Glenn Beck's Attack On Van Jones: Fantasies and Falsehoods
After smearing White House special advisor Van Jones for days on his show, Glenn Beck said on August 27, 2009: "I want to point out the silence; no one has challenged these facts -- they just attack me personally."
Well, the White House is wise to stay above the fray but someone has to set the record straight. And as the person who first hired Van Jones, initially as a legal intern and later as a legal fellow, I am in a unique position to know the truth.
And the truth is: Beck is fabricating his facts.
For instance: several times on his show, Beck has said or implied that Van went to prison for taking part in the Rodney King riots.
No Criminal Convictions
Van has never served time in any prison. He has never been convicted of any crime. And just to be clear: Van was not even in Los Angeles during those tumultuous days.
I know because he was working for me -- in San Francisco -- when the four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. I was the Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area when Van was an intern.
The verdicts came down on April 29, 1992. I remember Van (who was then a legal intern working with me from Yale Law School) coming into my office in San Francisco. Many of us, including Van, sat there together, listening to the news and weeping. We were all in a state of shock. That night, TV showed the tragic images of LA burning.
The next day, when an initially peaceful march in downtown San Francisco devolved into chaos, Van left the area in tears. He was not involved in any destructive activity. He even penned an essay despairing of the violence and the state of the country.
So how can Beck make such unsubstantiated claims?
The True Story (From Someone Who Was There)
This is what really happened. On May 8, 1992, the week AFTER the Rodney King disturbances, I sent a staff attorney and Van out to be legal monitors at a peaceful march in San Francisco. The local police, perhaps understandably nervous, stopped the march and arrested hundreds of people -- including all the legal monitors.
The matter was quickly sorted out; Van and my staff attorney were released within a few hours. All charges against them were dropped. Van was part of a successful class action lawsuit later; the City of San Francisco ultimately compensated him financially for his unjust arrest (a rare outcome).
So the unwarranted arrest at a peaceful march -- for which the charges were dropped and for which Van was financially compensated -- is the sole basis for the smear that he is some kind of dangerous criminal.
Van has spoken often about that difficult period 17 years ago -- and its impact on him, as a young law student. But to imply that he was somehow a rioter who went to prison is absurd. Beck also bizarrely claims that Van was arrested in the Seattle WTO protests. That is just a flat-out falsehood.
You don't have to take my word for it. Arrests and convictions are all a matter of public record. Beck is at best relying on Internet rumors or even inventing claims to boost his ratings.
Beck is no more accurate with present facts than he is with past ones.
Not a Mysterious 'Czar"
Beck has said repeatedly that Van is some kind of a mysterious "czar," accountable to no one but the President. A simple Internet search shows that this claim is false. A March 10, 2009, press release announced that Van was hired by the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality - to work on her staff as a "special advisor."
In other words, Van is within the normal White House chain of command, reporting to an office confirmed by the United States Senate, just like most White House staffers. Media outlets sometimes use the "czar" shorthand. But the facts show that Van has no mysterious role or extra-constitutional powers.
Beck has implied on two occasions that Van Jones and other Obama appointees were not vetted by the FBI. False. I was interviewed in my own office by an FBI agent, dutifully vetting Van. Yet another fabrication on the part of Mr. Beck.
Beck also claims that Van has somehow gained control over $500 million in Green Jobs Act funding and can hand out millions of dollars at his whim. Again, that is patently ridiculous.
No Authority to Hand out Billions
The law is clear that the Department of Labor has authority over the program, with normal rules governing the funds. Anybody who thinks that a lone government official can pass out money, arbitrarily and without oversight, knows nothing about our legal system. A blizzard of lawsuits would stop any such scheme in its tracks, if one were ever put in place.
Perhaps more importantly: final authority at the Department of Labor lies with the Secretary of Labor. Anyone who thinks that a Senate-confirmed, Cabinet-level Secretary would cede control of a $500 million program to some mid-level White House staffer knows nothing about our political system. It is ridiculous.
