Obama adviser Jones resigns in controversy

[firedupdem]

WASHINGTON - An environmental adviser for President Barack Obama, Van Jones, has resigned amid controversy over past inflammatory statements, the White House said early Sunday.

Van Jones, an administration official specializing in environmentally friendly "green jobs," has been linked to efforts suggesting a government role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to derogatory comments about Republicans.

Jones issued an apology on Thursday. 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's name appearing on a petition connected to the events surrounding 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.


**No Republican would have ever resigned. Faux news' witch hunt worked. I'm getting really irritated

:grr:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32712017/ns/politics-white_house

[firedupdem]

1. You know what?

I don't see any reason why this guy needed to resign. I don't give a shit if he called bush a crackhead, called republicans assholes, and signed a "truther" petition regarding 911. This is really bugging me. I wish the resignation hadn't been accepted. I'm sure there was other stuff going on behind the scenes, but idiot glenn beck and racist ass fox news started this mess, and I hate that they basically won this one.

So truly sick of all the mess going on. Opt out options for nuts regarding a school speech from the president, health care mess, racist tea bagger movements all over the country! Now they have some black fool with a cowboy hat on singing at the teabagger parties, some black lady on faux news talking stupid. What is wrong with these self hating fools that they allow themselves to be used by people who truly hate them? Be a republican if you want to, but damn, don't do a damn clown show for folks that you know don't give a shit about you! :grr:

[Raineyb]

2. Score another one for the Glen Beck assholes

This is pissing me off. Republicans bitch about all kinds of bullshit and the majority is ignored to try to placate asshole who's only goal is to obstruct EVERYTHING.

This is straight bullshit.

And this bit caving is causing me major concern about Wednesday's speech.

[firedupdem]

3. It truly is....

It's going to be even worse now. I expect to see more people targeted now since it was so easy to smear this guy and get him out of the administration. Think of all the disgusting crap the right wingers have done, and they are still walking around proud and smiling.

[Karenina]

7. That has already begun.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8630576

[firedupdem]

8. Well that didn't take long at all!

Sucks big time!

[HopeOverFear]

4. Damn, Obama sold Van Jones out

I'm dissapointed, Mr. President.

[firedupdem]

5. I won't say he sold him out...

since I don't know what happened behind the scenes. He could have begged him to stay and Van said to hell with it all!
We don't really know what went down, other than the fact that beck and faux started a witch hunt and Van resigned.

I'm just dissapointed that it came to this...pressure from a bunch of racists with access to microphones.

[HopeOverFear]

6. He sold him out, man...totally threw him under the bus

this is fucked up. :(

[Karenina]

10. There was no alternative.

Had he stayed on, by Tuesday the story would have drowned out Obama's attempts to give a pep talk to schoolkids and by Wednesday his Health Care speech interrupted by BREAKING NEWS FLASHES of Jones' dark ties to the Black Panthers and Bill Ayers.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6467192&mesg_id=6467192

If you are not aware of Octafish, it's time to check out his journal.

[Fire1]

9. It's pathetic. What President Obama SHOULD have done

is appoint white folks to ALL posts and positions. Then, he could have been the token in his own administration!! :shrug:

[HopeOverFear]

12. Is it sad that I laughed at that?

:rofl:

[Fire1]

11. Furthermore, that is one handsome dude!!! Yummy!! LOL! n/t

[Number23]

13. This pisses me off

"Jones said he has been "inundated with calls from across the political spectrum urging me to stay and fight." But he said he could not in good conscience ask his colleagues to spend time and energy defending or explaining his past."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090906/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_adviser_resigns

Then why the HELL didn't he do just that??? Why wimp out like this? I'm so sick of this crap. It's times like this that the Dems lose me every time.

[firedupdem]

14. This was very dissapointing...my husband thinks Van didn't want

to cause the president additional problems or that maybe he was just sick of the B.S.

I wish he hadn't resigned though. They are really going to be worse than ever in going after people since it worked this time.

[Uzybone]

15. It pisses me off, but not so much

Van Jones was going to be a lighting rod the the most extreme RW bullshit we have heard to date. Add the fact that he is black, he is nothing but cat nip for the crazies. I mean he did sign a 9/11 truth petition, not that it is such a bad thing, but there is no way a govt official can survive having that shit blasted at him day after day. It would be like having Rev Wright appointed to a govt post.

[Raineyb]

16. Did you read the text of that petition? It was utterly reasonable in its wording

That it's been turned into the type of crazy that constitute the birther type crazy is more examples of the RW leading the dialog again.

[Uzybone]

17. I read it, trust me, I've proudly signed way more extreme than that

I dont think he did anything wrong. But this is the world we live in.

We cannot pretend that this would not have kidnapped the entire news cycle.

Look at the Gates issue, the President said something totally reasonable, but I bet he will not do it again.

[Raineyb]

18. Well placating scared bigots isn't going to get them to stop. It only emboldens them.

Now Glenn Beck has moved on to others he doesn't like. It sets a terrible precedent.

[noiretextatique]

19. a terrible precedent indeed

reminds of me how clinton and dems caved on anita hill, lani guinier and jocelyn elders. i guess many black folks are too "controversial" for the center reich.

[Brewman_Jax]

20. The unreasonable reactionary racist right strikes again

and running for cover won't help. The RW does it, and thumbs their nose at calls for resignations or firings--latest example, see the Governor of SC. The screaming from the RW makes the Left dive for cover, throwing everyone under the bus. :yoiks:

How do you deal with bullies? Hit them back--hard!