wrong. The "D" is the reason this country is as f'd up as it is.
me, I think he's a quitter, just like Palin.
where Palin is a total douche and won't amount to anything this guy will go back to the Color of Change and get even more advertisers to quit Beck and Fox
Walt, Beck doesn't even need investors. His website fees will pretty much support his air time. Also his advertisers aren't stupid, they know that his demographic has more extra cash than any other demographic. Who cares if they quit there will always be more.
Angry conserv,
For some reason these left leaners really believe that Jones was picked on by Beck because of his statement about Republicans and his signing of the Truther petition. I wanted him out because of his racism long before I knew about either of these things. It was always his racism with me and I have numerous clips of his speeches that prove what he is. I will only offer this one link since it has plenty of his racism in it. I will bet that the good Rev will not listen to it and has never listened to it before. either. This speech was a keynote speech at Power Shift '09 last March. He was appointed about the time he gave this address. You can see his brand of racism exhibited here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlOv8RCkcXE
Even a supporter of minority racism, like Rev will have to hear his racist remarkss, but if more is neede I have lots more where this one came from. Also, at that same conference the other keynoter made a pretty racist speech when Lisa Jackson, Director of EPA got in her bit of racism.
Here you can hear Jackson talk about black Administrators and black Presidents with no reference to how racist that sounds. Here you can hear the woman who was strongly for taxing cattlemen and dairy operators for cow farts. She thinks that would be the kind of thing EPA should do. I think they backed her off on this one, at least for a while. She was in favor of closing dairies because cows fart from eating plant life. She wanted to close down cattle feed lots, packing plants, truckers, etc just to charge them that tax to make some governmment. Largely taxing hell out of small businesses to get money to distribute to poor people and big businesses. This woman brags about science getting back in the EPA and then suggests taxing cow farts. Science is really going there.
Here she is at PowerShift '09. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1C7vMNQv2g
I can show many more if you want.
Walter,
I don't think one has to think about quitting in this case. Obviously somebody in the White House with more power than he has told him to get out. Obama didn't do it. I say that one of three people threw him under the bus. Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod or Valerie Jarrett. All have more say in how Obama thinks than anyone else in that White House, I am sure.
Reverend,
It is widely known that czars don't have to answer the hard questions on the questionnaire that Cabinet people have to answer. They are obviously seen as controllers who don't have to answer to anyone other than The Man and the more important people in the White House and I am sure that nobody crosses Valerie Jarrett without regretting it. The word twister, Axelrod, probably can't cross her and even the number one man, Emanuel, wouldn't do that either.
Let me join in with King in telling you that you did a great job of trying to change the subject to something completely away from the keeping of czars. One of your better jobs of this. You lefties are so good at that.
Average,
For some reason it seems that those people really believe they can shut Beck down with their itty bitty boycott. Many of those advertisers will be hurt more from a boycott the other direction than Beck will ever be hurt by them. He is really bigger than they are but they can't see that.
King,
Your attack on Jones today was needed because there is so much more involved with him than his truther affiliation and his name calling. His racism is the worst thing he has done, to me and nobody seems to bring that up.
Beck, disappointed me today by not attacking Holdren. He had a rerun of his show about the Death of Small Business and it was even better the second time around. Those people told so much about what the government is doing that will break them and think how many jobs that will cost. When Beck said it was very hard for Obama, Reid, and Pelosi to do anything concerning business since they are just lawyers and have never run a business. They obviously know very little about business as the Congressmen don't, also.
roybot sez….."I don't think one has to think about quitting in this case."
so Palin is a quitter and Van Jones is not…..thanks for clearing that up
a while back I brought up a Pentagon domestic spy program called Able Danger. According to some, Able Danger had identified the 9-11 hi-jackers prior to 9-11. King said congress had pulled the plug on the investigation of Able Danger and as usual he was wrong. Donald Rumsfeld refused to allow people who worked on Able Danger to testify before congress.
I'm not a hard-core truther but I and over half of congress( The letter has 246 signatures (144 Republicans, 101 Democrats, and one Independent) would like to know what exactly Able Danger identified.
this from the letter to Rumsfeld….
Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:
We the undersigned are formally requesting that you allow former participants in the intelligence program known as ABLE DANGER to testify in an open hearing before the United States Congress. Until this point, congressional efforts to investigate ABLE DANGER have been obstructed by Department of Defense insistence that certain individuals with knowledge of ABLE DANGER be prevented from freely and frankly testifying in an open hearing.
"…..congressional efforts to investigate ABLE DANGER have been obstructed by Department of Defense…."
Good post King. And it is so refreeshing to see the Reverand rant about Jones being impaled by his own words.
I'm glad he's gone. As a country we deserve better than unqualified idiots. This guy was supposed to create green jobs and he did nothing of consequence.
Roy sez……."This guy was supposed to create green jobs and he did nothing of consequence."
cheese and rice Roy, he only got to D.C. in the end of March.
I'm kinda curious….why do you think he was unqualified?
angryc,
If we're supposed to judge Obama by the people he's surrounding himself with, that doesn't speak very well for Obama. The next radical that should be taken on for his extremist views is Mark Lloyd, the FCC Diversity Officer (a newly created position under the Obama admin), who is trying to shut down conservative talk radio, along with pretty much the rest of private radio. Lloyd wants to substitute public radio (state radio) in it's place. He also thinks what Hugo Chavez is doing in Venezuela is just great. I can't believe we have people like this in positions of authority in America. What is even more amazing is that the mainstream media doesn't report it. For example, the NY Times and pretty much the rest of the mainstream media never said one word about Van Jones' radicalism until after he resigned.