Promoting Business-Based Solutions
But I have to take on the worst one: Beck repeatedly and mistakenly asserts that Van is presently a communist.
Once again, this charge is easily refuted - most obviously by the pro-business, market-based ideas Van has promoted for years, including in his best-selling book, The Green Collar Economy. Van's book is a veritable song of praise to capitalism, especially the socially responsible and eco-friendly kind.
Yes, for a while, Van and his student-aged friends ran around spouting 1960s rhetoric and romanticizing revolutionary icons. But that was years ago. Way back then, I counseled him to rethink his tactics and to work for change in wiser ways.
In time, he jettisoned his youthful notions and moved on to seek more effective and attainable solutions.
Fortunately for all of us, it looks like he has found some. Over the past several years, Van has emerged as the perhaps the nation's chief proponent of using business-based solutions to create jobs and clean up the environment. In his book and his speeches, he highlights the key role of entrepreneurship in solving our nation's problems.
The 'Green' Jack Kemp?
Van believes in government clearing the way for private-sector innovation. In a YouTube clip, he said recently that progressives and conservatives should work together to find common ground and create a clean energy economy.
Van said: "We are not promoting welfare. We are promoting work. ... We are not expanding entitlements. We are expanding enterprise and investment. ... We are not trying to redistribute existing wealth. We are trying to reinvent an existing sector, so that we can create NEW wealth - by unleashing innovation and entrepreneurship. This should be common ground."
He has been preaching that gospel, in various forms, for years and years. Van Jones is the nation's "Green" Jack Kemp -- using business-based solutions to attack poverty.
I found it interesting that Bill O'Reilly in his interview repeatedly asked Glenn Beck whether Van Jones' youthful views had changed over time. Beck never answers those inquiries and instead keeps insisting that Van has championed these ideas recently. Again, that is simply not true.
Quotes Taken Out of Context
Upon investigation, it turns out that Beck is quoting (out of context) an article that in fact makes the OPPOSITE point.
The 2005 profile that Beck is flogging actually makes it crystal clear -- even in the headline -- that Jones has "renounced" his earlier views, matured and moved on. Van's transformation is the entire point of the piece, and it is impossible that Beck does not know this.
Fortunately, O'Reilly seemed to sense the truth. I remember seeing O'Reilly interview Van Jones some time ago and was struck by how much respect O'Reilly showed for Jones. Perhaps O'Reilly's knowing queries were prompted by that encounter.
When Van worked for me, he did exhibit that "know it all" quality that so many of us - myself included -- have when we are young. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching him grow and blossom into a loving father and husband -- and a creative, effective leader.
Van Jones: A True Patriot
Mr. Beck's unfounded attacks are misleading and false. All of us who know Van are so very proud of him and the work he is doing to improve the lives of ALL Americans. He has touched and improved thousands of lives in the course of his career. Now he is in a position to help millions.
He will do well because Van is a true patriot, who loves his country. He has dedicated his life to trying to make it better -- especially trying to uplift the poor, the left-out and the left-behind.
In his book, Van draws a distinction between "cheap patriotism" and "deep patriotism." I highly recommend that chapter to Mr. Beck.
I do hope Van is keeping his head up, walking tall and continuing to fight for green businesses and green jobs. Our country needs more of them - and more people like Van.
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Van Jones is a radical statist who is anti-american and probably a racist as well. He has no business being a czar- he really wouldn't even be eligible for a security clearance given who he assoicates with, his anti-american views, etc.
Hopefully this is the beginning of many statists being exposed for who they are. Obama's appointment of so many czars is unconstitutional. Senator Byrd said as much.
Wake up people, Obama is a statist who wants to radically change America and not for the better.
G Beck 1, Obama/V Jones 0
Read the article before you post please. You have woken up plenty of people already, you woke this one person up so much that I'm going to pursuit the cause of turning our attitudes and perspectives of intolerance around. You have no basis for your statements, this article goes directly against your non existent argument.
E. Paterson 1, G. Beck -1, Van Jones 1, First Nation 1, diver77 0
Van Jones is a 9-11 truther. Look for his resignation next week.
