E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Brent Stirton / Getty Images file
Army Gen. David Petraeus in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 17, 2004.
Gen. David Petraeus built an impeccable 38-year career in the military and U.S. intelligence, displaying a keen grasp of strategy and tactics that succeeded even on the murky battlefield of Iraq and carving out a sterling reputation that withstood the spiteful, partisan environment of Washington.
It came to an ignominious end on Friday, when the 60-year-old resigned as director of the CIA after admitting to an extramarital affair.
Petraeus proved himself indispensable to two presidents – George W. Bush and Barack Obama -- hand-picked by the former to oversee the “surge” strategy in Iraq in 2007 and dispatched by the latter to Afghanistan in 2010 after the unexpected resignation of Gen. Stanley McChristal following impolitic remarks made to a Rolling Stone reporter.
Sen. John McCain, R- Ariz., the 2008 GOP presidential candidate and the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Friday called Petraeus one of “America’s greatest military heroes.”
“His inspirational leadership and his genius were directly responsible – after years of failure – for the success of the surge in Iraq,” he said.
Petraeus was born in Orange County, N.Y., on Nov. 7, 1952. He later credited his will to succeed to his upbringing as the son of a Dutch immigrant father
“We have a huge advantage, because the United States is, in the words of Walt Whitman, ‘not merely a nation, but a teeming nation of nations,’” he said in a 2011 speech to CIA employees. “That still rings true to all of us I know, and it rings true to me, a second-generation American, the son of a Dutch immigrant.”
The respected West Point graduate led combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring from the military and leading the CIA. On Friday, he made the startling admission that he had engaged in an extramarital affair, and announced he was resigning from his post. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
CIA Director David Petraeus resigns, cites extramarital affair
In a 2011 profile in Newsweek, he described his father as "at heart a crusty old Dutch sea captain," who taught him never to accept anything less than a win. Any deviation from that standard brought an icy-blue stare and a growl: "Results, boy, results!"
Petraeus seemed destined to lead. He graduated in 1974 as “distinguished cadet” among the top 5 percent from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He also met his wife, Holly, while at West Point, where her father was superintendent. She now works at Obama's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where she is the assistant director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs.
After entering the Army later that year, he went on to earn a doctorate in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1987.
His Army career was hardly uneventful.
The Washington Post reported in 2007 that he had had two near-death experiences.
Petraeus' biographer under FBI investigation
In 1991, at Fort Campbell, Ky., he was shot in the chest when a soldier tripped during a training exercise. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he underwent surgery by Bill Frist, who would later be elected to the Senate and become Senate majority leader.
While skydiving in 2000, Petraeus’ parachute collapsed and on landing his pelvis was shattered.
/
President George W. Bush, right, meets Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, upon his arrival at Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, Iraq, on Sept. 3, 2007.
In the American invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Petraeus commanded the 101st Airborne Division and then spent two-and-a-half years in the country, eventually being assigned the job of overseeing the rebuilding of Iraqi security forces.
But he made his biggest mark as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.
It’s easy to forget how bitterly contentious the surge strategy was in 2007, when Bush pinned all his hopes on Petraeus to carry it out.
The anti-war group Moveon.org ran an ad in the New York Times in September of that year featuring a photo of Petraeus and referring to him as “General Betray Us.” The ad described him as a “military man constantly at war with the facts” and accused him of “cooking the books for the White House.”
Both the House and the Senate later voted to condemn the ad.
Despite the unpopularity of the Iraq war at the time, Petraeus was a crisp and unflappable advocate of the surge strategy. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to lead the Iraq war effort that U.S. forces needed support from the American people in order for the stabilization effort to succeed.
“We face a determined, adaptable, barbaric enemy. He will try to wait us out,” the general said, calling the struggle in Iraq “a test of wills.”
Even opponents of the plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, including then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, said they respected Petraeus and wouldn’t vote against his nomination.
NBC's Richard Engel and the Washington Post's David Ignatius discuss the breaking news of CIA director David Petraeus' resignation.
