Do the Right Thing...

Van Jones, the former Green Jobs "czar" who stepped down in September "did the right thing" according to White House senior adviser David Axelrod.

Speaking at the University of Delaware, Axelrod praised Jones for his advocacy for green jobs and alternative energy, but said his resignation was because of Jones' commitment to his job, and not because of the swirl of controversy.

"He removed himself because he knew, because the focus was being shifted from the issue to controversies around some of his statements," Axelrod said. "I think he did the right thing. I think he showed his commitment on the issue by removing himself," Axelrod added. But Axelrod danced around the real issue that was asked about, if Jones' resignation had anything to do with race relations in the country. "I don't think that was the test on the issue of race," he said, not really explaining his view of what race relations in the United States are at this moment. But Axelrod did admit, the noise around Jones that forced him to step down was a view shared by more than just Obama administration detractors. " I think the case that was made against him was one that concerned many people," he said.

Jones was an easy target for his detractors after it came to light he had signed a 2004 petition implicating the Bush administration in the terror attacks of September 11. Jones said he didn't know what he was signing at the time, but his admission could not stop calls for him to step down, and he eventually gave in, resigning his position on September 6.