Candor and community activism vaulted Van Jones to the White House, but what were once seen as assets became liabilities amid the rough and rapid churn of the 24-hour cable-news cycle. Jones resigned over the Labor Day weekend as President Obama's special adviser for "green jobs, enterprise and innovation," after reports linked him to efforts several years ago suggesting a U.S. government role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Jones is Obama's first environmental adviser to resign, but conservative adversaries are vowing to dig deeper into the past of other policy "czars" to raise questions about the president's judgment and policies. Go to story #1