Another Resignation From Obama's Team

Who are these people?

a baseball fans leaving a ballpark in the 1930s
b car buyers checking out a used car lot
c people at an antique car show
d Obama government appointees dropping out


Yesterday, Charles Freeman resigned his post as chairman of the National Intelligence Council only hours after National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told a Senate committee that he stood behind him (Freeman).

Freeman had been appointed as chair of the council responsible for producing objective and non-partisan intelligence estimates based on information and analysis from the national intelligence agencies.

Yet, Freeman's background suggested that his recommendations would be less than objective. Freeman, formerly US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has been a critic not only of Israel, but of the war in Iraq as well as the war on terror. In addition, Freeman served as president of the Middle East Policy Council, which had received funding from Saudi Arabia. As if that wasn't enough, Freeman is on the board of advisers to an oil company owned by the Chinese Government.

Well, I don't see why he wouldn't be an excellent choice for the position, do you?

Not surprisingly, several Republican lawmakers and a few Democrats had questioned Freeman's ability to be objective in the light of his past comments about the Israeli Government and his ties to other governments.

In announcing his resignation, Freeman huffily wrote, "I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record would not cease upon my entry into office".

Libelous, Mr Freeman? You are a public figure serving in a government post closely tied to the public interest. I would suggest that the bar is pretty high for you to prove libel if you are indeed considering a lawsuit.