Charles Freeman

It was big news this week when it was found out that Charles Freeman was rumoured to become the head of the National Intelligence Council. This rumour immediately stoked passionate debate on how appropriate a decision this was, considering that Freeman is an unabashed supporter of Saudi Arabia and China, and is extremely critical of Israel. Eventually, he took himself out of consideration due to this backlash, but he left in a 'classy' way by saying the Israel Lobby had made up lies about him. Glenn Greenwald on Salon wholeheartedly agreed, with an idiotic defense. His proof: One or two senators said they didn't want him because of his views in Israel. The senators had no say in picking this guy. This was about all the proof he could muster. Everyone who claims there is an Israel Lobby is simply Anti-Israel, and are so dumbfounded that people don't agree with them, simply resort to making up imaginary cabals.
Mark Steyn says it well:
HH: Well, let’s look at one aspect of that. The short-lived nomination of Chas Freeman to be the head of the Intelligence estimates. What did you make of this? I’ve got Glenn Greenwald of Salon coming on next hour, who’s seeing the Israeli lobby behind every stump here.

MS: Yeah, yeah.

HH: What did you make of this?

MS: Yeah, exactly. I love the way that no matter how we’re out of power, you know, it’s the sinister neocons who still control everything. The Democrats control the House, they control the Senate, they control the White House, but still three or four people with Jewish names are making all the key decisions. It’s not, he didn’t get, his nomination wasn’t scuttled because he was anti-Israel. It’s because he’s pro-Saudi. It’s because he’s on the payroll of the House of Saud. It’s because he’s a propagandist for one of the ugliest and most unlovely regimes that’s done a very good job of buying up just about everything it needs to buy up, and everyone it needs to buy up, in the United States. And because he knew he couldn’t withstand the heat of hearings, he pulled out. Most people, if you read the New York Times, Washington Post, they don’t know anything about the controversy, because those papers being friends of Obama didn’t even report it. But Charles Freeman understood that he couldn’t withstand the heat of hearings, because he’s basically been a press agent for the Saudi royal family, which no self-respecting American should be doing.

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=6ad0b109-768c-4f24-9090-223ef6772cbe
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/03/14/robert-fulford-obama-s-curious-intelligence-appointee-suffered-death-by-blogging.aspx

One last question. What lobby pressured Bill Richardson to drop his cabinet post? And the several other appointees who dropped out during this process? Criticism of a man for his past actions does not indicate a shadowy Lobby controlling American foreign policy.