Obama Adviser Resigns Over Past Controversial Comments

Van Jones, the man selected by President Barack Obama to fill the post of environmental adviser, has resigned his position at the White House after controversy continued over past statements that he had made. Jones referred to the events that led to his resignation as a "vicious smear campaign against me." The resignation was disclosed by the White House on Sunday morning without an advance notice and during a slow-news holiday weekend. Jones was known for fostering the creation of "green jobs" – employment positions that are environmentally friendly – and was part of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Jones past, however, caught up to him lately and he was linked to a 2004 effort to link the U.S. government with the terrorist attacks that occurred three years earlier. He was also overheard making highly controversial comments about Republicans. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs noted that President Obama did not agree with Jones’ comments, but was thankful for his service to the presidency. Said Gibbs, "What Van Jones decided was that the agenda of this president was bigger than any one individual." Gibbs added that Jones "understood he was going to get in the way" if he continued in his post.

In his statement of resignation, Jones noted, "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." In short, Jones notes that he has lost out in a battle that has invoked politics as it has been practiced in the U.S. since the country was merely a loose collection of British colonies.