CIA Director David Petraeus abruptly resigned today, citing an extramarital affair — six days before he was set to testify before House and Senate intelligence committees about the Benghazi attack.
His letter to CIA staff:
9 November 2012
Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the President to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA. After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.As I depart Langley, I want you to know that it has been the greatest of privileges to have served with you, the officers of our Nation’s Silent Service, a work force that is truly exceptional in every regard. Indeed, you did extraordinary work on a host of critical missions during my time as director, and I am deeply grateful to you for that.
Teddy Roosevelt once observed that life’s greatest gift is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. I will always treasure my opportunity to have done that with you and I will always regret the circumstances that brought that work with you to an end.
Thank you for your extraordinary service to our country, and best wishes for continued success in the important endeavors that lie ahead for our country and our Agency.
With admiration and appreciation,
David H. Petraeus
Petraeus, a four-star general, was commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. forces in Afghanistan and CENTCOM commander, as well as commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq.
“David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades. By any measure, he was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end. As Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, he has continued to serve with characteristic intellectual rigor, dedication, and patriotism. By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger,” President Obama said in a statement issued moments after the news broke.
“Today, I accepted his resignation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe. Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time.”
Petraeus was scheduled to testify at a closed-door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Benghazi next week, along with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy, FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce and National Counterterrorism Center Director Matt Olsen.
Petraeus, Clapper, and Olsen were also tapped to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on the same day (Thursday) and topic.
Lawmakers have been critical of Petraeus for telling members of Congress in a Benghazi briefing three days after the Sept. 11 attack that the deadly assault was linked to protests over an anti-Muhammad video.
There is one other Benghazi hearing on the Hill next week, and the only open-door one of the three: The House Foreign Affairs Committee has invited Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a Thursday panel. The only other confirmed witness is a RAND Corp. analyst.
Petraeus had not been on the list of positions expected to be changed in the new administration. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who led the CIA before Petraeus, is known to want to retire soon.
UPDATE: The Senate Intelligence Committee announced that Acting CIA Director Michael Morrell will testify Thursday in Petraeus’ place. This doesn’t mean that Petraeus couldn’t be subpoenaed by Congress at some point.
UPDATE: The other woman has been identified as Paula Broadwell, author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus. Broadwell is married with two young boys. NBC News reports that the FBI was investigating Broadwell for trying to access Petraeus’ email and potentially accessing classified information.
Guess it’s better to go down for sins of the flesh than for cowardice under fire. Good riddance. Run with your tail tucked as far from Benghazi-gate as you can.
Somehow I don’t think he’s resigning three days after the election because of an affair
Keep an eye on what is happening in Chicago
Why are Blagojevich’s attorney’s silent?
http://illinoispaytoplay.com/2012/11/09/why-are-blagojevichs-attorneys-silent/
Petraeus! Try Betrayus. Ass kissing poor excuse for a man.
This man should be legally forced to testify. Prosecuted for trying to get out of it as well as murder of 4 americans
What is this, you and gary have a genius club? He’s one Helluva lot easier to compel to testify as a citizen than as an appointed and confirmed Executive Branch officer. You think maybe he never thought of that either?
Well, that is interesting. When I first heard that Gen. Petraeus had resigned, I thought it was so that he could testify free and clear in the Nov. 15 hearing behind closed doors. For him to cite an extramarital affair as his reason for resigning implies something else entirely – he could have simply resigned without confessing his affair – so why? He just took away any future effort at pressure or blackmail that maybe brought to bear.
Bingo! The communist SOB’s threatened to out him, whether true or not, if he didn’t take the rap for the Consulate. He did a premptive strike.
Doesn’t matter if he was having an affair or not; if you’re accused, you’re guilty. If you’re a Democrat you get an award for it, a Republican you get slimed for it.
I really can’t imagine a guy as far up the food chain as him having an affair, but it is really easy to set a guy up and sometimes even very experienced guys find themselves thinking with the wrong head and pay the price. Don’t ask me how I know!
my first thought, he was threatened than called the bluff and resigned. now lets see how the cards are played. Jarrett did threaten everyone against her once they ‘one’ now didn’t she? The lefty media has been acting very strange since Monday. I suspect that a lot of extra votes were cast in critical counties across the country….and it’s already been proven the machines are hackable. Food for thought
“The lefty media has been acting very strange since Monday.”
Like Kucinich publicly stated, they’re worried about Obamacare. They were sold a bill of goods. Even the insurance companies who bought out the Democrats are worried their monster got out of control with the wonk writers.
Actually I was thinking more along the lines of votes for Republicans being vaporized. It just doesn’t add up: the media was all over the story about how huge the turnout was this year, both in early voting and on Tuesday, but when the popular vote totals came in, there were about 10 million fewer votes cast in the Presidential race this year than in 2008. Since the population of voting age adults has actually risen since then, and the turnout was supposedly enormous, it just doesn’t make any sense that there was a 6% drop in the total number of votes cast for President. And then the President and Democratic Senate candidates just happen to win Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio in squeakers? I don’t buy it.
