Are you being served?

Van Jones is a longtime activist for environmental and prison reform causes, and, up until yesterday, was brought in to be Obama's "green jobs" czar. The trouble with having activists near the White House, though, is that they often say true things which are Not Serious. Jones apparently signed in a petition in 2004 which may have had a loose connection to 9/11 Trooferism. Given Jones long history in activism, this seems like a marginal offense, and he has denied ever being a Troofer. Nonetheless, he's been purged, because liberals are disposable.

Soon after the election, the Administration began corralling the big liberal DC interest groups into a variety of organizations and communication networks through which they telegraphed their wishes -- into a virtual veal pen. The 8:45 am morning call co-hosted by the "liberal" Center for American Progress, Unity 09, and Common Purpose are just a few of the overt ways that the White House controls its left flank and maintains discipline.

My own experience with the Veal Pen came indirectly, when some of them had the temerity to launch a campaign against Blue Dogs. They were rebuked and humiliated in front of their peers as a lesson to them all at a Common Purpose meeting, which is run by lobbyist Erik Smith. White House communications director Ellen Moran attends. It isn't an arms-length relationship between these groups and the administration.

A few weeks ago, Rahm Emanuel showed up at a Common Purpose meeting and called these liberal groups "fucking stupid" for going after Blue Dogs on health care and ordered them not to do so any more. Since that time, to the best of my knowledge, none of them have.

Ah, I knew Rahm Emanuel would be delightful to have around. And to think, some people believed he might occasionally turn that hard-assedness on Republicans!