Van Jones, Obama 'Green Jobs Czar', OUT under Growing Pressure

Just who Van Jones is and what he stands for has been occupying the media for almost the entire month of August.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - In what was supposed to be a Labor day respite before Congress returned and the real battle over the beleaguered "Health care Reform" continued, the Obama Administration has been forced to contend with growing pressure over a controversial member, one of the so called "Czars" or advisors,Van Jones.

Just who Van Jones is and what he stands for has been occupying the media for almost the entire month of August. A web site which bears his name, http://www.vanjones.net/, emphasizes the following concerning his credentials and accomplishments:

"Van Jones is a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean energy economy. He is a 1993 graduate of the Yale Law School and an attorney.
Van wrote the definitive book on "green jobs": The Green Collar Economy.... As a tireless advocate for disadvantaged people and the environment, Van helped to pass America's first "green job training" legislation: the Green Jobs Act... TIME named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world...In March 2009, Van went to work as the special advisor for green jobs at the White House Council for Environmental Quality."

However, his opponents have uncovered a very different biography of Van Jones and, as clearly indicated by polls, a growing percentage of the American Public had become very concerned over what it contained.

They unearthed his relatively recent support for Marxist ideology. Next, they uncovered the undisputed fact that he signed a document identifying himself with those who blame members of the past US Administration for the horrors of 9/11 (the so called "truthers"). Finally the media has been filled with examples of highly charged and sometimes racially tinged rhetoric clearly uttered by Mr. Jones in the past.

These matters caused a growing alarm. The entire Van Jones matter has occupied the news cycle in the last half of what was supposed to be an August recess. This led to growing public concerns over Mr. Jones occupying such an influential position in the Obama Administration and calls for his dismissal.

The first Administration response in an effort to stop the alarm was an apology from Van Jones concerning past statements and a rather confusing explanation of his having signed the "truthers" petition. However, this failed to calm the storm.

In fact, his opponents have used the whole matter to raise serious questions concerning how he was "vetted" for the position. In so doing, they have raised concerns over every similarly situated Advisor ("Czar") in the current Obama Administration.

All of these Administration "Advisors" (called by many ""Czars") are appointed and therefore were not subjected to Congressional review.

In announcing his resignation during the Labor Day weekend, Mr. Jones stated: "On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me." He continued, "They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide." Finally, he indicated that he had been "inundated with calls from across the political spectrum urging me to stay and fight."

This now former Official of the Obama Administration finally said that he could not in "good conscience" ask the Administration to continue to defend his past as the battle over Health Care Reform takes center stage.

Whether this resignation of Van Jones has stopped the public concerns over the Administrations use of these "Advisors" (Czars) and stemmed the President's slipping poll numbers remains to be seen.

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