Another Obama Nominee Withdraws

President Obama’s nominee to chair the National Intelligence Council has ended his bid, but he’s not going down quietly: In a statement after his withdrawal, Chas Freeman wrote, “The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired,” referring to the Israel lobby. Freeman has been, at times, a harsh critic of Israel, but was also criticized for his connections to the Saudi government and for statements he had made about China—he apparently supported the Chinese government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protestors at Tiananmen Square. Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, is taking credit for Freeman’s defeat.