FNC Notes Double Standard on Radical Obama Advisor Van Jones
On Thursday's Special Report with Bret Baier, FNC host Baier ran a
report by correspondent James Rosen describing a "troubling pattern of
behavior" by President Obama's Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones. The report
noted some of the controversial statements and connections of Jones,
who has not only described himself in the past with such words as
"Marxist" and "radical," but has also been linked to 9/11 Truthers and
radical groups such as one organization whose manifesto "equated those
killed on 9/11 with, quote, 'the victims of U.S. imperialism around the
world.'" The report also showed a clip of Jones from last year accusing
"white polluters" of "steering poison" into minority communities.
Rosen ran a soundbite of University of Virginia Politics Professor
Larry Sabato - known for his willingness to criticize politicians of
both parties - who noted that such a controversial figure in the Bush
administration would have ignited a "national hurrah of magnificent
proportions." Sabato: "If a Bush official had made anything comparable
to what Mr. Jones has said and done, no doubt there would have been a
national hurrah of magnificent proportions."
Earlier: "All Three Morning Shows Skip Any Reference to Radical Obama Czar and 9/11 Truther."
The FNC correspondent concluded his report by relaying that White
House spokesman Robert Gibbs had dismissed the matter contendnig that
"President Obama feels no need to comment or to have Gibbs comment on
remarks that pre-dated Jones' White House service and for which Jones
himself has apologized."
Rosen added: "However, Bret, our exchange with Robert Gibbs occurred
before this word of Jones' involvement with the 9/11 Truthers had
surfaced."
Below is a complete transcript of the report from the Thursday, September 3, Special Report with Bret Baier on FNC:
BRET BAIER: The President's Green Jobs Czar could be causing more problems for the administration than he is actually solving. Correspondent James Rosen reports on a troubling pattern of behavior by one of the President's top advisors.
JAMES ROSEN: Less than a month before Van Jones was appointed the White House's Special Advisor on Green Jobs, he was asked at a Berkeley, California, event why Republicans run Congress more effectively.
VAN JONES, WHITE HOUSE GREEN JOBS ADVISOR: Well, the answer to that they're [BLEEP] -holes.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
JONES: Barack Obama is not an [BLEEP] -hole, so-
ROSEN: Late Wednesday, Jones apologized calling his remarks offensive and not reflective of the views of the Obama administration. Soon, though, the Internet geyser was bursting forth with more - much more - from this Yale Law School graduate who has at various points described himself as a Marxist, a radical, an anarchist, and who speaks openly of using the environmental movement to address racial and other injustices.
JONES VIDEO CLIP DATED 2008: The white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people of color communities.
JONES AUDIO CLIP DATED APRIL 2008: From 1954 to 1958, you know, complete revolution was on the table for this country. And I think that this green movement has to pursue those same steps and stages.
ROSEN: He has advocated reparations for Native- and African-Americans, and had very harsh words for the likes of Shell and Exxon.
JONES: And you're like, wait a minute, aren't you an oil company? Aren't you killing [BLEEP] in Nigeria? Hold on a second, wait.
ROSEN: And within hours after the Twin Towers collapsed, the groups Jones founded and led lashed out at U.S. police and intelligence agencies for using 9/11 as a, quote, "cash cow." The manifesto for one of these groups equated those killed on 9/11 with, quote, "the victims of U.S. imperialism around the world." Jones is also a signatory to the 911Truth.org Web site which demanded an investigation into, quote, "incriminating evidence that suggests high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur."
PROF. LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: We read a lot about how the vetting process has intensified, but clearly there was a lapse concerning Mr. Jones. If a Bush official had made anything comparable to what Mr. Jones has said and done, no doubt there would have been a national hurrah of magnificent proportions.
ROSEN: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told Fox News told Fox News President Obama feels no need to comment or to have Gibbs comment on remarks that pre-dated Jones' White House service and for which Jones himself has apologized. However, Bret, our exchange with Robert Gibbs occurred before this word of Jones' involvement with the 9/11 Truthers had surfaced.
BAIER: We'll see if the national hurrah develops
ROSEN: Of magnificent proportions.
BAIER: James, thank you.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