LOL 9-11 truthers are the people who believe 9-11 was an inside job. This is a case where Jones "believed" that some people in positions of power and who had access to certain information saw signs of 9-11 coming and did not react to it, or misread the data. Nevertheless, the signs were evidently there, intelligence did know of plots to hijack planes and crash them into buildings, they were asking to investigate how that slipped through. Thats not some elaborate conspiracy, thats searching to find out what really happened.
Why is Jones backpeddling about the 9-11 signature.First he said he didn't know how it got there, then he goes and says he didn't read it through. If he did he wouldn't have signed it, so he now says. At least see how the man defends himself before you post so you don't look silly.
Van Jones is betrayed by HIS OWN words!
Beck is normally over the top with his drum beat of conspiracy and insurgency by jurisprudence in the Obama administration - but he is right on the mark with Van Jones.
From what I can tell he is spot on.
Glen Beck a Hero!!
This month, his show has averaged 2.25 million viewers, 99% more than tuned in during the same period last year...
That's So Raven has over 2 million viewers. Ratings don't equal sense.
Open your eyes and listen to ALL of the speeches your man Van has made over the past year, and beyond...This is not a republican or democratic issue...Loves his country? Than why does he speak of changing it over and over again.He should move to Cuba. Americans will not stand for ideas such as his.Yes, our President is his own man, but obvioulsy to busy to pay attention to all the folks he has surrounded himself with.
If you don't want to believe us, maybe you'll listen to JFK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxnpujfanUM
Obama is no JFK, that's for sure.
Why do all idiots think that any recognition that America can be improved is unpatriotic and communist?? Oh wait it is because we ranked 19th out of 36 in the world for education. But then if I wanted to improve our education system I would be unpatriotic. Ignorance is not only bliss, it is integral to being a patriot, according to you.
Our President has surrounded himself with radicals, Communists and anti-capitalists. Is this the progression that you really want? Sounds like regression to me. "If you want to know about my policies, look to the folks that surround me", Barack Obama. These are the facts that cannot be disputed.
Van Jones is a self-proclaimed radical communist activist.
Jones was a founder and leader of the communist revolutionary organization Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement (STORM).
On the night after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks STORM held a vigil in Oakland, California, "mourning the victims of U.S. imperialism around the world."
Van Jones provides this biographical information on himself:
"I met all these young radical people of color - I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.'...I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary.... I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th. By August, I was a communist."
He is a communist - that's why he was selected to "serve" in this administration. It's an embarassment. Beck is exposing the corruption.
So what? What (communist/socialist) legislation has Jones been involved in drafting? What agenda has he pursued since gaining that post that has led us into communism? You all sound like a bunch of scared babies...'the commies are comin'! the commies are comin'!' Get a grip.
f.o.i.a. has been filed numorous times, still no reply. Now they are saying van jones may not be his real name. That maybe why the WH dont reply. They may not know who the employ is.
What's bugging Beck is the fact that for the first time in history there isn't one Southern white male that is not in control of ANY branch of government. People like Beck are comfortable with people who they perceive will maintain the Old Order. And now we've even got a wise Latina women in the highest court in the land. The Communist rants by Beck is an old diversionary tactic. It's code for too many minorities, Gays and DaJooooooos. His calling Obama a ra cist was the clearest example of projection I've seen in a long time.
I wish you were right, I really do, but unfortunatly the facts that I have read and seen on video paint a much different picture than you seem to want to believe.
Rather than use the standard attempt to demean the messenger. Please research the issue and prove me wrong with facts.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
George Washington
People who have not had the privilege of having a well rounded education seem to be easily intimidated by religions, customs, political ideas that are unlike their own. We have a unique President with a well rounded education and depth of experiences. He has surrounded himself with people with a broad spectrum of political ideas. He is at the end of the day his own man.
Did you read Jones' book? Because unless you've read everything that Jones has written, and compared that with everything that Beck has accused him of, your viewpoints are just as jaded as everyone else's.
REAGAN: Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program.