My thoughts, too. The drop off of conservative voters, given the crowds Romney gathered pre-election, is contrary my logic.
Petraus was to be blackmailed into shutting up, too.
T’was a time when out of date newspapers were used to wrap freshly bought fish – but the stench from this matter cannot be contained by newspaper, old or today;s versions. Once again, the truth is elusive. Has anyone thought that this excuse might be made as an easy way out – with full knowledge of his family and friends that it is just a sham ?How much easier is this course than to be facing accusers and having to be truthful. I don’t buy it – the stink is overwhelming !!
This has David Axelrod’s slimy hands all over it, check out Obama’s past foes and how they fell. Axelrod’s greasy tactics are front and center. They are out to destroy anyone and anything that poses a threat to them and the truth. I hope the General will employ his military strategy against this political enemy and show them the sword instead of falling on it.
Or, he decided to get it out in the open before they tried to blackmail him.
Yeah, I think there might be something more to this.
Benghazi…
What the Hell?
This news is bizarre. This makes no sense at all. Couldn’t the WH have Petraeus come up with something better than that? I guess, what with a thoroughly stupid electorate, this administration feels no need to even try hard to hide its dirty work.
Nah, Petraeus just threw the media lap dogs a huge juicy bone…something they can focus on instead of the poor handling of Benghazi-gate.
Any person that would cheat on his spouse, would lie to Congress.
Prove it. . .
OK smart guy I will.
Petraeus lied to Congress about the video being the initiating factor in the attack on the Benghazi post.
Petraeus had an affair.
You want me to cite the Bill Clinton example now?
So, rather than “any person” you meant to say Petreaus specifically because of specific precedence?
Al… take an enema – your hair is dirty.
To prove it, I give you Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, John Edwards, Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer, David Whu to name a few.
I believe he’s leaving, but I have doubts that it’s because of an affair.
I’ll take a swing at this – and maybe a whiff – ya just never know. Maybe Obama’s ‘guys’ (pick the culprits) may have had this on Petraeus for some time – just waiting for the right time to use it against him. Maybe Petraeus got antsy watching the CIC waffle on protecting American citizens (and American soil too) and decided enough was enough and thought to out POTUS for his inactions. He was then given a choice – we out your extramarital affair if you do – or quietly resign… He does neither and decides to resign stating his infidelity which clears him going forward to do as he pleases be it Benghazi or any other information he might want to disclose.
Maybe I’m wrong. But ya never know.
In regards to sense of duty and honor one could only hope so. That being said why wait in the first place..he should have raised a stink to begin with and once seeing how it was going to go resigned for that reason…in a very public manner.
I would not be surprised if “they” used the extra-marital affair ALREADY on Petraeus. That’s why he lied to Congress about Benghazi.
Instead of digging the hole deeper with his next congressional testimony, he came clean.
Petraeus is our Deep Throat.
This would be what makes the most sense to me, except that after 37 years of marriage and being deployed in Iraq for much of the 00′s, NOW he decides to bang a bimbo?
As DCI? DCI!
Nope. This stinks to high heaven on its face.
This is like William Casey’s brain surgery when he was supposed to testify before Congress on Iran-Contra, and died on the operating table.
Nobody with two brain cells to rub together buys this at face value…nobody.
Which means that ABC, CBS and NBC will swallow it at a gulp.
Re: Bill Casey, he really DID have a glioma brain tumor (the Teddy Special) and was on the way out.
Not being his doctor, I have no way to confirm or debunk that, he may quite possibly HAVE had something else in his cocnut other than what should have been there.
My point though, was that it was a mighty fortuitous time and a totally painless way to check out of the Game and go to the Big Safe House In The Sky.
Same thought. What better way to sidestep blackmail than to ‘out’ yourself. If he was being threatened, this is a master move. As for the affair stuff, I doubt it. Generals’ wives are usually iron fists in velvet gloves. Either she suggested the ‘affair’ excuse or has enough mettle to handle the damage – whether it’s fact or frame-up. Either way, I’m in the General’s corner until I learn more.
I hope they are sharing a good laugh as we write.
His wife is the daughter of the Gen. William Knowlton Supt. of the U.S. Military Academy and is currently working in the Obama administration in the new CFPB.
I do not believe, after watching the Jon Stewart interview that Mrs. Broadwell is a honey pot. Although she was being investigated for trying to access Gen. Petraeus’ email. It may come to nothing but a powerful man’s indiscretion. We shall see if he is compelled to testify. If not then it was an dishonorable action by a lonely man. If so, well we may yet see the collapse of another American President.
As if the election results were not enough of a horror show you are suggesting that Joe Biden may become our next president? Good grief! Joe Biden, Harry Reid, and John Boehner all trying to man the helm as our ship-of-state goes beneath the waves. At least maybe there will be some laughs along the way as we head for the bottom.
