Booted for challenging Israel.

Byline: EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON

Let's cut the bull. President Obama gave the swift boot to Freeman. And it had nothing to do with his alleged financial hanky-panky with the Chinese or Saudis. Or even his bizarre labeling of the Tibetan uprising as a "race riot."

It was Freeman's mildly outspoken willingness to criticize Israeli policy, and that always means any talk of an evenhanded U.S. policy approach toward the Palestinians.

This is not to knock President Obama for yanking Freeman. Every president has had to kiss the Israeli lobby's ring. That is if they want to have any peace in office. There is simply no deviation allowed from the iron-fisted U.S. backing of Israeli policies. Obama would have had to risk a nasty fight over Freeman's nomination in Congress and the press. And Democratic senators made that crystal clear to him.

The Freeman washout, though, won't make the problem of how to attain a lasting Middle East peace go away. It's a problem that President Obama can't duck forever, Freeman or no Freeman.