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Green jobs 'czar' apologizes for 'truther' statement

By Amanda Carpenter on Sept. 3, 2009 into Hot Button Blog

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President Obama’s “green jobs czar” Van Jones is apologizing for the second time in two days, this time for signing a 2004 petition for an organization that seeks to expose the "official lies and cover-up surrounding the events of 9/11."

This comes after a video that recently surfaced in which Mr. Jones called Republicans a disparaging name at an energy lecture in Berkeley, California last February. He apologized for doing that on Wednesday.

Prompting the second apology was a "truther" petition.  Mr. Jones, is listed among 99 other prominent figures by 911Truth.org on a 2004 petition demanding an investigation as to what the Bush Administration might have done that "deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext to war." He is number 46 on the list available here. Other signers of the statement include Code Pink co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodi Evans, comedienne Janeane Garofalo, Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and others.

Mike Berger, a spokesman for 911Truth.org, told the Washington Times over the phone Thursday morning all of the signers had been verified by their group.  He said 9/11Truth.org board members “spoke with each person on the list by phone or through email to individually confirm they have added their name to that list.”

“I think in most cases they spoke to them personally,” he added. “No one’s name was put on that list without them knowing it.”

By Thursday evening, Mr. Jones apologized for signing the statement and said he doesn't feel that way today and never has had such thoughts, although the 911Truth group claims to have personally confirmed support from all of their signers.

"In recent days some in the news media have reported on past statements I made before I joined the administration – some of which were made years ago," he said in a statement provided to the Washington Times. "If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize. As for the petition that was circulated today, I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever.”

"My work at the Council on Environmental Quality is entirely focused on one goal: building clean energy incentives which create 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and use renewable resources,” he added.

Several pundits have speculated Mr. Jones would be forced to resign his plum position, but the statement is considered a sign the Obama White House will keep him on board.

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There are 15 Comments

huladeb

An apology is easy. An apology is not enough. This man is not fit to work on behalf of ALL Americans. He is deeply prejudiced and radical in his beliefs. He will say now whatever he thinks will allow him to hold on to his job. But, Van Jones, it is not enough!! You need to stay far away from government work. Fringe elements need to say on the fringe.
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RZimmerman

"You know there's something happening, but you don't know what it is....do you Mr. Jones?"
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KeithS

Obama's rules for czars: --Insight your base to do violence --Make every decision political. Help your supporters. Hurt whoever is not a supporter --When you're caught, demonize your accusers [Color of Change] --When that doesn't work, deny. --When that doesn't work lie. --When that doesn't work, lie and offer a mealy mouth apology. -------I'm interested to see what the next rule is.
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freedumb1

Can't we get along?--VanAhole Jones said he was sorry(that he got caught) and it won,t happen again. Why does it take people like--Glenn Beck,Michael Savage and other talkshow hosts to dig up the truth on these people? Why won,t the-Washington Times-spend the money to expose these Obama Pro-aggressives in his administration?Scared-or-just cheap?
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wickedsis

This is outrageous, has made numerous statements that are divisive, racist and inflamatory. There should be no tolerance for a person with the views he has expressed, weather they be past or recent. So what if the things were said before he took the job, what kind of defense is that? Did some magical transformation occur when he walked through the front door? Please! Van Jones has no business in the White House, and I begining to think neither does Mr. Obama.
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Humbertito

Just apologized? That's it? He should resign if he has any principles. But he prefer to enjoy the power in the White House, money on his pocket and a horn to spread his believes. If they take the whole government, will he allow us to do the same thing he is doing? That's pure rhetoric. Apologies are not in place, resignation is.
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Damocles

This guy is a real work of art. If he can get away with it, he will, no matter how outrageous a lie or a statement may be. This man(?) needs to resign, and fast. He isn't even doing a decent job as Green Czar. Fire him Obama, get something right.
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topperj

Ironically., I agree with Jones about (most) Republicans. They are A-holes. This "truther" thing would never have come to light if not for Glenn Beck. It is a mere distraction from the more eggregious comments made by Mr. Jones. He believes "white people," typical I suppose, are bringing pollution into black communities, we are intentionally poisoning "our immigrant brothers and sisters," (does he mean ILLEGALS?), we have to change "the whole system," and we have a bad agrigultural system. You know, the one that feeds the world. Obama vatted this guy, no, they REXRUITED him, after seeing what a bang-up job he did in Oakland. Jarrett said so. So not only do they KNOW what he's done and believes, they CONDONE and SUPPORT it. A man is known by the company he keeps. Some of us warned of this, but not enough people could get past the "hope and change." How's that working out for you?
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topperj

RECRUITED, that is.
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topperj

OK, so "vatted" should be vetted. Ugh. Need more coffee.
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mykecook

Dear God, where is our congress???? When Obama and Michele "knocked fists" on stage after his win, that said a thousand words to me. What president and first lady "knock fists" ???
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nick4036162

Jones, Sunstein, Lloyd, Holdgren.. the new politburo. If Obama wants to have THE discussion.. the one that he believes in: that Marxism is better for our country.. then let's have it. Instead, he's using these czars under other agendas like green jobs or communication diversity to push his Marxist philosophy. And for you truthers.. read the popular mechanics article that references real physicists (not you armchair guys) that debunks the truther claims that the towers "physically couldn't fall like that".
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teejaystudio

Well let's see, he founded an underground campus newspaper, a statewide African American newspaper, was an angry black separatist, supported the Black Panthers, was a member of Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (sees country as bunch of racists), was a self avowed rowdy nationalist during the Rodney King thing, then a day later was a communist, lead Bay Area Police Watch, was a committed Marxist-Lennenist-Maoist, became a leading member of STORM, campaigned against prop 21 (harsher penalties for violent criminals), participated in International Answer, has ties to the South African Communist Party, sits on the advisory board of the Communist Party USA splinter group, is a board member of Movement for a Democratic Society, attended a "challenging white supremacy" workshop, served as a board member of the Apollo Alliance, Bioneers, and runs www.greenforall.org, www.hiphopcaucus.org. Just google any of these to see what he's up to. Seems that more "apologies" may be forthcoming.
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blindsquirrell

An attorney, mind you, puts his name on a document he doesn't read. I DONT THINK SO!
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blindsquirrell

For either the ahoe comment or the truther document he didn't apologize until caught in the headlights and probably on advise of counsel. C'mon Vansy, don't be a pansy, save yer boss some embarrassment. I'm sure you'll be able to slither and crawl into some non white polluted community with other bruthas and sistas or all your immigrant bruthas and sistas being sprayed with white poisons somehwere, somehow. Hey, I think there's a political advisory position open in Cuba and Hugo can find a spot for you as well. Maybe you can save all those compesinos after all they are like minded communists, right?
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