There are many ways in which our government has invaded the precincts of private citizens, the method of earning a living. But at the moment I'd like to talk about another way because this trip is with us and at the moment is more imminent.
One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can't afford it.
Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.
Industries of all kind have been very adept at influencing our elected representatives. Healthcare is a right not a commodity, but the Health Insurance industry has wormed it's way as a middleman and made it a high priced commodity.
So with the American people on record as not wanting socialized medicine, Congressman Ferrand said, if we can only break through and get our foot inside the door, they can we can expand the program after that. Well, let's see what the socialists themselves had to say about it. They say once the Ferrand bill is passed, this nation will be provided with a mechanism for socialized medicine capable of indefinite expansion in every direction until it includes the entire population. Well, we can't say we haven't been warned.
James Madison in 1788, speaking to the Virginia Convention said: “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
Now in our country under our free enterprise system, we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to the other.
Good thing real leaders don't govern on all the issues based on the kinetic polls. Two months ago the majority of Americans were FOR HC reform. Polls are a sampling of a few hundred people. On this issue the hot publicity and vitriol coming from the Right has had an affect, but completely failed to educate the public. I like the poll taken Nov. 4th, where millions of Americans voted for Candidate Obama, for advanced this as issue a key to his campaign.
Medical reseach HAS reached great heights in this country...but ALSO in other countries! Goodness. We need to get over the inflated belief by millions in this country that since we're the USA, we're #1 in everything. That ship has SAILED. We aren't. Further, I'm not so sure that the doctor/patient relationship is the envy of the world. Maybe YOUR healthcare relationship is, but not everyone. I have to switch primary physicians almost every time my job switches insurance providers since they aren't "in network" (see rationed care). I can't see a specialist unless it is approved by my primary doctor, AND that specialist must also be in network. And doctor/patient confidentiality is a law that you can thank your evil socialist governments for. If it's not profitable, do you think private insurance companies give a hoot about your confidentiality???
Funny you should mention that. We don't have a free enterprise system in health insurance, we have very nearly a monopoly. Further, the World Health Organization actually ranks us #37 in the world when it comes to healthcare: "The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance" But don't believe me, you can read it here: http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-44.html
I am shocked and saddened by how many people are not outraged at a system in which a handful of people make hundreds of millions each year (each, not collectively as a group) in bonuses, stock options, and salary off the deaths and lack of care of Americans. It is not in their interest to make you better. They make more money if you die. The doctors and hospitals are not what we're talking about here, it's the bureaucratic insurance companies that stand between you and the quality care you deserve. I'm sorry there's so many blind to demand better.
What rights to choose? Our employer chooses the insurance and what we pay for it. Our insurance chooses the doctor. Our doctor chooses the fees and when they can see me. No accounts for my wishes. No one compensates my lost time when I wait hours for substandard care. And no one prorates my bill to equal the quality and efficiency of the health care provided. How does that represent free market or choice to anyone? Insurance companies have a monopoly and we are at their mercy. To believe anything else is foolish.
This is a freedom that I wonder whether any of us have the right to take from any human being.
In this country of ours, took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in world’s history. The only true revolution. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another. But here for the first time in all the thousands of years of man’s relation to man, a little group of the men, the founding fathers for the first time – established the idea that you and I had within ourselves the God given right and ability to determine our own destiny.
This freedom was built into our government with safeguards. We talk democracy today. And strangely we let democracy begin to assume the aspect of majority rule is all that is needed. Well, majority rule is a fine aspect of democracy, provided there are guarantees written in to our government concerning the rights of the individual and of the minorities.
What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms and that you demand the continuation of our traditional free enterprise system. You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen, even if we believe that he's on our side to begin with, write to strengthen his hand. Write those letters now. Call your friends and tell them to write. If you don't, this program, I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow. And behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country... until one day as Norman Thomas said, we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don't do this and if I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.
This was sent to Glenn Beck by a viewer and is Ronald Reagan speaking in the 1960's which is very appropriate to today's discussion.
