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  • Green jobs adviser Van Jones resigns White House position

    Around the web: WASHINGTON, Sept 6, 2009 (AFP) — President Barack Obama’s special adviser for green jobs has resigned under pressure from leading Republican politicians and revelations about his controversial past statements. Van Jones, a former civil rights activist from California, had been working for the White House Council on Environmental Quality since March. “I […]

    Grist staff Politics

  • Thoughts on Van Jones’ resignation

    Van Jones had to resign. It became inevitable when Gibbs offered no support. Much of the blame for this incident lies squarely on the White House. The information used against Jones was freely available on the web. All it took was a search. I thought by hiring Jones they intended to take a chance on […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • In dark times, back to the garden

    While climate change rages ahead, the climate bill is flat on its back and the most progressive green on President Obama’s staff looks on the verge of being forced out of office for silly reasons. Let’s not talk about healthcare reform or Afghanistan.  But … there’s an organic veggie garden! On the White House lawn! […]

    Tom Philpott Politics

  • Van Jones seeks a ‘healing for our politics’

    Cross-posted from Wonk Room. White House green jobs advisor Van Jones is under attack from Fox News as an “avowed radical revolutionary communist” and from ABC News as a “truther” with a “history of incendiary and provocative remarks.” In an attempt to assassinate the character of Van Jones, the right-wing media are distorting his past […]

    Brad Johnson Politics

  • Will Glenn Beck bring down Van Jones after all?

    SEE UPDATE BELOW Glenn Beck still can’t believe American voters voted for a black man. A couple days ago I ran a post defending Van Jones from some of the more absurd charges leveled at him by noted race-baiter Glenn Beck over the last month. Jones is not an “ex-con,” he’s not a communist, he’s […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • Does the Wall Street Journal employ anyone who understands energy markets?

    Actually, I think they do.  I think Keith Johnson knows quite a bit about energy markets.  Which makes this hit job on solar subsidies, published before the Senate considers national renewable energy legislation, so disturbing. After chronicling the problems of the Spanish solar industry, the article goes on to say: “Clean-energy skeptics, however, point to […]

    Adam Browning Politics

  • Cash for coal clunkers and anthems for natural gas won’t win this epic battle

    Those of us worried sick over climate change confronted a depressing piece of excellent reporting in Monday’s Washington Post. Environment reporter David Fahrenthold wrote that environmental organizations are getting their proverbial clocks cleaned by a well-organized and pervasive campaign mounted by affected industries in small and mid-size communities throughout America. “It seems that environmentalists are […]

    Rena Steinzor Politics

  • Herbicide maker asks that lobbying be excluded from class action lawsuit

    This story was written by Danielle Ivory. Lawyers representing the maker of the herbicide atrazine are asking that documents related to the company’s lobbying and trade association activities be excluded from a class action lawsuit being filed by some Illinois water utilities. As the Investigative Fund reported last week, many utilities say they cannot afford […]

    Huffington Post Investigative Fund Politics

  • Chamber of Commerce keeps stepping on rakes

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce can’t catch a break these days. When the Waxman-Markey bill rolled out, it did what it always does: pretended to agree with the goal while recommending changes in the means so drastic that they would gut the bill. See this comical letter wherein it wants to “balance environmental objectives with […]

    David Roberts Politics

  • Cleaning some of the Fox off of Van Jones

    Van JonesA while back I lampooned a Glenn Beck segment on Van Jones, who’s an advisor to the White House Council on Environmental Quality. According to Beck, Jones is the man on the inside for a vast cryptosocialist conspiracy involving the Apollo Alliance, Color of Change, the Center for American Progress, George Soros, ACORN, Al […]

    David Roberts Politics