IT MUST MARK A NEW LOW IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY when the fact that someone is a self-described Communist is not the most damning thing that can be said of a presidential adviser entrusted with federal power. But it fits the pattern of Barack Obama's list of political beliefs, friends and associates.
Not only is Green Jobs Czar Van Jones a 9/11 Truther, but his organization believes Hurricane Katrina was a Bush conspiracy, as well. His unique combination of radicalism and irresponsibility provides a remarkable window into Barack Obamaยs own radicalism.
After a string of embarrassing revelations, yesterday the press reported that Jones had joined such notable leftists as Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, and Howard Zinn in signing the 9/11 Truth Statement (signature #46), which called for a federal investigation whether President Bush knew about ย or perhaps colluded in ย the destruction of the World Trade Center. This is somewhat ironic, since on the evening after 9/11, Jones stood in the streets with the Maoist-communist organization he founded ย Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM) ย to denounce the United States for having brought the disaster on itself.
To this authorยs knowledge, it has not yet been reported that Van Jones also popularized the belief that Hurricane Katrina was a conspiracy. The organization Color of Change, which he co-founded after Katrina, waged a campaign to censure President George W. Bush, claiming: ยHe knew about the levees, and he knew about the Superdome. But he did nothing.ย(Emphasis in original.) In 2006, Color of Change worked with MoveOn.org Civic Action to screen Spike Leeยs film When the Levees Broke, which features allegations the federal government dynamited the levees. As one report puts it, ยLee took no side on the issueย ย originally popularized by Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan ย but Lee made it clear in other media that he believes in the theory. More at link
Posted by: ed ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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Van Jones, Barack Obama's Green Jobs Czar, produced a record album entitled "WarTimes: Reports from the Opposition" a few years ago that was narrated by convicted cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal and featured a clip of an interview Jones did where he slammed the United States and Israel and proclaimed his stand with a "global struggle" against the United States.
The album was unearthed by the website Verum Serum, which posted a YouTube video with highlights of the album.
About three minutes forty-five seconds in to the highlight video, there is a brief interview with Van Jones at an anti-Israel demonstration where Jones criticizes Israel and calls for Palestinian 'right of return' then unloads on the United States:
"We see violence against poor people and poor people of color within the U.S. border, at the U.S. border, and beyond the U.S. border and you see U.S. tax dollars funding all of it. And so we have this now global struggle against the U.S. led security apparatus and military agenda that impacts people here and impacts people around the world and I think that we need to see our problems as linked."
Mumia closes out the album by describing it as a "small tease of the truth about U.S. imperialism's war on the world."
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/05/2009 13:00 Comments ||
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whatadeal, the problem is that Obama is NOT embarrassed or humiliated. He thinks all this stuff is OK.
Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 ||
09/05/2009 13:09 Comments ||
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Rep. Mike Pence, the no. 3 Republican in the House, is calling on Obama green jobs czar Van Jones to resign.
This sort of thing would usually be laughed off by Democrats -- a conservative Republican telling a Democratic appointee to quit.
But the Obama team isn't exactly jumping to back Jones today in wake of revelations that in the past he signed on to one of the "truther" groups that claimed 9/11 was an inside job. Oh, and he called Republicans a**holes in a video earlier this year before he was appointed.
Asked about Jones' affiliations with the 9/11 group at the daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would only say: "It's not something that the president agrees with." And then Gibbs referred other questions to a statement Thursday by the Council on Environmental Quality in which Jones said he never backed any of these 9/11 conspiracy groups.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Personally, I'd prefer that he stays. He, Gibbs, Obama, and the rest of the White House Gang will have to stay in defense mode for a very long time. It will make it difficult for them to carry out their programs.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
09/05/2009 11:02 Comments ||
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If they decide to keep Jones, which I think is entirely possible, watch Holder appoint a special commission to look into 9/11 and what the evil "W" Administration and the CIA must have surely known, etc.
A hostile crowd greeted U.S. Rep. John Spratt in his home county Thursday night, filling a 700-seat hall to voice anger over far more than health-care reform.
Many in the Rock Hill audience lashed out at illegal immigration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a federal government they say no longer deserves the trust of Americans.
Outside, an overflow crowd of 200 listened on portable speakers.
The loudest applause inside a packed Baxter Hood Center might have come when a Fort Mill man denounced Pelosi for one criticism of opponents of Democratic reform efforts.
"One of the things that really made me angry is being called a brown shirt," said Larry Magnuson. "I would really like to see Nancy Pelosi talk to me personally and I'd give her a piece of my mind as to what an American is."
The boos and groans made for a far different atmosphere than a town hall one day earlier in Sumter, S.C., when many questioners began by thanking the 66-year-old York Democrat for his service.
Bill Butts of Catawba used his two minutes of public speaking time to describe what he called the "reverse Midas touch -- whatever the government touches, it mostly turns to crap."
"Do not tell me that illegal alien invaders do not get health care free in America," Butts added. "I see it every day."
Existing federal law bars illegal aliens from free medical care except in emergencies, Spratt replied.