Paleo–You may be onto something. Petraeus would actually display integrity by confessing his sins rather than screwing the nation with the Big Lie from Team Obama. The only just resolution to this would be for the C-in-C, the One, to resign. (Congress could actually deal with Uncle Joe.) But such is the stuff dreams are made of. We shall overcome.
Bye bye von Fritsch, where is von Blomberg?
Yes. it’s certainly interesting to see how dictators operate, isn’t it.
Perhaps Obama should be looking for a Keitel or Jodl.
Or,God help us, a Walther Model. I’m sure we can find one or two.
Thanks very much for the historical reference. I appreciate it.
We need von Seeckt.
Perhaps.
Well, we do know what happened to the head of the Abwehr, Adm. Canaris?
Meathooks through your lower jawbone are a bitch! I can think of some people who deserve it though.
..so this makes Hillary our von Neurath and who will be our present-day von Ribbentrop, John Kerry? He’s certainly as dense and obtuse as “Herr von Brickendrop.” And Joe Biden is much more Rudolf Hess than Martin Bormann—I think Valerie Jarrett fills that role capably. You know, I really appreciate this historical reference too; I haven’t laughed this hard since Tuesday, I know that! And it makes it much easier to characterize these unfunny fools in Washington when I think of the malevolent dolts of the Third Reich!
I’m not buying his story. I smell something fishy here.
and so he slithers away.
I’m thinking we won’t know the real truth until his book comes out mid 2013.
Ace has a rumor that it was with a Fauxcohantas staffer. If that’s true, he’s either dumber than a stump or he was set up. Easy enough to get some Democrat twit to say she slept with him. Any of you ever tried denying that you’d slept with a particular decent-looking woman?
And when it comes to staffers, all you really need to know about a staffer is who she works for and judge your actions accordingly. If you wouldn’t want her boss to know you were having an affair with her, don’t have an affair with her, don’t even be seen with her, if she shows up beside you in a bar, leave.
When I first saw this, I was thinking more along the lines of a “Huma”; if thats the case he did the prudent and upright thing..
Seems hard to imagine since Petraeus is darn-near a midget and she would tower over him……….unless of course she was paid.
I was thinking more in the ethnicity and religious sense than the height sense. Who knows what secrets or plans may have been compromised in that scenario.
Yes, yes I have. Mind you, she wasn’t the one making the accusation, and the disgraces to the uniform who made the baseless claim were most likely trying to embarrass her rather than me.
applicable Gibbs’ Rules:
16 If someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.
36 If it feels like you’re being played, you probably are.
39 There is no such thing as coincidence.
http://www.ncisfanwiki.com/page/NCIS%3A+Gibbs+Rules
actually, I feel like I need more Orwell, less NCIS…
this was back in OCTOBER!!!!!!
Today’s news, that according to e-mails, U.S. officials knew the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 killing four Americans, including our Ambassador, was a terrorist attack within two hours.
Obviously, this means CIA Director General David Petraeus immediately knew most, if not all of the details.
So why did General Petraeus stay quiet when the president and his administration, insisted for two weeks, that the attack was a response to a video, including Obama’s speech before the United Nations when his boss mentioned the video as the root cause of the attack several times?
This leads one to ask the following questions:
Did Petraeus knowingly take part in the Obama administration’s cover-up?
If so, he should resign.
However, if General Petraeus is not involved in what is looking more like a cover-up, than why has he not resigned his post as Director of the CIA to save his own credibility?
General Petraeus, clearly one of the nation’s most respected leaders, now occupying an important civilian national security post, will be central to unraveling all the questions swirling around this attack that is now “growing like a cancer on the presidency.”
OK, all sorts of weird smells to this one, but setting that aside, and as far as Congress goes…..
SO??
He is still under subpoena, I assume, or certainly subpoena-able. It’s not like this can preclude his testimony in any. He was there, facts are facts, Congress wants to know, so let’s hear it. Whether he is current or former has no bearing on whether he is obligated to testify.
Very interesting. Commence conspiracy theories.
– convenient.
Hey is that Russian attack sub still lurking off the coast?
I believe it was followed by a US Navy ship farther away from the coast…interesting isn’t it?
This comes as a complete surprise. However, this in no way disqualifies him from running for President in 2016 – as a Democrat.
You guys are too young to remember, but the members of the nomenklatura of the Soviet Union that the regime wanted out were declared to suffer from “a severe cold”.
Petraeus has a severe cold.
This regime is becoming a bad copy of everything bad ever happened.
wait a minute…….now isn’t adultery grounds for court martial in the military, and/or or loss of commission?
His wife should give him the Bobbit treatment…..
He’s retired, UCMJ doesn’t apply to him anymore (don’t believe he’s in the reserves either.)
