RSSStaying Loyal or Cutting Losses?
Should President Obama have insisted on keeping Van Jones as his "green jobs" adviser after conservative critics began making an issue of Jones's radical past? What signal does this send to other administration officials? Should officials be vetted for their political views? How does a leader make the trade-off between loyalty to a valued colleague and protecting an organization's public image?
Loyalty, Schmoyalty
Van Jones had to go. For the president to keep him would have been somewhere between gratuitous masochism and pandering to constituents who are already on the team.
Nation First
The president will suffer a hit over this episode, but the greater concern is that the national agenda is sidetracked
Obama's Failure
Loyalty creates loyalty and sacrificing Jones was a mistake that may prove costly.
Taking One for the Team
In politics, there is only one person who is not expendable: in this case, the president. If a member of staff becomes a distraction, it is a time-honored tradition in politics for that person to take one for the team.
Victory for Demagogues
If the president wasn't battling attacks against positive educational messages and a fact-based health-care debate, he should have fought for Van.
Not Worth Fighting For
I imagine President Obama was not very sorry to see Van Jones leave.
Waiting for Choppy Water
Values guide organizations -- and administrations -- so you can't wait for choppy waters to get serious about living those values.
Loss of Confidence
While Mr. Jones likely violated no rule or law, he lost the trust and confidence of the administration that he could serve without bias.
Opt for Effectiveness
It's not enough to be bright, or even right; you also have to be effective.
aahpat: This firing clearly demonstrates that Barack Obama is not a leader but rather a reactionary who will obediently do the bidding of any extrem...
amazd: The real question is why it took someone like Glenn Beck to expose Van Jones while the Washington Post ignored the story. ...
david-mckenzie: A typical Obama appointee: Marxist; multiple arrest record; hate-filled; unable to speak grammatically correct English; purveyor of vile and...
