By wrapping up the whole conference with partisan paper, Van Jones gave all Americans and the corporate media a rock-solid rationale to ignore a massive movement that crosses party lines and draws thousands of activists from all across the nation. By tying the message of the conference up with partisan ribbon, Van Jones subverted the organizing efforts of 3,500 attendees who came to the conference not to be swept under Obama's banner of change, but rather to deliver a powerful, nonpartisan message of independence from a flawed, corporate media and political system.

“Change we can believe in” is a very low bar for a presidential candidate, lower than being a carbon-based lifeform, and indeed Barack Obama meets it. However, Barack Obama did not represent everyone in the room. He never saw a war funding bill he didn't like. He wants to leave thousands of troops and contractors in Iraq's Green zone and rattles sabers at Iran and Pakistan. He has supported collective punishment against civilian populations. His healthcare plan is Mitt Romney's failed Massachusetts plan and he supports putting coal in your gas tank.

As Naomi Klein most eloquently put it on Saturday night, even Barack Obama can not be trusted to accomplish many of the reforms we desire because we must hold his feet to the fire to make sure that he understands our sincerity as individuals and as a movement that will not be satisfied until our goals are accomplished. Obama will not vote in favor of reform unless we ask that he earn our vote with his actions. Thanks so much, Van, for letting Barack know exactly how many positions he must concede to win our votes! Thank you, Van for treating Barack Obama as a rockstar who needs to demonstrate nothing to win our votes.

Van Jones should deliver a formal, written apology on the FreePress website for subverting the intentions of the attendees and I will ask him to do so.

Colin Lee

In interest of full disclosure, I am a Green Party candidate for MN State House.

By wrapping up the whole conference with partisan paper, Van Jones gave all Americans and the corporate media a rock-solid rationale to ignore a massive movement that crosses party lines and draws thousands of activists from all across the nation. By tying the message of the conference up with partisan ribbon, Van Jones subverted the organizing efforts of 3,500 attendees who came to the conference not to be swept under Obama’s banner of change, but rather to deliver a powerful, nonpartisan message of independence from a flawed, corporate media and political system.

“Change we can believe in” is a very low bar for a presidential candidate, lower than being a carbon-based lifeform, and indeed Barack Obama meets it. However, Barack Obama did not represent everyone in the room. He never saw a war funding bill he didn’t like. He wants to leave thousands of troops and contractors in Iraq’s Green zone and rattles sabers at Iran and Pakistan. He has supported collective punishment against civilian populations. His healthcare plan is Mitt Romney’s failed Massachusetts plan and he supports putting coal in your gas tank.

As Naomi Klein most eloquently put it on Saturday night, even Barack Obama can not be trusted to accomplish many of the reforms we desire because we must hold his feet to the fire to make sure that he understands our sincerity as individuals and as a movement that will not be satisfied until our goals are accomplished. Obama will not vote in favor of reform unless we ask that he earn our vote with his actions. Thanks so much, Van, for letting Barack know exactly how many positions he must concede to win our votes! Thank you, Van for treating Barack Obama as a rockstar who needs to demonstrate nothing to win our votes.

Van Jones should deliver a formal, written apology on the FreePress website for subverting the intentions of the attendees and I will ask him to do so.

Colin Lee

In interest of full disclosure, I am a Green Party candidate for MN State House.