Print Back to story Obama 'green jobs' adviser quits amid controversy By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer Will Lester, Associated Press Writer 10 mins ago WASHINGTON â President Barack Obama's adviser Van Jones has resigned amid controversy over past inflammatory statements, the White House said early Sunday. Jones, an administration official specializing in environmentally friendly "green jobs" with the White House Council on Environmental Quality was linked to efforts suggesting a government role in the 2001 terror attacks and to derogatory comments about Republicans. The resignation comes as Obama is working to regain his footing in the contentious health care debate. Jones issued an apology on Thursday for his past statements. When asked the next day whether Obama still had confidence in him, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said only that Jones "continues to work in the administration." The matter surfaced after news reports of a derogatory comment Jones made in the past about Republicans, and separately, of Jones' name appearing on a petition connected to the events surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. That 2004 petition had asked for congressional hearings and other investigations into whether high-level government officials had allowed the attacks to occur. "On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me," Jones said in his resignation statement. "They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide." Jones said he has been "inundated with calls from across the political spectrum urging me to stay and fight." But he said he cannot in good conscience ask his colleagues to spend time and energy defending or explaining his past. Jones flatly said in an earlier statement that he did not agree with the petition's stand on the 9/11 attacks and that "it certainly does not reflect my views, now or ever." As for his other comments he made before joining Obama's team, Jones said, "If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize." Despite his apologies, Republicans demanded Jones quit. Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana said in a statement, "His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration or the public debate." Missouri Sen. Christopher Bonds said Congress should investigate Jones's fitness the job. Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck repeatedly denounced Jones after a group the adviser co-founded, ColorofChange.org, led an advertising boycott against Beck's show to protest his claim that Obama is a racist. James Rucker, the organization's executive director, has said Jones had nothing to do with ColorofChange.org now and didn't even know about the campaign before it started. Jones, well-known in the environmental movement, was a civil-rights activist in California before shifting his attention to environmental and energy issues. He is known for laying out a broad vision of a green economy. Nancy Sutley chair of the council, said in a statement released early Sunday that she accepts Jones resignation and thanked him for his service. "Over the last six months, he had been a strong voice for creating jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources," she said. "We appreciate his hard work and wish him the best moving forward." ___ Associated Press writer Philip Elliott contributed to this report. ___ On the Net: Council on Environmental Quality: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/ Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP Policy
Excellent ! The down side in removing this radical "community organizer" is the potential political TV spots that would be available for the 2010 / 2012 election cycle have stopped.
It would appear that there are 3 more of these radical "czars" that have no place in the US political system. Hopefully Beck does not stop at Jones. In fact, I would hope that the concept of a "czar" is done away with, as both parties use this function. A czar has no place in our governmental system.
First Sarah Palin saves America from a bad Health care with her death panel analysis's. Now Beck outs a radical who is anti-American. Where is the major media.
We are not saved from this healthcare debacle yet, but we are a lot better off than we were 2 months ago. The mainstream media is asleep behind the wheel. Its that simple.
I like how Van Idiot says, "lies and distortions" from the GOP. I saw the video clips- is he calling himself a distortion and liar?
Major media? They are way over there in the corner with their head securely up their ass as always... anyhow everybody just checks Drudgereport.com for headlines nowadays, you can catch up on events in three minutes what would take you hours slogging your way through a liberal rag and all the stories of the miserable illegal alien widow with swollen feet that gets only $687 a month when she should get $692 a month and is fighting four public agencies... they have a formula for those stories, some junior writer just plugs in some nouns and nobody reading it checks it all anyhow...