"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...''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/06/us/AP-US-Obama-Adviser-Resigns.html
I suppose it is possible that someone else 'signed' his name onto the 9-11
Truth statement, but he has had several years to protest the false
representation - if that were the case - and did not do so - he also is not not saying now that he had no knowledge of the statement - just that it does not/has never
reprensent(ed) his views - which begs the question - why did he sign
or or if he didn't why didn't he ever protest it. Other than that statement, he is certainly not know as a '9-11 agitator' and even if he signed it, probably never gave the issue a second thought. Since he moves in progressive circles, a friend probably asked him to sign on and he probably said 'Sure, whatever, it's all good' and continued onto more pressing matters. Given that the Obama administration is prosecuting the war in Afghanistan on the basis that
it "[I]s not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who
attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again...." etc - you would think
that this is something he or anyone else in a similar position would
want to proactively clarify before it became an issue. It is also hard
to fathom how a background search by the White House staff would not
have raised this and other 'unpalatable-to-the-establishment'
statements. Indeed, there are many incendiary direct quotes from
making the rounds on right-wing blogs which he cannot dismiss as 'not
reflecting his views, now or ever'. Jones is certainly not the only
young, talented, idealistic person with a 'radical' past who joined or
supported the Obama administration on the [naive] belief that Obama
would actually provide a platform for the implementation of real
progressive policies. Given the increasingly conservative trajectory
of the Obama administration, such people within and outside the
administration must be finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile
the contradictions, and this episode with Jones sharply highlights
their predicament. In a perfect world, the Democrats, who control the
White House and Congress would defend Jones' freedom of speech and
express support for or tolerance of heterodox views within their
administration and the Democratic party itself - after all, isn't
Obama ostensibly reaching out to the Republicans based on a 'we can
all get along' spirit? But the reality of course is different, which
is why Jones' knew not to expect any support from within the
administration. Jones' aside, this incident does not augur well in
terms of what to expect from the Obama administration. To be fair,
there was an element of bad timing here since the White House was busy
trying to get bi-partisan assistance for health care reform, so it was
not a good time for Republicans and conservative Democrats to be
reminded that Jones had referred to the Republicans as 'a__holes'. I
do think that Jones remark, even taken in context (see below) was
ill-conceived. He was asked, essentially, "Why is it that when the
Republicans had a majority they were able to push through their
polices, now when the Democrats have a majority, they are unable to
push through their polices?" Jones: "Because the Republicans are
assholes". Huh?? First of all, this is how one might respond in a
small gathering, but you would think a public policy figure might have
articulated this view in more measured language. I mean it is true
that the Republicans are what they are, but isn't the real answer
because the Democrats are weak willed and don't have the guts to fight
the Republicans and besides they are all in the pocket of the same
lobbyists and Wall Street financiers'. Anyway, this whole thing is
reminiscent of the Lani Guinier episode during the Clinton
administration, not to mention the more recent Jeremiah Wright affair
and will probably have a chilling effect on any
self-styled progressives working within the Obama administration.
http://www.pollsb.com/polls/p2141284-obama_aid_van_jones_resigns_calling_republicans_assholes
Joe w.
> From: dhenwood at panix.com
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 08:47:44 -0400
> Subject: [lbo-talk] ciao, Van Jones
>
> [This didn't take long, did it?]
>
> News Alert
> from The Wall Street Journal
>
> The White House said Van Jones, one of President Barack Obama's
> advisers, is resigning amid controversy over past inflammatory
> statements.
>
> Mr. Jones, who has promoted "green jobs," was linked to efforts
> suggesting a governmental role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks
> and to derogatory comments about Republicans.
>
> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125221129315388817.html?mod=djemalertNEWS
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
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