Responding to other questions, Spratt sought to make clear he favors slowing down to search for bipartisan compromises on health care changes. Spratt said he also wants to push for tort reform to limit malpractice damages -- even if a separate bill is necessary.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Sorry Jack, ain't eating your fat(ousness). Bill Butts for congress!
Posted by: regular joe ||
09/05/2009 15:34 Comments ||
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House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner has just sent a "Dear Charlie" letter to Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Charles Rangel, asking Rangel to step down until the Ethics Committee finishes its investigation of Rangel's nonpayment of taxes and non-disclosure of hundreds of thousands of dollars on his legally-required financial disclosure forms. Here is the full letter:
Dear Charlie:
When it comes to the relationship between the American people and those they elect to serve them, trust is everything. This is especially true at a difficult time such as this for our nation, when Americans are looking to their government for leadership and solutions, and finding both in short supply. For this reason, I am writing to again respectfully urge that you step aside as chairman of the Committee on Ways & Means until the Ethics Committee has completed a bipartisan investigation of questions relating to your official conduct.
As I have noted often in the past year, I have long considered you a friend, and I still do. But friends are not infallible; they make mistakes. And when mistakes are made, particularly in the course of public service, accountability is necessary. Friendship does not trump our obligations to the offices we hold, or to the constituents we serve.
The American people have every right to demand that their elected leaders be held to the highest possible standards of ethical conduct in every situation, regardless of a member's political party, personality, or past record. You have a record of long and highly-decorated service, and through your good-natured service, you have earned the friendship and admiration of individuals on both sides of the aisle. It is for precisely this reason that I am urging you to take this action. As chairman of the powerful House committee, entrusted with the responsibility of writing the tax laws that affect every law-abiding American citizen, you, along with the Speaker and other leaders of the majority party, have an obligation to help set the pace when it comes to standards of official conduct. By relinquishing the gavel voluntarily while the Ethics panel does its work, you would demonstrate your respect for this obligation.
Americans have always maintained a healthy skepticism about government, and Congress in particular. But as we have witnessed this summer, that skepticism is intensifying, in some cases into open anger -- anger fueled by congressional actions that demonstrate a fundamental disrespect for the sacrifices made on a daily basis by citizens and their families throughout our country.
I urge you not to allow yourself to become an emblem of this disrespect. Show the American people that having their confidence in your leadership means more to you than having the opportunity to wield power. Set aside your gavel while the Ethics Committee works to resolve the questions that have been raised. I respectfully urge you to consider this course of action.
Sincerely,
John Boehner
Republican Leader
Posted by: Fred ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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sweet. Now FOAD, Charlie. I am not your friend, and can thus speak more honestly, you cheating lying pompous race-carding asshole. I guess I can't serve in Palin's admin, huh, Liberal hawk?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/05/2009 0:29 Comments ||
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Nor anyone else's, I should think, Frank. Shall we think together about why not many engineers go into politics as a full time profession? ;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/05/2009 8:13 Comments ||
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Boehner needs to do a lot more than this letter if he wants it to happen. And I hope he does. The culture of corruption needs to be rooted out. Of both parties.
#10
#8 Well, whaddya know ... signs of the Republican leadership finally growing a pair. Small, barely perceptible, but distinct signs of a pair! Posted by Sgt. Mom
Are you certain Sgt. Mom? I still can't see'um. Does this mean I need trifocals?
#12
My Dad was a fairly high-up engineer he said that he wasn't interested in politis because it was "Chaotic" exactly the opposite of good engineering.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/05/2009 12:31 Comments ||
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There is hope! Go,
Charlie, go!!!! Next, Van Jones. Senator Byrd also wrote a letter to the Prez expressing concern over all the czars being unconstitutional, tilting the balance of power toward the executive office. I just wish they could uncover some impeachable dirt on the Queen of the Limousine Liberals--hypocrisy is not a felony unfortunately.
#14
Shall we think together about why not many engineers go into politics as a full time profession?
I can think of a couple reasons off the top of my head:
Engineers like building things. They prefer concrete (heh) accomplishments to standing up in front of a crowd telling people what to do.
Engineers, by training, don't lie to themselves with numbers. Politicians do. As the great Richard Feynman said, Nature cannot be fooled. If your bridge or web server can't handle the load, it falls down. Usually publicly. If your economic Five Year Plan is based on numeric hand waving, you can always blame its failure on external factors or the previous administration.
#8
For Sale:1 set ((4) bus levelers. also serve as jecks to raise bus. not used in 8 years, 200$. also set of underpinning to cover mess under bus, make offer. slick willie
It's been nearly seven months since CNBC reporter Rick Santelli took a stand against the Obama administration, which inspired the tea party movement - and the White House hasn't forgotten.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked by CNBC Washington correspondent John Harwood why the administration decided to go after Santelli after his Feb. 19 call for a metaphorical revolt over President Barack Obama's economic policies.
