Posted on 03/11/2009 5:53:17 PM PDT by SJackson
12, 2009; Page A18
FORMER ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. looked like a poor choice to chair the Obama administration's National Intelligence Council. A former envoy to Saudi Arabia and China, he suffered from an extreme case of clientitis on both accounts. In addition to chiding Beijing for not crushing the Tiananmen Square democracy protests sooner and offering sycophantic paeans to Saudi King "Abdullah the Great," Mr. Freeman headed a Saudi-funded Middle East advocacy group in Washington and served on the advisory board of a state-owned Chinese oil company. It was only reasonable to ask -- as numerous members of Congress had begun to do -- whether such an actor was the right person to oversee the preparation of National Intelligence Estimates.
It wasn't until Mr. Freeman withdrew from consideration for the job, however, that it became clear just how bad a selection Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair had made. Mr. Freeman issued a two-page screed on Tuesday in which he described himself as the victim of a shadowy and sinister "Lobby" whose "tactics plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency" and which is "intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government." Yes, Mr. Freeman was referring to Americans who support Israel -- and his statement was a grotesque libel.
For the record, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee says that it took no formal position on Mr. Freeman's appointment and undertook no lobbying against him. If there was a campaign, its leaders didn't bother to contact the Post editorial board. According to a report by Newsweek, Mr. Freeman's most formidable critic -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- was incensed by his position on dissent in China.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Even the Washington Post gets it.
What's striking about the charges by Mr. Freeman and like-minded conspiracy theorists is their blatant disregard for such established facts. Mr. Freeman darkly claims that "it is not permitted for anyone in the United States" to describe Israel's nefarious influence. But several of his allies have made themselves famous (and advanced their careers) by making such charges -- and no doubt Mr. Freeman himself will now win plenty of admiring attention. Crackpot tirades such as his have always had an eager audience here and around the world. The real question is why an administration that says it aims to depoliticize U.S. intelligence estimates would have chosen such a man to oversee them.
And another one bites the dust. LOL
God help us.
Isn’t it telling that this administration, which received unprecedented levels of transition cooperation from President Bush, still can’t get it right?
By contrast, President Bush was thrown in without a “honeymoon” or much help (and perhaps more than one act of hindrance) from the outgoing Clinton people in 2000 , and did a far better job putting a team together than the lightweight we have now has done.
What a sad excuse for a nominee. Going out the door with no class.
Yes, though BHO's complete inability to assess associates character should have been obvious to anyone familiar with his background. A shame McCain refused to raise an important issue, BHO's poor judgement.
“Yes, though BHO’s complete inability to assess associates character should have been obvious to anyone familiar with his background. A shame McCain refused to raise an important issue, BHO’s poor judgement.”
Nail on the head, my friend, on all counts.
It’s gonna be a loooong four years.
He can blame the Jews. He doesn’t like the Jews and the Jews don’t like him
By the MSM and the UnAmerican Democrat Party in Congress.
It was despicable behavior.
And a matter of months later was 9/11.
President Bush, VP Cheney, Rummy, Condi, all were rocks, very steady, and never let us see them sweat.
We were lucky to have had them.
Gee, are you saying that you don’t have the same confidence in Mr President Bareback Oblunder? Come on, just because the guy has no business or political experience to handle the job, and has made some horrible decisions so far, that he can’t grow into the job?!
Bears repeating since you say it so well!
This guy wasn’t nominated by Obama.
Anyway, you should hear his statement. Anti-jewish obsession, but, he had to deal with the China and Saudi issue somehow, so he quickly stated “I never took money from a foreign government.”
Weasel words. He took money from a company owned by the Chinese government and his Saudi money to his org came from a prince, not the Saudi government directly.
This guy wasn’t nominated by Obama.
Anyway, you should hear his statement. Anti-jewish obsession, but, he had to deal with the China and Saudi issue somehow, so he quickly stated “I never took money from a foreign government.”
Weasel words. He took money from a company owned by the Chinese government and his Saudi money to his org came from a prince, not the Saudi government directly.
“his Saudi money to his org came from a prince, not the Saudi government directly.”
About as convincing as “I didnt inhale” - the princes *are* the Government, it’s a Kingdom!
Obama, once again, demonstrating what he keeps denying.
“He can blame the Jews. He doesn’t like the Jews and the Jews don’t like him”
That’s what I think. I think he chose Jewish Ram Emanuel to give the public someone tangible to blame as he moves to acoomplilsh his Marxist vision.
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