Van Gets Canned: Inside the firing of Van Jones
We at Solar States have made no bones about our massive policy crush on Green For All founder-turned-White House Green Jobs czar Van Jones. We even wrote him a note to find out if he liked us, asking him to check yes or no. Sadly, he never responded, instead deciding to date that hunky basketball player with the motorcade and the white mansion. Some guys have all the luck.
But like any high school romance, this partnership would end with the same he-said, she-said drama. On Saturday, September 5th, the White House released a statement announcing Jones’ resignation amidst reports that his name had appeared on a 2004 petition calling for an investigation into government ties to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This discovery only emboldened right-wing voices already in search of blood after video was released of Jones calling republicans ‘a**holes.’
The petition was a misstep in judgement that occurred well before Jones was a national figure. It is no secret that Jones’ political path began in radical causes, founding police oversight groups and civil rights defense movements in Oakland, CA. Glenn Beck made a big production of “discovering” this despite the fact that Jones talks about it in his book, the Green Collar Economy. And considering the source of all accusation here comes from Fox News host Glenn Beck–whose vitriolic slams of Jones are tantamount to McCarthy-era propaganda–Jones can be forgiven the expletive by simply looking up the word ‘a**hole’ in the dictionary. But unfortunately, the truly troubling stuff was still to come.
The next day–Sunday, September 6th–Obama spokesperson David Axelrod appeared on Meet The Press to state “we didn’t break up with him, he broke up with us!” (in so many words) and summarily wash his hands of the whole situation. This left the floor wide open for Indiana Rep. Mark Pence to call for full senate confirmation of all White House advisors.
Given the language of Jones’ resignation letter, in which he called the attacks against him a “vicious smear campaign,” it seems unlikely that Jones quitting was entirely his decision. But even if it was, Axelrod’s complete unwillingness to go to bat for his people in the face of ridiculous accusations of communist radicalism is telling of the Obama administration’s lack of fight. And it hurts all of us.
The health care debate has so far been marred by falsehoods and talking points from Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh, causing Obama to react and retract certain parts of his adgenda based on certain squeaky wheels that don’t necessarily speak for everyone. And up to this point, it was easy to rationalize these moves as diplomatic, as trying to take all voices into account. But before last week, no one was talking about Van Jones. And until the White House allowed Glenn Beck to characterize who Jones was, no one was worried about him. But instead of countering or ignoring the accusations and encouraging Jones to stay on, Axelrod applauded the “committment” of Jones for quitting.
These associations represent a miniscule part of a storied and prolific career of social activism. And whether Jones’ associations are troubling or not has no bearing on any policy. His actions have all been positive. His message of creating a partnership between minority joblessness and the energy crisis is right on. It is something the Obama administration and this country desperately need. But all the great policy in the world doesn’t translate to action without protection. And by not standing up for Jones, the White House has lost a brilliant voice for equality and common-sense sustainability.
When Jones called the republicans ‘a**holes,’ the spirit of what he was saying was complimentary. In an intimate crowd of supporters, a young woman stood to ask why republicans seemed to get more done even when democrats controlled both houses of congress and the White House. And Jones replied ‘because they are a**holes and Barack Obama is not an a**hole.’ He touched on something important.
Right now, we need people in the White House who are going to battle slander with facts and reason. We need voices who are both loud and right. Right now, we don’t need a mediator. We need an a**hole.
Author: John Steele