“I want the very best leadership for the young men and woman who are going to be put into harm’s way to implement this strategy and I have no doubt Gen. Petraeus is the person to try to pull this off,” Clinton said.
His reputation was further burnished when he was named by Bush to serve as head of U.S. Central Command in 2008.
After Obama’s election, he picked Petraeus to head NATO forces in Afghanistan in 2010 and, in 2011, named him CIA director, succeeding Leon Panetta.
So solid was Petraeus’reputation that his name became a kind of gold standard of integrity and competence. During the battle for 2012 GOP presidential nomination, when Mitt Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom wanted to denigrate another GOP contender, former China envoy Jon Huntsman, he said, “Jon Huntsman is no General Petraeus.”
Some Republicans eyed Petraeus for their party’s 2012 presidential nomination, comparing him to another famous general, Dwight Eisenhower.
The Tampa Tribune reported last year that Steve Mains, a retired Army colonel launched a group called Americans for Petraeus 2012, but Petraeus by that point was heading to the CIA job and showed no interest in running for the presidency or any other office.
In recent weeks, Petraeus’ stain-resistant reputation was called into question in connection with the Sept 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and other personnel, some of whom worked for the CIA.
Noting that there had been two earlier security breaches at the consulate in Benghazi, when improvised explosive devices were placed there in April and in June 2012 , Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S.C., wrote to Petraeus in a letter on Oct. 15 asking, “Were you aware of these attacks? Did you inform the president of these attacks? If so, what action was taken to protect our consulate? If you did not inform the president, why not?” There is no indication that Petraeus responded.
Petraeus had been scheduled to testify before the House and Senate Intelligence committees next week about the attack on the Benghazi Consulate, but he will no longer be testifying and its not yet clear if the committees will summon him in the future to testify about the attack. Acting CIA director Michael Morell will testify in his place next week.
Retired U.S. Army colonel and recipient of the Medal of Honor, Jack Jacobs, says as difficult as it may be to share such bad news, it's best for the country to get it out as early as possible.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- CIA Director David Petraeus resigns, cites extramarital affair
- Petraeus' biographer under FBI investigation over access to his email, officials say
- FEMA-funded rapid reconstruction program to begin in NYC, mayor says
- During blackout, man uses Toyota Prius to light house
- Investigator matches blood on Sgt. Bales clothes to DNA from Afghan massacre scene
- Video: Security tape shows man crashing stolen jet
- Hispanics to Obama: We helped you, now you help us
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Another great America who couldn't get out the way of his own pecker!
Everyone that gets near obammi catches the plague! obama is a demented destruction machine, its hard to believe this imbecile has his finger on the nuclear button, hes much more qualified to be cleaning toilets in the county court house!
Yes, because of course, Obama is known to have had so many affairs. (face in palm)
Hate, hate, hate.
That's all the right knows.
Hey Dawg, yes, it is a shame to be substantially ruined from such high position of leadership over such a thing as an affair (assuming there is no more to it). He'll suffer indignity for a little while but, like CEO's of the corporate world who 'step down', he'll find something that pays well - and he'll keep his retirement and benefits ... so, he'll be fine.
@Texanlegal:
The election is over. Your people lost. Get over it.
Hey legaltexanlegal what ever the hell that means.
The next two states that are going to turn blue in 2016 is Texas and Az. So since you can not accept the the fact the America is changing and the good ol boy system is done, so when when Texas turn blue you might as well do us a favor, shoot yourself now cause by then we do not want you to take innocent folks with you in 2016.
So why didn't Bill Clinton while president step down when he had an affair with Monica Lewinski? Since when does an affair mean anything to this immoral country.
I totally don't get this. The guy wasn't having an affair with a Libyan or a subordinate employee He was seeing someone else, who happened to be his biographer apparently. So effin' what? Are you not allowed to have sex if you are in the CIA? Are you not allowed to have a failed marriage? What are the rules?
If you are going to have an affair--which is not illegal--must you report it to the president first? What if the president were Bill Clinton? He probably would have told Petraeus to "go for it, man. I'd bang her, too."
This article reads like an obituary. Which, under the circumstances, seems quite appropriate. What an idiot.
