Van Jones (photo credit: collagepeople.org)
Van Jones is President Barack Obama's newly appointed "Green Jobs Czar."
Jones' official title is Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
The 41-year-old Yale Law School graduate and civil rights lawyer is also the founder of California's Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, "a non-profit agency for justice, opportunities and peace."
Sounds idyllic, but Jones' past isn't so pastoral.
The Ella Baker Center was connected to STORM (Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement), a "multi-racial activist collective with Marxist influences" with which Jones was involved.
In 1992, Van Jones founded another STORM project, Bay Area PoliceWatch, a "hotline and lawyer-referral service for victims and survivors of police abuse." This is fitting, perhaps, since Jones was himself arrested and detained briefly during a protest after the Rodney King verdict that same year.
Jones told the East Bay Express in 2005:
I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th [1992], and then the verdicts came down on April 29th. By August, I was a communist. (...)
I met all these young radical people of color – I mean really radical: communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary.
Like a character out of The Big Chill, Van Jones seems to have evolved from radical activist to Establishment insider. Perhaps only a left-wing administration incapable of recognizing irony would put a self-described communist in charge of creating jobs.
Luckily for Van Jones, and Obama's many other "Czars" with dubious credentials and troubling backgrounds, his new job was not dependent upon making it through Congressional hearings.
Comments
This is no different than many of us were saying for over a year. Obama has a very POOR CHOICE of comrades. Ayers, Wright etc and so it continues with his cabinet.
when you hang with racists, crooks and terrorists for many years, you MUST agree with their philosophy.
Oh, this is bull. YOu people are freaking out because Obama is BLACK.. That is it. Try to paint it every way other than that and you are a liar. Van Jones is no more a communist that you are. All of the opposition to Obama has nothing to do with his associations... this is an excuse. You freaking idiots are afraid of a black man because of your own evil thoughts and the evil you have held in your own hearts towards black people. Bottom line. You know it and so does everyone else know it. You are freaking liars and hypocrites. The entire world sees your so called "american patriots" for what you truly are racist bigot hypocrites.
It's disturbing how many czars are being appoionted, who presumably have the power to affect policy and create "regulations," which are, in fact, laws. I think president stinky (BO) is trying to create an extra-congressional body to carry out policies he couldn't possibly get passed. His little junta will rule us, free from the restraints of voter approval or accountablilty.
"extra-congressional body'
Or a SHADOW government that answers to only Barry O.
No surprises here. Obama be a communist. Why not appoint commie czars to manage his central planning of the USA, just like the wildly successful Soviet Union?
Wake up fast America or your USA will be gone.
At least there is a record of the destruction of America from the inside. Maybe some future people can learn from the infiltration of traiters, aliens & oppertunists. Just waiting for the statues to the big Marxist himself. Obama 24/7. Dear Leader forever. Sad time to live in with no hope from ourselves watching our civilization die. From people who should be in mental institutions.
JMO
the radical were ok, of course, as long as they were the radical right. you know, those that think we should kick out all the immigrants, see women as property, and believe that the market is self-correcting? that's right, the delusionals. just like this ridiculous "column."
wow ian you are delusional.
keep up the good work Kathy; thanks
are any of the big o's people not criminals?
I oppose Communism, but even if Van Jones were a Communist, is that a crime in America? I think that question might be more appropriately applied to the Bush Administration. It's clear that CheneyCo violated numerous laws while in office. Isn't violation of law a crime by definition? Enough with the hypocrisy.
Why am I not surprized???? Obummer the Marxist that hates the USA appoints another USA hater. They will make beautiful music together as they and the other Obummer and Michelle thugs destroy the USA. Obummer makes Stalin look like a boy scout.
So you think Barack Obama is worse than a man that murdered 35+ million people?
Sir, you are a complete whack-job.
ian,
go back to your job at the foot locker, and maybe, someone there will listen to your rants.
wm
These people handed czar positions should be in jail after they've been vetted. If they were not vetted why are they not under arrest! That's right the AG is part of this also.
Congress move over the CZARGRESS is moving in.
Ian is the reason we are facing the destruction of the Republic as it used to be!!! When the idiots realize they can vote themselves benefits, the republic will die!!!