The UCMJ applies fully to all retired military – enlisted as well as to officers that are drawing retirement pay (UCMJ article 2 (a)(4)). For Patraeus the matter could be taken up in congress where they could cut his retirement status. He could also be tried and convicted in a military court although that is unlikely. I recall something like that had been done many years ago but I can’t recall the name – or even the branch that officer had served in.
I vaguely remember that. It was a soldier who had been involved in murdering some Iraqis, but had ETS’d by the time prosecutions were being whipped up. So he was recalled to service so he could be tried under the UCMJ.
Well, there’s one good thing to come out of this: Those “conservatives” who have been touting him as Presidential material will have to find another Muslim-loving RINO to back.
Oh, wait, maybe they’ll focus on Christie….
At the rate he seems to be digging his grave with his teeth, that may be moot.
Probably just me, but the second sentence in particular seems to be very. carefully. worded.
“Teddy Roosevelt once observed that life’s greatest gift is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. I will always treasure my opportunity to have done that with you and I will always regret the circumstances that brought that work with you to an end.”
Petraeus like Teddy Roosevelt is a Scorpio. He’s a West Point graduate and doesn’t lie. He doesn’t think the organization he’s working for is honorable and is no longer worth his time.
Not sure I believe this resignation excuse, but if this poor devil isn’t going through hell right now, I’d be very surprised. If it is true, I see it as likely a symptom of far more devastating inner turmoil.
Benghazi is nothing if not emblematic of the catastrophe our utterly deluded Middle East foreign policy is, and his role in having set the stage for what happened there would seem undeniable to all but the least introspective of persons.
In his unwavering championship of our nation-building stance and all that goes with it, having famously endorsed and positioned it as the cornerstone of the updated counterinsurgency manual he co-authored along with General James F. Amos in 2006, he has facilitated the acceptance, as a matter of policy, of our own government’s providing less than full support for the survival needs of our fighting men all over the ME. And in Benghazi, in front of the entire world, that translated into the unthinkable.
Thus it would seem hard to believe that the insupportable way in which our brave SEALS perished hasn’t become the stuff of his nightmares. And as the needless deaths of more and more men whose bravery at this point would certainly seem to call into question his own, mount up, perhaps some sense of culpability has begun to seep through his defenses.
Obviously all total conjecture on my part. But if any of it is true, I can only wish him absolution, redemption, and peace. Actually, I guess it’s what I wish for him in any case.
“Benghazi is nothing if not emblematic of the catastrophe our utterly deluded Middle East foreign policy is, and his role in having set the stage for what happened there would seem undeniable to all but the least introspective of persons. ”
I wish I could say that our Middle East policy was deluded, that would be an improvement IMO.
I would say that our ME policy is “conflicted”.
Too many spoons a-stirrin’ in THAT stew-pot.
This piece of shit better get his “philandering” ass up on crapital hill and testify.
Ann Barnhardt is right…we’ve been taken over by a Neo-Stalinist putsch.
God help us all.
Why must there be a conspiracy behind every little thing? An extraordinarily honorable man says he has an extramarital affair that compromised his position as head of the CI, so he resigns. The Labor Dept cooked the numbers, Obama is a Muslim (or born in Kenya, or secretly gay married), Chris Stevens was murdered (while Obama watched!)for uncovering a Libya to Syria arms smuggling operation, Fast and Furious was created to generate support for gun control laws, FEMA camps, New Black Panthers and black helicopters, etc. etc. Perhaps engaging in wld speculation makes people feel better but it adds little to the conversation, expects maybe over at Infowars. The guy says he had an affair and resigns.
If thats all there ever was – an affair – and no cloak and dagger stuff in the background then its quite boring. I hate boring stories. We shall see.
Like others have said – keep picking at the fabric of the story – if the truth has been told then there will be no unraveling – and if the story has been fabricated then it’ll unravel faster than a ball of yarn with 3 kittens having their way with it.
What we need to be told (and maybe Bridget doesn’t know) is this:
is he going to testify anyway?
In other words:
did he resign to avoid testifying, or did he resign to be free to tell the truth?
Anyone – private citizen or federal employee – can be compelled to testify before congress. I’m just guessing but I don’t think there will be any way in hell he can avoid it. The Nov. 15th appearance he was to have made was in front of the Senate. No way do the Democrats want to hear from him now. The House? Oh yeah – they can’t wait to get him in front of them.
Heck, cheating on a wife used to be able to get you Al Gore stating you were the best President of the United States ever before an outdoors press conference. Things go downhill, I suppose.
On a serious note–he might be peempting an attempt to impeach his testimony coming up.
It’s the new Stalinism, nothing more. The administration wanted him out and dishonored for some reason.
That would be my same post at #21…
A severe cold! Didn’t know that one. LOL!
One thing this most likely does is prevent Petraeus from testifying to Congress. While he was the D/CIA he could speak behind closed doors. Now, as a civilian, he most certainly cannot without formal permission from 0.
“Now, as a civilian, he most certainly cannot without formal permission from 0.”
Not true. Obie can’t invoke “executive privilege” to shield a civilian from testifying in Congress as long as “precautions” are taken to protect classified materials.
The level of implausibility about the whole thing is not diminished by this one bit of “news”.
Boy, oh boy, the staff and flag officers of the Army dropping like flies!
General Petraeus had a choice. He could have returned home and retired from active service and remained an American military icon like most great generals do. But, he chose to remain in the public and in a top government position knowing full well the posssiblity of public disgrace and fall from greatness. he probably would have endured such a blip had he retired from the public view.
Regardless, he is just the latest of many to disgrace the Army Officers Corps.
Quitting does not exempt him from testifying.
May be someone is blackmailing him to testify the way that someone wants him to. He would rather out himself than to slice and dice what “is” is under oath.
28: I think he resigned to be free to tell the truth.
A paranoid would advise him to be more careful than Gen. Patton when crossing the street.
The chief intelligence officer was not even capable of covering up his extramarital affair. What a surprise! A police detective from Alabama can be smarter.
Benghazi is a matter of interest only to Conservatives. You need a bunch of ancillary conspiracy theories to turn it into anything of great general significance. The public isn’t buying into your stories at this point so raging about them out loud is probably just going to cement your growing reputation as a bunch of fruitcakes. By all means proceed!
It seems a number of Democrats are also calling for investigations and documents.
GM
To be clear: I have no problem with congressional investigations into Benghazi, and I wouldn’t be particularly surprised if various people made mistakes in dealing with the situation. What I’m calling out is the Conservative fantasy that this event is some smoking gun demonstration of, what? Something dire, which we already know because we know that Obama is a Muslim/Commie/fascist/anti-imperalist, etc.
“demonstration of, what?”
Obama overruling a forceful rescue response. Jarret probably told him it would hurt the feelings of the locals.
JH, it’s like this:
From the office of the president on down, there is a written code to protect and defend Americans. It’s practically the first duty of a sworn representative. Although, to socialists, “duty” means something else. Duty to party and ideology, mostly.
The facts are pretty much out there that when the attack occurred, Obama was informed. He did nothing. His BS about “issuing three very specific orders” were all garbage. They meant nothing and I doubt they even happened. Remember, he’s a liar first and foremost.
Then, amidst the flurry of activity, four Americans died. According to many sources, the administration, for whatever reason, let it happen and took no action other than to send an unarmed drone to transmit information in real time.
No troops were mobilized and Hitlery was busy trying to find which imam to give a hand-job to in order to get permission to fly in Libyan airspace. Meanwhile, Americans are dying and they’re worried about some kind of administrative crap? It defies the smell-test.
As to the motivation behind the lack of action, one can only speculate and maybe someday the truth will come out but it’s not for a stupid video, no matter how much they scream it is. Yelling at a blue wall doesn’t make it green. But they are very good at “That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.” like an obstinate fifth-grader who got caught writing in the book.
You have too much faith in one kind of people and not enough in the other. Thinking that there were “just mistakes” is like saying water is “sort of” wet. Yes, mistakes were made. Egregious, heinous, intolerable mistakes were made.
Let’s ask:
If Bush was president and this had happened, how would the media cover it? Like they are now, or 24/7/365? I think the latter. Why are they completely uninterested in reporting on it? Because something in there might make O-dumbass look bad? “Optics”. Most certainly because he, and his incompetent lackey Hitlery do not know that the muslims WANT TO KILL US. They live in a bubble with ice cream and kool whip for everyone and never venture very far out of it.
It’s a basic human thing. Even children do it. When things are too ugly to deal with, they make up rationalizations, hide from it, or in the most extreme cases, fabricate a whole narrative that makes sense only to them.
They are hiding something. Your gut tells you this is so. But Socialists have long since stopped questioning the voice of their chosen ones, instead citing their magnificent display of sheepskins on the wall, their lofty rhetoric and to discredit them would be having to admit the heroes they’ve attached their hopes and dreams to are merely human; Flawed, ugly, who pick their noses and fart in elevators, just like everyone else.
An investigation is sorely needed to get to the facts, as you stated. If there’s conspiracy, then it should be found out by more questioning of those whose answers were contradictory, that don’t hold up under scrutiny and that just don’t make sense.
“It was the video” was the meme for three fracking DAYS. Then, it was “We didn’t have the right intelligence”. (Yeah? You can say that again). Then, they’ve gone silent and the media was soooOOOooo glad the hurricane hit. No more Benghazi—*whew*
BZZZZZTTTTTT! Wrong. It is still your turn. Spin the wheel again and your choices are: Benghazi or …..Benghazi. Not gonna go away.
“Benghazi is a matter of interest only to Conservatives.”
Sure. You have to look at it from a lefty POV, if you want to understand the indifference.
A lefty looks at like this: Will the events at Benghazi interfere with my welfare check? No? Then, who cares?
Apparently his resignation was caused by a video. It was not a terrorist attack.
GM
Best comment !
A porn video ?
“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” — Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four (1890).
So yesterday, the facts were the same, and he wasn’t resigning. Today, he did. So something happened, something changed. What was it? Who had a hand in it? That question can be asked under oath without in and of itself involving national security. Anxiously, we await the answer, Congressman Issa.
Since when do members of a democrat administration resign because of an affair?
His boss let 4 people die and lied to the country, and got reelected anyway.
You blame the vast right wing conspiracy and move on.
That’s how they roll.
Seriously, I just don’t buy it. But the media will make it all go away, so relax David, Barry can destroy the country by himself, thank you.
“An extraordinarily honorable man says he has an extramarital affair…”
ROTFL.
What’s wrong with this statement?
Normal people will quickly figure it out. Lefties never will.
Have you ever heard of Jack Profumo?
He passed away in March of 2007.
Read the obituaries on the UK Telegraph, BBC and London Times web sites. If you want batsh*t-crazed vitrol, check out the Guardian’s.
/I am certainly NOT excusing adultery — read the obits and learn what Honor looks like.
“Have you ever heard of Jack Profumo?”
Yeah. British scumbag, who honorably cheated on his wife, honorably lied about it to Parliament, and then honorably was forced to resign his positions in the British government of the day.
He might have honorably lied his way out of it, if only the broad he was banging hadn’t honorably been screwing dope dealers and Soviet naval attaches in addition to Profumo.
Just goes to show you, if you’re going to honorably break your marriage vows, and honorably cheat on your wife, you ought to be discrete in your choice of partners.
I meant discreet, not discrete.
You are right, up to the point of him lying before Commons.
So, what did he do with the rest of his life?
Just to say it, beware. You are sounding an AWFUL lot like the sanctimonious Guardian.
You . haven’t . a . clue .
So he had an affair with a severed horse’s head?
Repentance is the key in order to get close to the True God. I find something to repent for everyday. It is the self right who blind themselves to their sins. What faith and courage for this man to do this unlike that hermon Cain fella so it seems who now sees open door to lust for great power with his third party of wackos he wants to start
For those considering REPENTANCE
Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Dude. Wake up and fly right. Get with the program. It’s not at all clear that an affair actually happened.
Adultery is a VERY VERY VERY serious sin before the True God . That is why I like this movie when Nazi try to steal Gods’ wife and seduce her and look what happen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3KV4fLSNoU
God allows stoning even to this day for Adultery . Jesus with his kinfd mercy filled heart seeing abuse his poor Mama went through when they were about to stone evil woman he say: Let him without sin cast the first stone. So here in USA if Islam person who commits adultery have the freedom to convert to Christian and have lighter yoke not having to live anymore in the austerity of the desert unless of course desert conditions come to America by the hand of the True God
Who know the future?
Petraeus’ reason is certainly possible. Ike did.
But the circumstances suggest that the timing, including the delay until after the election, is somehow political. Exactly how? We don’t know yet, but Petraeus will be subpoenaed as sure as the sun comes up.
IMHO, the most likely scenario has Petraeus holding Barack Obama’s, and/or Hillary Clinton’s, political nuts in his hand. Petraeus likely did has he was told prior to the election, but now wants out, and Obama knows the General is calling the shots on that.
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Benghazi will destroy Obama’s Legacy.
I suspect the affair became known while Petraeus was going through the DCIA background investigations (BI). Yes, he most likely already possessed a TS/SCI clearance as a 4-star, but DCIA requires a level of BI unknown to most military officers.
If my above suspicion is correct and the affair was brought to the fore by the DCIA BI, then only a few persons could have adjudicated his DCIA clearance to allow him to serve as DCIA…persons high-up in the administration.
Obama did not find out about the affair yesterday, he knew about it all along…and used that knowledge when he needed it.
It’s the Chicago way.
Obama used the information when he needed it.
I agree with you – up to that point. Obama’s trouble is he tried to blackmail an honest man IMO. How could a Chicago trained thug like Obama possibly fathom that Petraeus would turn down the ‘offer’ and come clean – and resign? I’m guessing all this but it makes sense – not many other versions of this story do. If this is indeed what is happening then Petraeus better have a very good body guard because he’s going against a very vengeful man. Best to get his story out into the public airwaves quickly.
This interpretation makes sense. An affair is not such a big deal today, especially in the CIA, but Obama using it to pressure him would be the reason to go public with it and resign.
Okay, so could some CIA genius please leak Obama’s paperwork? My 10 year old has more public paperwork than that man.
And, second, now that he’s a lame duck, would someone with skillz please make a Barack and Kumar go to White Castle? I want something to laugh about in the next four years.
Smoke screen. The Wolves are closing in. Now that the election is over, the media can go to work on Benghazogate. They need the ratings. Somebody will have to take the sword, eat their pistol, get tossed off the wagon. It won’t be a member of the clown posse.
The good general is now wolf bait. As Congress drones on, he will get blamed for everything that has happened in D. C. the last 4 years. Hill-de-beast is trying to avoid being splattered by what the fan is putting out. Not sure that will work for her. Not sure it matters.
One thing Tuesday’s election proved was that reality has nothing to do with nothing.
The next 4 years will change that.
So tell me, if a conservative is a liberal that has been mugged, is a conservative society a liberal society that has been raped and pillaged?
I know a few people that lived in the former USSR – yes – they are a quite conservative – self reliant – and hard working people. The one I talk to most (good English) cannot understand why – with the mountain of evidence that Obama is such a poor president – did he manage to get reelected.
I was unable to answer that question for her.
Plenty of analyses are out there & it’s not easy to pick out any particular one but I am coming to the conclusion that it basically boiled down to the proverbial get-your-base-out-to-vote contest that the Obama campaign won hands down.
From now on it will all be like this.
It’s the night of the Republic.
Who’s the affair-ee? She’s supposed to be some kind of writer person. Any chance she’s a set-up / plant, too, like what was going on with the press in England? I read somewhere else that Obama’s MO is frequently tied to outing his opponents’ love lives / divorces. I’d love to hear what Mrs. P has to say, too.
Paula Broadwell — his biographer.
I google imaged everybody, like a good sexist. So…if your husband keeps his figure, you should try and keep yours. Just saying. Also, if he’s huge success and big shot and keeps his figure, you really need to keep yours. And the pretty journalist who wants to write his biography because he’s now such a big shot? Two by four upside the head. Just saying.
I hope he has round-the-clock protection before he testifies!
The obama mandate on birth control will see to that.
I expect this is the first of many shoes to drop. The timing, and reasoning is questionable.
All people wish healing for the Petraeus family. Every American knows some one who injured himself, his family, and perhaps his country, by this conduct. It is a reasonable response, but stands in contrast to others with less honorable motives, e.g. Bill Clinton. But would it have been more honorable, at an earlier date? In Iraq, Afghanistan, Langley? Gen. Petraeus will make something north of $17,000 per month in retirement. Money is not his problem, even after a divorce settlement. Is there something we do not know, but he does? This homeland security reorganization is a concern to me, the DoD, CIA, FBI, NSA, alphabet soup of secrets made me itchy. When each was created, circa WWII, there was much hue and cry about protection of our citizens against the police powers of the central government. Abu Ghaib was the direct result of the CIA rules conflicting with DoD rules on prisoner treatment. The conflict has never been fully resolved, in two supposedly opposing Administrations, with a military general leaving NSA, or DoD and commanding the CIA. Eisenhower is no longer current. His amended warning might be: Beware of the military, industrial, and mishmash of bureaucrats carrying automatic weapons and driving black Chevrolets. (Fords are currently out of favor.)
Petraeus made allies with some of the most socially conservative people on the planet. Families kill each other, for generations, over what he did. I doubt if this and Maryland’s new gay marriage law endear the USA in Western Pakistan, the home of our enemy. He resigned, out of honor, while dozens of dioceses employed priest with more grave dishonors, but none publicly quit with regrets. This religious hypocrisy has been published around the world, for a decade, and is now largely history. Yet it is rampart in our schools and no one has resigned in disgrace. His behavior in Hollywood would be considered normal, except for the resignation. Is our culture odd?
What makes our cultural leaders tick?
I think the timing is rather fishy.
I do wonder if he can voluntarily testify, and if he does can he be totally open and honest with congress, or does he get to hide behind classified materials excuses?
Also, I am curious how the new interim CIA director can honestly testify on this, if he wasn’t the person making the decisions.
I think this administration wants this to die. I think the MSM wants it to die, and the various liberals on the internet think conservatives concerned about Benghazi are wearing tinfoil hats while the rest of the liberals still think it was about a movie.
I don’t know why this is such a big deal as Petraeus has been having a long term affair with some chick named Sharia something or other, out in the open, and nobody batted an eyelash.
His love affair with Islam…you know…winning the hearts and minds….making sure troops don’t pee toward Mecca,…making sure Muslims aren’t offended by our troops presence, making sure our troops lives and limbs are subservient to every Muslim whim….the kind of destructive affair where the ones you should be caring for get shafted.
Don’t the True Detective Magazines always say, “Look for a pattern?” in behavior?
Now, c’mon……Where’s the “pattern” in this sudden, headlines-bursting-upon-us Petraeus Affaire?
The guy’s a widely experienced, walking brain, not a sophomore.
Again, c’MON!
This is not a joke? Patraeus couldn’t keep his dick in his pants? Just like President “Bill” Clinton? Just like Tony the Weiner? Just like Barney Frank? (Well, of course, Barney could never control his dick, duh). And who else? Well the list goes on and on among America’s *finest* of the past couple decades … there’s Al Gore, who used to be married to Tipper Gore … there’s Breck-Girl John Edwards who used to be married to some poor tool who died of cancer. It goes on an on. Thankfully we do not need to worry about President Barack Obama, because his dick responds to no touch but his own. Our great leaders. I wonder who’s pulling Boehner’s boner? — no, no, I don’t want to know. All I know is that there are far too many dishonorable men holding high office in the nation. Patraeus is just one John in a long line of Johns. So I’m glad he’s gone. Everyone is replaceable, and so is he.
P.S., and what about Harry Reid, eh? The man is so rich and loathsome, one can only assume that he is paying big bucks to satisfy his kink. He reminds me of the Senator douche in Godfather part II — yeah, the one who snuffs some poor third-world sex worker. Wait for it. I’m sure it’s coming,
I just cannot imagine Harry Reid with a hard on.
Oh, & thanks for the laugh with your first post; I really needed it.
Petraeus sure must want to get out of testifying before congress or else he could have just waited a week to finally make his “confession”.
How ignorant are you people? The way to get out was staying in the Administration and have them assert Executive Privilege. It would take years before the courts worked out whether there really was EP so no testimony while it still matters.
Whether or not he had an affair, was set up, or this is a simple takedown, the real issue is they threatened him with outing an affair – ever tried to deny one? – and he premptorily resigned and “confessed” to it with a good signal in his statement as to when the act they’re holding over his head occurred. You don’t get where he has been by being stupid. He might have done something stupid, but he just put a major turd in Comrade Obama’ pocket.
Oh, so maybe he didn’t dishonor his wife but said, Hey, Hon, it’s nothing personal but I’m going to announce to the world that I’m a cheat, is that okay?
“He might have done something stupid”
How Clintonesque.
If you bend over any further to try to defend him, you will fall over.
“….he just put a major turd in Comrade Obama’ pocket.”
Can you elaborate, Art? I heard on the news yesterday that this resignation should have no impact on the decision to subpoena him, if necessary, to testify before a congressional hearing.
The Junta just lost control of him unless they’re willing to use DOJ to charge him with perjury or try to bring charges under the UCMJ since he was active military at the time of the alleged affair. They may well be willing to do this but it is really going nuclear with a guy that has his own power base, though unfortunately and predictably the charges are eroding that power base.
What the geniuses (genii) above don’t get is that the Junta could just assert Executive Privilege and have him refuse to testify at all so long as he was an officer of Executive Branch; Hitlery has done just that. The assertion probably wouldn’t hold up in court but it we be a couple of years before we found that out and nobody would care. Now, Congress, the House anyway, can subpoena him and the only tool the Junta has is the assertion of protecting classified matters, an assertion that has to be dealt with in detail on each assertion. The counter move to that is to use Intelligence Committee members with the proper security clearances only and eliminate the assertion of protecting classified material. The Committee would have to be careful to protect any classified facts adduced but it would be able to publicly state its determination based on those facts.
From Newsmax:”At some point after Petraeus was sworn in as CIA director on Sept. 6, 2011, the woman broke up with him. However, Petraeus continued to pursue her, sending her thousands of emails over the last several months, raising even more questions about his judgment.”
if this is even anywhere close to true, Petraeus is a demented stalker.
WOW!. Because he cheated on his wife. In today’s world?
Hillary and MoveOn.org were right. He IS General Betray Us.
Did Hillary fool around with Petraeus and get jilted too?
What’s the big deal? Bill Clinton defaced the Oval Office and LIED about it to Congress.
Isn’t sexual deviant behavior now considered Executive Privilege?
P.S.;
Democrats don’t fall on their sword; They trip over their own erections.
Can’t he still be called to testify by Congress? They have the power to subpoena any citizen for their hearing if I’m not mistaken. Even if this was a ploy to get him out before the hearing won’t it just delay the inevitable a little while?
Yes, he can be subpoenaed.
And the White House would probably have had more control over his testimony had he gone before Congress as the Director.
Now, he’s a private citizen.
Testifying may be the General’s plan. If he’s under oath, it’s privileged testimony and I don’t think he can be accused of libel. Particularly before a congressional committee.
I’m not sure I’m getting your point WGraves. If you’re testifying under oath you’re required by law to tell the truth. Saying anything false is perjury and is a serious felony. Secondly, libel or slander only applies to false statements; if Petraeus tells the truth then no matter how embarrassing it might be for Obama he can’t be accused of breaking the law. He wouldn’t need the protection of anyone.
just maybe broadwell was in this from the start, thats why shes under investigation. no doubt ‘a group of organized citizens’ decided hes done and procured the ‘book’ to get broadwell positioned. Petraeus has plenty of money and was likely offered more to leave. no affair happened. look at broadwell, would you cheat on your young husband for petraeus? cmon. its staged entertaining fodder now, also likely staged to detract from something else going on behind it. just sayin…