FROM THE AP:
WASHINGTON — Obama aide Van Jones resigns as environmental adviser amid controversy over past statements.
DEVELOPING…
[Thanks, Connor]
UPDATE: September 6, 2009 1:35 AM:
I must say, this is such a perfect time. Saturday night of a three day weekend…No one will talk about it…
And I was so damn close… As it turns out, the statement was dated September 5th and released around midnight Eastern time.
And the obligatory left wing damage control has begun…:
After the Jump…
From 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.”
“Glenn Beck has his first scalp. Van Jones, under fire from the extremist television show host for his background in radical activism, has resigned from the administration.
Jones was Special Adviser for Green Jobs at the Council on Environmental Quality – the so-called ‘Green Jobs’ Czar. Jones’ 2008 book, The Green Collar Economy, was a New York Times best-seller. Beck is a talk show host for Fox News.”
As of 2:26 AM: The Politico hasn’t gotten the message…
“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.”
“The AP reports that after weeks of constant attacks by the right wing, Van Jones has resigned as Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the Council on Environmental Quality.
…
On July 23rd, Glenn Beck began his crusade against Van Jones, calling him “a communist-anarchist radical.” He went on to rail against Jones approximately 20 times on Fox News in the past couple of months. Last Friday, Beck cited “former black nationalist, avowed communist Van Jones” as an example of “the true danger” of Obama’s “czars.” Prior to joining the administration, Jones had co-founded Color of Change, an organization that successfully convinced 57 advertisers to drop Beck’s program in just a matter of weeks after Beck called Obama a ‘racist.’”
“The story of how the President’s Special Advisor for Green Jobs became the biggest, scariest villain of the right wing (this week, anyway) is also the story of how the right wing information delivery process works now.”
And, of course, The Van Jones Wikipedia page has yet to reflect his change in employment status–as of 2:32 am Pacific…
UPDATE: September 6, 2009: 10:24 AM:
Four minutes ago, Politico jumped on the bandwagon…
“With the resignation of green jobs advisor Van Jones, the conservative firing squad is setting its sights on other White House czars.”
UPDATE: September 7, 2009:
So…Let’s play “Find the Article About Van Jones’ Resignation!”
Yeah…That’s it…Right there. Bottom Left.
This is the Sacramento Bee, September 6, 2009. Page A4…
Yeah…hidden.