That time has arrived, and if the sleepers don't awaken in 2010, there will not be an election in 2012!!! They have no intention of giving up their throne now that they have been annointed ... next stop ... World Leader with all his best buddy, punk dictators as his UNDERLORDS!!!!
Obamadinejad and his radical friends are trying to take over the country. If this insanity doesn't stop soon they will learn what a true Revolution is when the people of this great country decide its time to take it back from this insane government!
When are we all going to stop watching and start doing something about this? This crowd in power will have us so far down the Left hand branch of the river by 2010 that we may never be able to reverse course. We simply must persuade the idiots in Congress to defeat the takeover of our Health Care System and to defeat Cap and Tax, er Tax and Trade. Obama has managed already to make Carter look merely laughably ineffectual and mediocre; and by comparison one yearns for the Clinton years. As for the malingnant pygmies in Congress from both parties- they sicken me. The American people need to rise up and save themselves. We are threatened with tyranny.
my god, is anyone else thinking we should be worried about our borders, not to keep terrorists getting into the states, but keep american defectors out of canada.
this president is a loon, plain and simple. ACORN and nancy pelosi are running the show south of the border.
How could a person who hates America and what it stands for, be a president. Along with his commrades, we are in so much trouble. The Republicans better get on the ball and get this whole administration investigated somehow, someway. Wonder where Wright's and Ayers officies are located......
Yep, that's why I don't vote for crazy people like you to run the govt. I'm sure you would be investigating everyone who didn't agree with your extreme ideology. Then you would come to my door, trying to put me in jail....then I would have to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights and terminate that threat. See how it works? Your comment is the same way a dictator thinks before he murders his opponents. Thus, you are dangerous fool.
Hum, I don't see any of this "extremism" in Jane's statement, but I do in yours. The hypocrisy...no the madness of the left.
Racist extremism and special interest agendas aside, what part of his past or credentials make him even somewhat qualified to be a "green job czar"? Am I missing something, or is there nothing to miss?
You people are ridiculous. Now that you've uncovered the so-called "black communist conspiracy," what are you going to do. Notify the feds? Van Jones is an upstanding guy. Get a life.
(FYI: It's not against the law to be a communist. You guys are inciting hate and racism.
Don't worry about context, focus on one statement and forget the rest of the story where he explains how he changed.
The signs and warnings were out there, plain for everybodyn to see well before the election. Now we reap what we sow! Heaven help us.
We have a sequacious Congress. Look up the'word' Follow the leader in the the White House!
America, get off your lazy couches and educate yourselves fast!! Frederica Chase Dodd.......your perspective is a typical radical narrow one and so is your standard language. You are the one inciting hate and racism. Our country is for "everyone" The radicals always portray themselves as depressed and morose personalities and such victims in life whatever the situation may be. Your own words that Van Jones is an upstanding guy does not say much, other than that's his cover. Oh really, upstanding communist guy....let me take him home to meet mommy and daddy for approval. Our government is for "all the people" and an openly avowed communist holding a position in the white house is not the direction of success the majority of clear thinking americans want. Take another proszac with your croonies and keep up with your rantings! The American people will continue to wake up with this guy!! God Bless America as we get back to what our Founding Fathers intended our country to be!
Ian, exactly. As long as you're not a radical Lefty, you can be radical on the right though. Is everyone so scared that they can't even remember that we've had several states with Socialist governors? There are communists and socialists right alongside the capitalists in halls of Congress all over this country. Radical far right capitalism had its chance, and now look where we are!!! The pasat 8 years have left us destitute and dishonored. Get past your fear and read something besides Hannity/Limbaugh/Coulter/Beck! We are all Americans.
i took your advice and checked out those cities/states run by socialist/ communist for
any length of time. they all have 1 major thing in common. they are all very broken.
they are at the bottom in every area.
People we have to understand that this ideology (communism/socialism) is what we fought in this country for the better part of 50 years. Understand that as the government continues to protrude into the private sector quality will go down and cost will go up. That is economics 101. Michael, socialism and communism have no place in this country. Capitalism has not truly had its chance to work for the last 60 years due to the amount of government regulation. I love this country as it was intended to be, but the government is at our front door. It is too big, and millions of Americans are tired of it.
revolution time america!!!
Kathy - How's your libel suit going?
When are we going to reign in these out of control people?
