Obama's Green Jobs Czar Signed 9/11 Truth Statement

Van Jones, President Obama's green jobs czar (official title Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Equality) signed onto a "9/11 truth statement" in 2004 calling for an investigation by then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer into whether the Bush administration may have had foreknowledge of the 9/11 attacks, The Washington Times' Amanda Carpenter reports.

Carpenter predicts it will add fuel to the fire for Jones' conservative critics, who were riled when a video recently surfaced of Jones telling an audience that Republicans "are assholes." Glenn Beck has ranted about Jones's purported communism.

Jones is a liberal who's generally been recognized by the left as an environmental visionary; Will DiNovi profiled him for Atlantic Politics in March.

The statement, organized by 9/11Truth.org--billed as the online home of "The 9/11 Truth Movement"--lists 12 alleged 9/11 discrepancies and demands answers to them, such as "Why did the Bush administration cover up the fact that the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency was in Washington the week of 9/11 and reportedly had $100,000 wired to Mohammed Atta, considered the ringleader of the hijackers?"

Other signers include Ralph Nader, Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin, former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), and Howard Zinn.

The recent "birther" phenomenon resurrected the 9/11 truth movement into the public consciousness earlier this summer, as commentators drew parallels. The Jones signature reminds us that, as noted in the polls of the time, lots of people thought 9/11 may well have involved a cover-up. Carpenter, a conservative commentator herself, proclaims Jones to be among the "truthers."

Further Glenn Beck ranting, and myriad conservative blog criticism, will undoubtedly ensue.