Ronald Reagan in 1961 was vehemently opposed to Medicare. I wonder what a poll of Americans and especially seniors would say about that today. Ronald Reagan's policies as President was the real beginning of the economic debacle we face today.
Democrats as well as republicans are going to have to understand that this is not a battle between the two parties but between people who love freedom and those who love socialism.
What "freedoms" are you losing?
I would have liked a little analysis of Van's involvement in the STORM organization including an explanation of the "Reclaiming Revolution" document that was recently pulled from STORM's website.
I had to FAN the poster (Bill) who said "I'm in the tank for the country and turning it into VENEZUELA."
That's GOOD material.
Better than the usual swipes I see around here.
and then the "WHY?" at the end with no further comment. NICE TOUCH
Nice. Kinda reminded me of when that lady asked the VEEP if the Pres elect was a MARXIST.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3EkhDru23U
Good job guy. One of those comments that make you wonder and say "MAN, I got nothing to counter that." or "Should I waste my time?"
That's funny stuff.
Pleased that I made your day :-)
if nothing else..bill can fill a page
Man is this ever being takin apart
Yes, it was taken apart piece by piece, but the NeoCOMMs just won't relent. It's clear Glenn is right. Once they relent and at least admit it, we can start an honest debate over Capitalism vs. Socialism, Communism, Communitarianism etc.
You NeoCOMMS are going to continue looking silly and your arguments increasingly less credible if you continue this line of attack. Glenn is correct in his assessment of Van Jones and Ms. Patterson has been proven wrong. Now, can we start fresh and debate your agenda vs. ours and let the uninformed American people make a decision between the two without NeoCOMMs having to hide their true intentions and masquerading around as old school Democrats?
The days of brow beating and ridicule are over, facts reign supreme. You've been outed, deal with it and let's start the debate.
Dude....I with you man. I meant Beck was taking apart this article on his radio show at the time I posted it. He has timelines and all. Miss Paterson is outgunned.
Beck prevailed. This piece avoids what the real questions were. Also, Van was said to be Jailed, not imprisoned. Beck said Jailed.
Really sorry i got a run, but pc's limping and work never ends.
VikingQuest
Did I misread the most important part too?
"By August, I was a communist."
Posted 11:31 PM on 08/30/2009
-----------------------------------------------------------
Where, pray tell, did you get that quote?
From his discussing his time in JAIL when arrested after the Rodney King incident.
It's there in real words!
"Upon investigation, it turns out that Beck is quoting (out of context) an article that in fact makes the OPPOSITE point."
Read the article before commenting on it.
Now that the word has been changed from inquiries to vetting, then who gives a d.a.m.n. about the guy sitting in the 2d row of seats, OR standing by the last step on the stage? Should we vet EVERY asst, gopher, intern or adv that a CABINET member elects? Probably, but doesn't the background at any/all of the fed law enf. agencies do that? Drag em all out in front of the Sen for approval? That'll keep gov't looking efficient on CSPAN. How much would the right complain about us wasting time/gov't $?
He was the 1st African American Dem candidate, President elect and POTUS. I GUARANTEE that EVERY stone was turned, flipped and poked to insure he was legit. With that in mind, if this CZAR as you call him got an ID card, I'm sure he had to answer more than a FEW questions under duress.
2d. How far out of the mainstream is it to joke about the POTUS being a n.a.z.i. or a socialist? Or even to (as a cand/holder of political office) joke about?...what I'm not even going to mention, yet those fools are considered PATRIOTS by some.
3d. To imply that the POTUS has hate for white people, WHAT is that? An invitation to engage in FEAR-MONGERING.
Beck not about violence, but FEAR-MONGERING is what the fringe needs, for their next rally of loving signs and slogans. Horse shirt!
You really have a problem with anything that you can not refute don't you. Just change the subject and demean the messenger.
Sorry but that won't work any more.
guyfrombrooklyn is making a reasonable argument defing his response to Beck's rhetoric. You, who haven't even read the article your posting comments on, are just trying to be annoying to attract attention. I'm ignoring your comments from now on, and suggest other reasonable readers do the same.
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