Van Jones is back on the public stage this week, receiving an award from the NAACP and landing a job at a liberal think tank.| A much better fit -- he can develop as many bright ideas as he can think of, without any chance they'll actually be implemented... and George Soros can pay his salary without having to go to the voters or Congress (or the right wing of the blogosphere) for approval. |
But Jones is now re-emerging. On Friday, he'll receive an NAACP Image Award for his role in promoting environmental justice. And the Center for American Progress announced today that Jones will join their staff as a senior fellow.
Benjamin Jealous, President of the NAACP, explained the decision to give Jones the award in an op-ed on CNN.com.
Calling Jones an "American treasure," Jealous said that Jones alleged mistakes don't overshadow his work on policy.
"[W]e can never afford to forget that a defining trait of our country is our collective capacity to practice forgiveness and celebrate redemption," wrote Jealous. "This is a nation built on second chances."
The Center for American Progress, where Jones worked before joining the White House, has hired him back as a senior fellow. Jones will study and promote green jobs, a concept he helped pioneer with his book "The Green-Collar Economy."
"Van is a pioneer in the effort to promote a clean, sustainable economy that works for all Americans," said John Podesta, President of CAP and a powerful Democratic figure in Washington. "I'm proud that he's coming back to CAP to focus on creating economic opportunity in distressed communities through the Green Opportunity Initiative and that he will be giving voice to those issues once again."