Roysoldboy,
I was happy to see a rerun of Beck's show about small business and how Democrat policies are virtually all anti-small business, and therefore anti-job creation and anti-worker. Beck's townhall-style forum with those small business people was one of the best shows he has ever done. I only wish our incompetent media did more of that type of thing. I care about the real world negative consequences of these braindead government policies a lot more than I care about Mark Sanford's love life, whatever Sarah Palin wrote on Facebook, whatever Rush Limbaugh said about Obama yesterday, or about demonizing citizens at townhall meetings for caring about the direction of their country.
King, now that I know you were against the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation I would think that a more pressing purge would be that of MidEast Policy advisor Dennis Ross. That guy is truly a radical leftist neocon.
It's not like radical leftist neocons like Dennis Ross are unqualified……it's because we know that these radical leftist neocons not only are against the Constitution of the United States and Israel firsters, they are also proven failures
Yeah rainman, you already said that. Heard you the first few times.
This is, naturally, not true…
"Van Jones signed a document that alleged Bush was behind 9/11."
Jones said he had questions about prior knowledge. So do I and millions of other Americans.
King, what's wrong. Can't comment about radical leftist Israel firster Dennis Ross because Glenn Beck hasn't given you your marching orders yet?
whenever truthers come up I can't help but recall the vicious attack on the U.S.S Liberty by the Israelis and how that was covered up.
The U.S. Government had posted the Liberty off the coast of Gaza, in international waters, to monitor developments in the region during the Sixday War. (The Liberty's mission will be discussed in detail below.) At dawn 8 June, Israeli aircraft began reconnoitering the ship, some flying so close that the pilots could clearly be seen, and as low as masthead height, obviously photographing it. This extensive observation lasted seven hours and involved eight separate observations, at about 0600, 0900, 1000, 1030, 1100, and 1130, 1200 and 1215 p.m. U.S. intercept stations twice overheard Israeli pilots reporting that the ship was American. The visibility conditions were perfect; the ship's American flag was flying free and clear in a good breeze.
At 1400 a well coordinated attack by jet aircraft and torpedo boats began. Jets hammered the virtually unarmed ship with cannon and rockets, and napalmed it. Its forward machineguns were wiped out in the first firing pass, and whatever transmitting antennas survived that pass were disabled by the second. Nine minutes into the attack, crewmen juryrigged a transmitter to an antenna. But the radiomen discovered that four out of five of the ship's radio frequencies, including the international distress frequency, were being jammed. Ironically, the only time Liberty could transmit was while the jets were firing their missiles. A frantic cry for help was sent to the Sixth Fleet, only 400 miles away and off Crete; despite the Israeli jamming, the Liberty's plea for assistance was received. The patchwork transmitting arrangement ceased functioning soon afterward.
Torpedo boats soon arrived and continued the attack, firing five torpedoes, with one hitting and killing 25 men. They then leisurely circled the defenseless ship for 40 minutes, pumping hundreds of 40mm, 20mm, and 50cal. rounds at wounded men on deck, stretcher bearers and fire fighters. Thinking the ship was about to sink, the crew threw life rafts over the side; the attackers machinegunned those too. With increased radio activity from the U.S. Sixth Fleet indicating an impending U.S. response (many of the Fleet's messages bore "Flash" precedence), the Israelis suddenly contacted the U.S. embassy and informed it of this "accident." It was probably the longest "accidental" attack in the history of naval warfare an hour and 15 minutes.
This just goes to show you the utter contempt that Israel and American officials have for America and American lives
And, naturally, Rev, it is you who is not being truthful.
The Truther letter that Van Jones signed called for, and I quote, an "immediate inquiry into evidence that suggests high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur." Who were those "high-level government officials ?" Scott McClellan ?????? The White House chef ????? Obviously, they were talking about Bush, Cheney, etc.
Only crackpots like Van Jones, yourself, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Moore, etc. believe any of this "Bush/Cheney were behind 9/11" nonsense. Hundreds of millions of Americans know y'all are nuttier than a Payday candy bar.
And Van Jones tried to say he didn't agree with the letter he signed. That's another pile of manure.
rainman,
I'm not playing your game anymore. You're a troll who is always trying to change the subject. You want me to talk about Dennis Ross, but you haven't responded to any of the information I posted about the radicals on the Obama team. Sorry, not gonna happen. If you ever decide to become an honest person, maybe I'll change my mind.
compared to radical leftist neocon Dennis Ross those others that Glen Beck told you to whine about look like Mary Poppins.
I brought up Able Danger because I still have questions about Able Danger. All the information Able Danger collected has been destroyed. Kinda like the interrorgation tapes being destroyed by the CIA. CYA. Curt Weldon gave a chart prepared by Able Danger identifing Mohammad Atta to Steven Hadley. Hadley denies he ever got the chart. Why?
saying that the high level government officials cited in the letter obviously had to be Bush/Cheney is a stretch. When I read that the high level government officials the first thing that came to my mind was guys like Perle and Wolfowitz and Feith and Rumsfeld.
I could see where if the mossad had learned something about this plot they would take it to their own people….Perle, Wolfowitz and Feith
Maybe you should stick to the subject at hand, walt. When you go off on these racist tangents you tend to run into trouble.
And no one forgets.
I have questions about Able Danger and the 9/11 commission myself, walt, but it still doesn't have anything to do with this post. I also have questions about the New Deal, Project Echelon, the 1980 Monetary Act, the repeal of Glass-Steagal, and a host of other things, but they aren't relevant here.
And don't forget to watch Wapner at 6 o'clock.
wtf King, you're the one that brought up truthers …….You said this about Jones….."…anti-semitic 9/11 Truther…."
Just wondering…..does having questions about Able Danger make me anti-semitic?
Jones called republicans assholes…….I don't think that even comes close to being an accurate description of republicans
Ask Van Jones.