Right in the middle of holiday weekend. Does this mean that the story goes away with him, or will some intrepid reporter have the temerity to ask the White House on Tuesday how he got there in the first place, and how the vetting process broke down? If it did?
I think that it simply didn’t occur to these creatures like Valerie Jarrett that his viewpoints would be controversial. After all, it’s probably what they believe themselves.
[Update mid morning]
More thoughts from Maguire. And from Scott Johnson:
Jones claimed to have been the victim of a “vicious smear campaign.” Why cave in to such a campaign? In his resignation letter Jones explains: “On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.” Jones was of course “smeared” with his own words, which proved indeed to be vicious, voluminous and damning.
Jones said he had received encouragement from across the political spectrum to “stay and fight.” I doubt it, but I will concede that I had meant to urge him to stick around and defend himself.
Yes, I’ll miss him now. He was a poster child for this administration.
[Late morning update]
More thoughts from Jonah Goldberg:
Van Jones’ views are now widely known. And as far as anyone can tell reading the newspapers this morning or watching the Sunday shows, this White House and this President have nothing but praise for Jones and think he’s a fine, self-sacrificing, public servant who simply took one for the team.
I can’t think of a more succinct, discrete, example illuminating why Obama’s claims to centrism are a fraud.
It is quite striking.
[Update early afternoon]
A lot of links from Ed Driscoll: Van Goes Under The Bus. I’m sure that the president will say that this isn’t the Van that he knew.
An intrepid reporter? I don’t think so. Why would they start trying to report now after 9 months of cheerleading for Obama….
Patrick’s right. These days “intrepid” doesn’t mean what it used to mean.
Van Jones’ complains of using his own words (and video) against him in a smear campaign reminds me of Richard Pryor. In one of his comedy videos, Pryor told how his wife caught him in bed with another woman. Pryor demanded of her, “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”
In what possible universe was putting Van Jones in a high government position, responsible for “investing” $30 billion in “green technologies”, without any possible vetting or oversight, a good idea.
I’ve heard so many people claim that Obama is super intelligent. However, I’ve yet to see a shred of proof that supports this claim other than “He graduated Harvard Law!” and “He was an editor on Law Review!”
He is ‘super-intelligent’ like Wyle E. Coyote was a ‘Super-Genius’.
Yikes! Obama as the Wyle E. Coyote of US politics. That’s a mental picture I can do without although his opponents could do worse than to spread this meme.
There’s a chance Jake Tapper or Major Garrett are curious about the vetting process. Not much chance Whitehouse Bob will give them an opportunity to open their mouths at Tuesday’s gathering of toadies.
Obama’s ‘vetting process is broken down? What makes you say that? The only substantive difference between van Jones and Obama is the former was stupid and left a paper trail. Aside from that they’re two peas in a pod. Both are radicals, both are former “community organizers”, ie., “political thugs, and they hold virtually identical beliefs about where America should be taken. Van Jones got caught is all.
Best joke I’ve heard so far about the resignation?
Breaking news! Yellow bus runs over red van, film at 11.
If “intrepid” = “bending over and taking it like a man”, then there are plenty of intrepid reporters on the White House beat.
Meh, a new, less easily decapitated head will just sprout-up on this hydra.
That’s the danger of not arguing principles — it’s fighting on the wrong hill: you cannot win the war there, but your sure as hell can lose it.