But Jones could prove to be a liability not just for the President but also for the environmental movement as a whole. For some time, critics ranging from Rush Limbaugh to Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus have warned that some are using environmentalism as a pretext for imposing totalitarian, big-government control on the economy. Until now, they have been roundly ridiculed. By denouncing “suicidal gray capitalism” and then characterizing a “green economy” as “the engine for transforming the whole society,” Van Jones has bestowed renewed credibility on these concerns. And in doing so, he’s forcing the many well-intentioned activists in the environmental movement to dispel the suspicion that, perhaps, their motives are not always as pure – or as wholesome – as the public has been led to believe.
For now, press coverage of Van Jones, his radical beliefs, and his ideological links to the President has been minimal. No doubt the President – and many environmentalists across the political spectrum – hope it remains that way.
Editors' note: A previous version of this column misidentified Chuck Collins as affiliated with the Progressive Policy Institute. He is with the Institute for Policy Studies. Townhall regrets the error.
Carol Platt Liebau
Carol Platt Liebau is an attorney, political commentator and guest radio talk show host based near New York. Learn more about her new book, "Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Hurts Young Women (and America, Too!)"
here.