I'd say appointing this character is very close to if not outright TREASON?
Wasn't our archenemy for over 50 years "communism"? Has Obama gone mad or is this part of the scheme of "change"?
You're right that it's not against the law to be communist, but it is, however, against the Constitution for a president to appoint anyone to power without consent of the people. He is making up positions left and right. Is it 33 czars now? Who knows. These people trump Congress and the legislative branch. Doesn't this scare you at all? You, as an American, have to start asking yourself whether or not all this adds up and makes sense. Wake up to what most of us are starting to see. Obama and Congress are lying to us. Same as Bush. Actually this has been going on for over 70 years now. They are slowly but surely taking our freedoms away so that they can be in full control. I urge you to get on youtube to search the truth. Search for this vid: ( Burning Down The House: what caused our economic crisis? )
Wake up! Wake up! Please before it is too late. I see how you would think we're crazy, but we're not. Don't watch tv anymore either. It's all propagandized. Please. Just this one vid.
There is a real problem with Obama, I could never vote for him because I know more about osama Bin Laden that I do about Obama.
bin Laden said that they would destroy us from the inside and what better place than from the Oval Office.
Barack Obama and his Communist Thug Van Jones are two of the reasons that the N word will never go away. They are more racist than the Klan. Obama is in bed with the Black Panthers and the only difference between them and the Klan is the color of their sheets.
Some of you ignorant folks need to really wake up. And real quick. We have been fighting communism and socialism for many years now. Take a look around and see how communism influence has already economically unstablized this country. Bush is no longer in office and the problem. It is under the Obama administration now. The facts are, Van Jones was a former convicted felon. We already have corruption within the government. So you accept felons to be advocates to the President? If you say yes, then you need to kick yourself square in the behind and move to Liberia and help that Government. Get the picture! Hug a thug I am not.
why can't we do anything about Obama's unrestricted use of Czars? And why do you have to let him have a communist as a czar? Are all the others people who would not pass the scrutiny of congressional approval? I always thought we have constitutional protections for such things? I guess not. Anyone can do anything in office they want as long as they are not challanged.
Obama is using Air Force One like a taxi!!
It cost almost half million dollars everytime he takes a trip.
He still thinks he is on the campaign trail. He loves the cheering mobs.
Bigger government, controlling our companies, tv, radio and books, giving us free health care or very low cost health care, free education are all signs of communism...He has already downplayed Christianity in this country...what next...we may not be all there yet but this country is definitely going in that direction and with Obama's help and his appointees in his administration they will help us get there sooner rather than later...we must encourage our local reps to keep true to the constitution and decalaration of independence and restrain our government. It is our right and duty to expect the government to protect our freedoms and when they don't we have the right to form new governments.
Wehave a
chicago thug, socialist-fascist as president and a congress that can be lead by its ears. God help the U.S.A.
We have a Chicago thug, socialist for president and a congress that can be led around by it's nose. God help the U.S.A.
Tides, Apollo, Acorn, Storm, Weather Underground,. Whew.
All connected folks. Radicals.
This is worse than a Sci-Fi movie.
Communist, socialist, progressive. It sure isn't American!
Rally. Vote them out. Impeach.
There are no words to describe this rape of America and her Constitution! We need to follow the 14th Amendment. No matter what we do will not be taken seriously! But we can not be ignored if we use the rights afforded to us under the Constitution for Petition for Redress of Greivances and we will withhold our Taxes until you do. That will hurt them the most and will get their attention the quickest. They can not function without our money!
Is this for real?! USA wake up!!!!! What the hell is a communist doing advising the president....what the hell is going on ....and I'm a damn democratic...folks wake up...this is not the change we voted for!!!!!
I told all of you Dems, Libs and the like to take a look at the crowd Obama was affiliated with and you refused to heed my warnings. This was the change he was speaking about all along. Clinton or McCain were peaches compared to him. I am sorry I have to lay in the same bed with you all as I did not vote for him and I am being punished.!
Ian needs to stay off this website. Go back from under the rock where you came from. Anyone who supports the Prez and his elected Czars are all commies as far as I am concerned. Please, go to Cuba or Venezuela and enjoy yourself and tell me if you are having a good time a year from now!
Please impeach the Prez and his cronies. They have all lost their minds!
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