"Truthfully, one primary reason," Gibbs said in comments aired on CNBC's Sept. 4 "Squawk on the Street." "And that was - I thought the argument that he was making was both disingenuous and not based on the facts. It was clear that Rick was very passionate about the issue. And look, we have differing opinions from both sides of the political aisle. It was clear to me that the argument that he was making wasn't based on him having actually read our plan."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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Let's declare Robert Gibbs a national tresure of doubletalk. I Think there's non better.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
09/05/2009 10:51 Comments ||
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I can think of no public figure more deserving of an honorary degree from Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf (Baghdad Bob) University than Robert Gibbs.
As a former White House aide myself, there are two incidents that tell me Glenn Beck is right in asking his questions about Van Jones. Two incidents that ask an even more serious question than anything asked about Jones himself.
The question: What did the Obama White House know about Van Jones and when did they know it?
Jones, the Obama White House "green jobs" adviser, is getting in deeper trouble by the minute with revelations of his radical statements about being a Communist, having been twice arrested, and, in the last few hours, with news surfacing that he had signed onto a petition accusing the Bush administration of being responsible for 9/11, making him, in the vernacular, a "Truther" -- one of those paranoid nuts who believes George W. Bush ordered the 9/11 attacks. All this is before the amusingly crazy piece of videotape of Jones labeling Obama's GOP opponents "A-holes."
Jones, almost by the hour, is being belatedly vetted by the New Media because the Old Media took a pass -- and the White House itself had no intention of speaking up until called upon.
You must be asking: is it really this easy to work at the White House? Can you really have done a jail stretch, actually been twice arrested (once during the Rodney King riots and a second time during the 1999 free trade riots in Seattle) and work in the White House? Can you even get into the White House when you have a history with the police? And more at the site...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/05/2009 00:00 ||
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Is there anyone in the Obama administration that both a) likes America and b) doesn't belong in jail for some kind of tax crime?
#3
Is there anyone in the Obama administration that both a) likes America and b) doesn't belong in jail for some kind of tax crime?
No, but I'm sure there's a czar or two that hates America AND has tax problems. BTW, I don't see 'czar' anywhere is my copy of the Constitution. Isn't the Congress supposed to vet applicants for positions in the executive branch? How is adding 31 new unaccountable executive positions constitutional?
#6
It is not that easy to work at the White House in "lower" positions, probably easier the higher up you go. During my 5 year stint in the Army, I was offered a chance to work in the White House doing "white house comms". Ie: plugging in A/V equipment, handing out pens and paper, etc. In order to do those jobs your background must be spotless, which mine pretty much is. Incidentally, didnt keep going with the process due to having no interest whatsoever after attending an initial briefing.
However, it seems like the higher up you go in position you can be the biggest dirtbag with felonies, crimes and misdemeanors, loudly subversive aspirations, even tax evasion and its not a deal breaker? It is odd, puzzling, and at once worrisome as to why this doublestandard is so unchecked.
#8
Thanks BP, that article says it all, and maybe should be made mandatory reading in Corporate/Political arenas. It seems like in the U.S. we are suckers for BSDS "big swinging dick syndrome" or anyone who seems to have a lot of swagger but not necessarily/verifiably the competance to back it up. I prefer to use vulgarity when describing it, because there is a certain vulgarity and cheapness that Americans seems to fall for again and again. So instead of "if it looks stupid, acts stupid..." it could instead be phrased as "if it doesn't look stupid, acts smooth, take a closer look".
#10
Ladies and gentlemen of the 'Burg, may I respectfully suggest that you are looking at this all wrong?
Normal people would see all this crap and think of them as problems. They would avoid them with a twelve foot pole, since a ten foot pole ain't big enough.
Obama and his crew see all of this and think "Hey, he's one of US!!! Woo hoo!!!"
They are smart enough to realize these insaniacs would never ever get through a Senate confirmation hearing, though. That's why they put "Wise Latina" Sotomayor up for the Supreme Court, and bags of pus like Koh, Sunstein and Holdren up for czar positions. Say what you will about her, she hasn't popped off with absolutely nucking futz stuff like any of them have.
If enough of their crazy shiat sticks, Obama doesn't need a second term. That's the scary part. Some of them may get tossed under the bus. As one of their secret heros said, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. But most of them will be around for a while, entrenching their BS into the framework to a point you might need an exorcism to get rid of it.
#11
"But most of them will be around for a while, entrenching their BS into the framework to a point you might need an exorcism to get rid of it."
I'll be glad to call the priest, Blondie - and I ain't even Catholic.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/05/2009 20:17 Comments ||
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Viking Phoenix Web Page: U.S. Federal and Military Oath of Office
Oath of Office - "...support and defend the Constitution..."
ยง 3331. Oath of office
An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath:
''I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.''
Presidential Oath of Office
"I, name, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and I will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A hostile crowd greeted U.S. Rep. John Spratt in his home county Thursday night, filling a 700-seat hall to voice anger over far more than health-care reform.
House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner has just sent a "Dear Charlie" letter to Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Charles Rangel, asking Rangel to step down until the Ethics Committee finishes its investigation of Rangel's nonpayment of taxes and non-disclosure of hundreds of thousands of dollars on his legally-required financial disclosure forms. Here is the full letter:
