Petraeus resigns
So, I take a little nap and wake up to an inbox full of links to the story that David Petraeus has resigned as the director of the CIA. I’m only surprised that the White House hasn’t been calling me to replace him;
CIA Director David Petraeus resigned Friday, citing an extramarital affair and “extremely poor judgment.”
As first reported by NBC News, Petraeus disclosed the affair in a letter released to the CIA work force on Friday afternoon, writing: “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.”
Petraeus told President Barack Obama of his affair and offered his resignation during a meeting Thursday, a senior official told NBC News. In a phone call on Friday, Obama accepted the resignation, the official said.
The timing is a little odd, especially in light of the rumors that Secretary of Defense Leon Paneta is tired of flying at taxpayer expense every weekend to his California home and plans on resigning, and Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State is resigning. My only question is which job John Kerry plans on filling since he’s been leaning towards all three jobs over the past four years.
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November 9th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Anyone alive that thinks this has nothing to do with Benghazi? Or at the very least the Comrade President’s re-election?
November 9th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Hopefully he has enough sense to nominate Mike Vickers [USDI].
November 9th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
I think John Kerry would be perfect at the CIA, afterall he did serve in Vietnam.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Never a dull moment.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
bman, I think Kerry would be better suited as the Secretary of Defense. That way he could help all those that were or still “r stuck hear n Irak”
November 9th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
“The game is afoot.”
That must have been a tough chat with his wife for this cover story.
True, or not.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
All I can think is “forced resignation.”
November 9th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
@1: I’m not ready to say this is related to Benghazi or, directly, to the President’s re-election. I say ‘directly’ because I’d have no trouble whatsoever believing that this was known a week or two ago, but either Petraeus or President Obama delayed things until after the election.
But a cover up for alleged Benghazi stuff requires more than coincidental timing. Let’s give it a week and see what surfaces.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
I’ll believe this man had an affair when I hear about the divorce. Not before.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Well apparently, the hearing on Benghazi is going to continue and it’s been confirmed that CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell is going to be testifying in Petraeus’ place.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
And, according to this video, GEN Petraeus himself says this has nothing to do with Benghazi and the resignation was entirely his own idea not that of the WH:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1959309224001/
November 9th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
This really grieves me.
November 9th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
well, of course it has nothing to do with Benghazi. Nothing at all.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Think Big. Think J. Edgar Hoover and Bobby Kennedy.
Prez: “Listen Dave, I’m going to need you take a hit on Benghazi for me before Congress next week…take the ass- chewing and a letter of reprimand. No big deal and it is over with.”
DP: “WTF?”
Prez: “No WTF about it. If you don’t, your affair will become public knowledge…and don’t forget, your wife works for me too.”
DP” “I say again, WTF? You knew about the affair when I took this job. A lot of people did. I told your guys about it during screening. I took a polygraph for goodness sakes.”
Prez: “Too bad Dave, desperate time call for desperate measures. I need you to do this thing.”
DP: “Yeah, I think not. I’ll take a fall for an affair. Military guys have them all the time, but I’m not leaving a legacy of sacrificing good men to bad political decisions. Screw that; not going to happen. I don’t sell out my troops.”
Prez: “It’s not a request, Dave.”
DP: “I’m out of here. Determine how. You fire me–I talk. If I resign, well then I keep my mouth shut. The ball is in your court.”
Prez: “Dave that’s disloyalty. Can’t have that on my team.”
DP: “Call it what you want. I’m outta here–the only question now is how–resign and be silent or get fired and bevocal. Like I said, ball is in your court.”
Prez: “Pack your shit and have a letter on my desk Friday morning so I can break the story over the long Veteran’s Day weekend.”
DP: “Roger that.”
Prez: “Hate to see it end this way, Dave.”
DP: “Fuck you. Oh and BTW, I don’t lie under oath, go watch some re-runs of my congressional testimony.”
Prez: “Fuck-you too.”
November 9th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
@13: So, in your mind, David Petraeus would cover up something enormous like that and counter to every principle he espoused in his military career if it benefits him? (“If I resign, well then I keep my mouth shut.”) I don’t think so.
I’m sure we’ll have more information on the affair in the days to come. Let’s see if it’s a recent thing, like I think, or something further back.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Surprise, Surprise- he was gonna testify next week, but isn’t now.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@14; Nope. Just speculating just like you and everybody else that comments on blogs. I wasn’t there. Could have been an entirely different scenario say:
DP: “Honey we both know its been bad a long time. Time to end this thing. You know about Madam X. Let’s call it quits. We’ve both given our lives to this country. Let’s go live for ourselves from now on.”
Mrs. DP: “Okay”
or….
Mrs. DP: “Let’s try counseling.”
Now flip it around, she could have forced the matter to a head.
BL: The entire US media is a lying sack of crap, so we must employ our own critical thinking.
Either way, the man and his wife are American heroes, and this does not change that single reality.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
TWO WORDS:
No Accident!
END OF WORDS
November 9th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Bingo! “Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State is resigning.” I said Hillary was planning to resign, weeks ago, mid-October.
Petraeus is no surprise. I’m surprise he waited until today. What affair? Poppycock. That’s just an excuse, and I’d put a coupon for a quarter-pounder with cheese and large fries on his paying some young thing to say “I done it — er, him. I’m the naughty one.”
November 9th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Mater Chief, how long does it take for all the rats to leave a ship?
November 9th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@16 Agreed on him being a hero – CIA is losing a solid leader.
November 9th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
@3
afterall he did serve in Vietnam.
And Cambodia.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:02 pm
I honestly don’t know what to think about this. I really have always thought of Gen. Petraeus as a soldier’s soldier. I had the pleasure of just running him into him in a Norfolk hotel lobby about 2.5 yrs. ago as he was walking away from a press gaggle…I was just an ordinary civilian but I approached him and shook his hand and just said I was pleased to meet him. We stood at the elevator and I said, “It must be hard to put up with this every day (for lack of anything else better to say)” He chuckled and said “You have no idea.” I can’t believe he would have gone through the process of going through the nomination for the most sensitive position in the nation if he had this skeleton in his closet. I further can’t believe that he would have set himself up for something like this AFTER he took the office. Someone help me out here.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
@ 19 …. they NEVER DO!
November 9th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
I still think the conversaton went more like this:
O: Come on over, Dave. We need to talk.
P: What’s up, boss?
O: You gotta take the fall for this Benghazi thing.
P: Ain’t gonna happen. (Hands him an envelope.) I’m outta here.
And as a civilian, he can now talk with anyone who wishes to listen. Yep, he had the resignation in his pocket before he was summoned. Yep, he and his wife had already discussed whether it was more painful to admit an affair publicly or try to live with the dishonor of throwing all those people under the bus by claiming responsibility for something he and they had not done, or failed to do.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
It was Paula Broadwell biographer. FBI investigation led to her, possible security breach.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
GEN Petraeus was reported by Special Report FNC to have had an affair with Paula Broadwell, his biographer.
November 9th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
@26, I stand corrected. It just seemed too convenient an excuse.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I wonder if she is a Democrat?
November 9th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
This from MSN says that Broadwell is being investigate for improperly accessing Petraeus’s e-mail. It says the woman in his affair has not been identified.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/09/15056607-petraeus-biographer-paula-broadwell-under-fbi-investigation-over-access-to-his-email-law-enforcement-officials-say?lite
November 9th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Sure is getting might crowded under the Obumblebus.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Holder’s ‘considering” quitting as AG.
What’s left?
November 9th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Jennifer Griffin confirms on O’Reilly Factor that FBI investigation into e-mail hacking of GEN Petraeus’s account uncovered affair w/ Ms. Broadwell. Apparently she spent over a year in Iraq with Petraeus while he was a 4 star GEN collecting material for her book. Now there is speculation on whether GEN Petraeus might be recalled to active duty to face disciplinary action – don’t hold your breath, Obama and Panetta will certainly squash any move against Petraeus. Besides he is still the most celebrated General since Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell for turning around the war in Iraq.
November 9th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Of course Obama’s advisers knew about the affair before Petraeus was made CIA chief. What better way for a bunch of Chicago political thugs to keep him a team player than having something like that to hold over the head of this otherwise honorable warrior? What did him in was the news release before the election when the CIA spokesman refuted the White House B.S. about the agency denying help to the under-attack consulate. As soon as I read that I knew Petraeus was breaking with the politicians. I had never been able to fathom why a man like him had been able to bring himself to sign on with such a sleazy bunch in the first place. One thing’s for sure: he bunked with those political mutts and now he’s got one helluva flea infestation.
What is going to get very interesting here is what transpires in the next few weeks regarding the Benghazi investigation. Petraeus can still be subpoenaed by congressional investigators and compelled to testify under oath. I just don’t see how Obama can prevent that if the investigators force the issue. And why shouldn’t they? We should keep the heat on them. I’m going to give my newly re-elected, conservative, Republican congressman an earful.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
One of the key congressmen in the investigations, Chaffetz, from Utah, just said on Hannity that Petraeus will be called to testify before congress. Strap in for a bumpy ride.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:43 pm
I can already hear Chrissy Matthews & rest of MSM crying about Republicans politicizing this and unfairly persecuting the administration.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Someone on FB just pointed out to me that Paula Kranz Broadwell is an Army Reserve Major and a ’95 USMA grad. Small consolation that she probably wasn’t on active duty when he was screwing her. Basically another general screwing lower ranked officers.
November 9th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Damn this is bad news.
This is being manipulated by Hussein and his goons and it’s all gonna get swept under the carpet.
The question i have is WHY CAN’T THE INVESTIGATING COMMITEE subpeona him and compel him under oath to testify?
Everything is turning into a bear fuck the last few days…Obama elected, Petreaus resigns, even Hannity came on the radio today and said he favors Amnesty for illegals.
WTF ? ?????????
November 9th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Don’t count on Panetta being there. He’s among those leaving. Per MSN article today:
Among those expected to leave and some names mentioned as possible replacements (in parentheses):
— Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.; U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; Deputy Secretary of State William Burns).
— Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. (White House chief of staff Jack Lew; former Bill Clinton chief of staff Erskine Bowles).
— Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. (Ashton Carter, Panetta’s deputy; Michele Flournoy, former Defense Department policy chief).
— White House senior adviser David Plouffe.
November 10th, 2012 at 12:22 am
smells fishy, and Petraeus sucks… maybe he can redeem himself by telling the truth
November 10th, 2012 at 1:04 am
Paula Broadwell has quite the resume herself. She’s also married to a doctor and has two sons.
It always astounds me how so many people can give up so much just to have sex on the side. I’ve been married for 28 years and have never once been tempted to cheat on my husband. Is it really that hard? If you’re that much in love, get a divorce first. Their actions have destroyed two families and made yet another mess in the highest levels of our government.
This affair isn’t new. So if this is true: “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.”, why wait a year or more to say it? Why right after the election and right before the Benghazi hearing? If he felt that way, why have an affair in the first place? Why allow someone who can be blackmailed to be head of the CIA? Like the Benghazi mess wasn’t enough.
I already had doubts about Petraeus’ integrity when I found out that the video excuse originated from him, after someone else already testified that it was a planned attack and when they knew that from the beginning. He either lied for Obama, or was forced to lie as some kind of blackmail, neither of which looks good.
It’s a sad end for a brilliant general.
November 10th, 2012 at 1:17 am
More:
Newsmax is reporting that the FBI investigation uncovered thousands of emails between Petraeus and Broadwell which created a security threat.
However, an FBI source says the investigation began when American intelligence mistook an email Petraeus had sent to his girlfriend as a reference to corruption. Petraeus was commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan from July 4, 2010 until July 18, 2011.
The investigation began last spring, but the FBI then pored over his emails when he was stationed in Afghanistan.
The woman who was having an affair with Petraeus is a journalist who had been writing about him.
Given his top secret clearance and the fact that Petraeus is married, the FBI continued to investigate and intercept Petraeus’ email exchanges with the woman. The emails include sexually explicit references to such items as sex under a desk.
Such a relationship is a breach of top secret security requirements and could have compromised Petraeus.
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.
November 10th, 2012 at 1:47 am
There is also speculation about Eric Holder leaving his post as Atty General.
@Common Sense: “forced to lie as some kind of blackmail” — entirely possible, but remember that he also angrily denied that support for the Benghazi embassy had been withheld.
Lying? Yes, but who is really doing the lying? What is the real purpose behind leaking classified information about a SEAL team raid, and then punishing the SEALs who talked about it later?
I thought Nixon was bad, but this — this is a cesspool.
Welcome to the Land of Stench and Rotting Corpses.
November 10th, 2012 at 2:30 am
Why do I smell the “Land of Stench and Rotting Corpses” emanating from the White House?! I understand comrade banana won the election fair & square, yes by promising America’s “leaches” a free ride and adding how many thousands of additional “leaches” a free ride. I can only wait ’til the bottom falls out. Look at Easten Europe, that’s where America is headed. A bankrupt country to match Greece.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:06 am
There is some speculation that he is setting up for a 2016 Presidential run.
November 10th, 2012 at 4:27 am
@41
“Is it really that hard?” Apparently it was.
Ok. Now that my inner 13 year old is appeased…
This is supposed to be a security breach and they sat on it for HOW long? Helluva security breach I guess. :p
November 10th, 2012 at 4:30 am
Just wondering, all of you saying this is related to Benghazi, what is it you expect to come out about that? We know a bunch of kooks overran defenses and murdered Americans. Whether it was planned in advance or was a mob that got out of hand doesn’t change that, and sadly, isn’t the first time. What do you expect to come out if, say, Petreaus testifies to Congress and the security cam videos are provided to Congress (I think they have been, but not sure). Somebody enlighten me please, what do you think is being withheld that is so damaging you think Petreaus is willing to throw himself under the bus? For what?
November 10th, 2012 at 4:36 am
@47
“what is it you expect to come out about that?”
Fair question. Frankly, for me, the answer is…nothing.
After the Presidential Race was called, my GF said “at least we’ll find out the truth about Libya”. I told her “well, no, probably not…why would anything be divulged? The ‘Best’ we can hope for is…silence. The worst that’s likely to happen is some poor bastard falls on his sword either taking the fall or it, or he’s pushed onto his sword. Either way, no way in hell we find out.”
November 10th, 2012 at 5:11 am
@46: It’s only a security breach if it’s a ‘secret’ — and someone on another team finds out and can use it as leverage. But it is bad form and something we Americans tend to frown upon, plus it does show very questionable judgement. Not the things you want in D/CIA.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:30 am
Anonymous (49): not sure about that last sentence. Intel is often referred to as “the second oldest profession, with fewer morals than the first.” There’s an element of truth to that.
Spies are very often not choirboys; the same is often true of spymasters. The job does not equate to that of “pastor”.
November 10th, 2012 at 7:45 am
4 of the biggest players in bengazi (Clinton, Patraeus, Panetta and Holder) are leaving just before the hearings start and Clinton is rumored to have all of the dirt. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
I wish that Bill Clinton had as much honor as Patraeus to own up to a monumental lapse in judgement and resign when he was doing the Lewinski in the Oval Orifice. Anyone think the President was less of a security risk than the director of the CIA?
November 10th, 2012 at 8:29 am
Same rules apply to KingDavid as the rest of us; should be recalled to active duty, demoted to O9, the last rank he honorably served, and then allowed to retire again. Anyone that questions why he stepped down for a ‘momentary lack of judgement’ should see the medic as one, his values and ethics should be above reproach and two he cannot, cannot allow himself to be compromised especially when serving in a position such as the D/CIA. Bottom line “terrible F!”
November 10th, 2012 at 9:07 am
So this wasn’t just a one time nooner after a few drinks at the O Club. I was just an O5 but it would have occurred to me that when I had an SSBI/Poly for SCI that such a dalliance might come up with, shall we say, less than optimal circumstances. Even just a nooner. And, if I were going to be the Dir of CIA, I would anticipate an anal exam of all anal exams. I think I would have just settled for the hand.
First GEN what’s his name blabbing to Rolling Stone and now this? The selection board for O10 might need some rethinking (I know there’s no O10 selection board).
November 10th, 2012 at 9:16 am
I kind of like that old Charles Aznavour song:
Yesterday the moon was blue
and every crazy day brought something new to do.
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
and never saw the waste and emptiness beyond.
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
and every flame I lit too quickly quickly died.
The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away
and only I am left on stage to end the play.
— Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Charles Aznavour (c)T.R.O.
I see no point in doing more than guessing about the specifics just yet. It’s all speculation on our part, but that these people are leaving almost the day after the election speaks volumes about what they were planning to do before the results were announced. Having worked for more than one really bad boss, I think that every one of these people were simply looking for a way to make a quick exit. The timing is the key. All of them leaving at the same time is no coincidence. No matter what the excuse may be, it is NO coincidence.
November 10th, 2012 at 11:40 am
This is one big freakin big turkey shoot… Am soo sick of this crap- We should re-institute dueling and hold these guys to answer the challanges for cowardice. And we wont need term limts after that…
November 10th, 2012 at 11:46 am
@51,
Clinton has been talking about leaving for a year and Panetta and Holder for more than six months; all before Benghazi. I’m not saying the Benghazi doesn’t need to be investigated, just that all this conspiracy crap is just that; crap!
November 10th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Removing 2012 Republican Presidential candidates, Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Boehner is next when he gets boxed in by Reid and Obama and is forced to do something incredibly liberal.
Chapter 3: They’re going after Gov. John Kasich in Ohio.
November 10th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Oh, and I also forgot to mention that the name of the Petreus book is priceless: “All In.”
Why not just call it “Balls Deep” now.
November 11th, 2012 at 10:17 am
@ 58 – i’d buy it. not the first military or politcal figure to get caught for it…
November 13th, 2012 at 1:36 am
“My only question is which job John Kerry plans on filling since he’s been leaning towards all three jobs over the past four years.”
Well fucking shit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-considers-john-kerry-for-job-of-defense-secretary/2012/11/12/8a0e973a-2d02-11e2-a99d-5c4203af7b7a_story.html
The asshole wannabe grunt (remember his home video in VN)is like a whack-a-mole:
http://www.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=25174
November 13th, 2012 at 6:25 am
[...] considered for SecDef? November 13th, 2012 I mentioned on Friday that John Kerry was a likely choice for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense or the [...]