CNN host Van Jones commended the conservative movement for becoming “the leader” on criminal justice reform today while speaking today at CPAC — the biggest annual right-wing gathering in America.

“The conservative movement in this country, unfortunately from my point of view, is now the leader on this issue of reform,” the Van Jones Show host said while appearing on stage with American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp, who organizes CPAC. “Republican governors are being tough on the dollar, tough on crime, and shrinking prison populations.

“They’re stealing my issue!” he added, before telling audience members asking him to join the GOP that he will still “stay in my party.”

Jones continued his praise of conservatives by telling them to “take some dadgum credit for being smart. Take some dadgum credit for getting it right.”

He did draw boos from the ultra-conservative crowd at one point during the discussion, as he pointed out that “undocumented immigrants right now have a lower crime rate than the rest of us,” a statistic backed by the Cato Institute.

In classic-Jones fashion, the liberal commentator repeatedly made calls for bipartisanship.

“I’ve never seen a bird fly with only one wing,” Jones said. “We need each other.”

Watch above, via CSPAN.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2C0zsIG