I guess the real reason is not the affair, but that he let her get into a situation where she was able to get into his email.... that's a breach that is pretty serious....
having an affair? if this hypocritical country had everyone who committed adultery step down.... the entire government would be vacant.....
honestly, if the guy is doing a good job, who gives a damn if he screws up his marriage? we need people in govt to do their freakin jobs for a change, not fire them for something that isn't a crime that 60% of the population does....
...and announced right before he was to testify on Benghazi next week. Affair or afraid?
he probably did not want to be involved with the destruction of our country so maybe obama has bad things in store for us like trying to disarm america. i think their is more to it than a affair and he wouldn't play so heres his way out.
Unclean and Hateful Bird
@Texanlegal:
The election is over. Your people lost. Get over it.
Your people lost? Really? WE ALL LOST, REALIZE IT
Obamas whole campaign was run on mud slinging and attack and blame! NO PLAN, NO CLUE
It's Bushes fault.........Forward my AZZ. Lies and deceit. "I will not raise taxes on the middle class" So we all getting Obamacare for free? I don't think so. Obamacare is a TAX. That's the only way this CRAP got passed. Pay off a judge and call it a tax. Just like the bribes it took to get the votes: * The Cornhusker Kickback?
* $300,000,000 of bribes to Louisiana's Senator Mary Landrieu?
* A new hospital in Connecticut for morally challenged Senator Chris Dodd?
* Roughly ten billion in community health centers to buy off Vermont's Bernie Sanders?
Most corrupt administration EVER, now you can add Benghazi to the list.
Yes Libs, you won alright! What exactly? free contraceptives? you'll need em, we all getting screwed everyday!
Title should read:
David Petraeus a battlefield 'hero' and savvy Washington inside her.
Yes it is unfortunate that he was the victim of a modern day mata hari, but he knew what he was doing was wrong. As a four star general he is held to a higher standard of conduct in the military and therefor he should now voluntarily stand before a military court martial and accept his punishment. This all occurred while he was on active duty and I can guarantee you that he was commander of many other subordinates that were tried for adultery and convicted. So for him to hide behind his medals and ribbons and not seek punishment would be an insult to all those who served under him. Yes his illustrious career will be taken into consideration, but he still must stand trial or else it will again reinforce the attitude in the military that not only is RHIP still in vogue, but also senior officers are above the law.
As a retiree with over 26 years served for my country I have seen the inequality of punishment given to officers and that given to enlisted. So hopefully he will once again show his honor and do the right thing.
It's a shame that we cannot separate someone's personal life and their job. One would argue that they reflect each other but that's a bunch of crap. This guy was/is great at what he does. No one knows what his home life was like and frankly its none of our business. Sad we've lost a great leader and someone who's made a difference!!!
Psssst . . . resigning over an extra-marital affair (ha-ha). Washington loves lies, deceit, infidelity and the criminal element. I'm surprised he didn't get a raise . . . oooops he already did. My bad.
Welcome to Obama's world of sleaze, lies and deceit. So, so fitting . . .
I have a theory on man, it all has to do with his penis. When a man's penis gets hard it takes up all the loose skin and that tightens down on the brain and he cannot think. Maybe thats where the saying came from " a hard cock has no conscious."
Badger, its now time to shut faux off and put Rush Limbaugh in the can away and get real. Obama is one of the best presidents ever. He has changed the U.S. for the better with the exception of the hard right. See explanation above about hard above. I do think you people touch yourselves inappropriately and that is the reason you can't think properly.
We shall soon find out that General P. was going to blow the whistle on the whole Obama Benghazi coverup and he was blackmailed into resigning by the big Chicago machine so he would not have to testify. Guess what, he will be called anyway. He is THE one Congress wants to talk to. Convenient timing between the election and the hearings? I think not.
Then there is Hiliary...she has had the date of the hearings on her calendar since September. NOW she has a scheduling conflict????
MORE OBAMA CHICAGO TYPE DEALINGS.
If there's anybody who needs to continue his work as one of our most decorated and admired generals since WWI, WWII and the cold war combined despite this unfortunate shortcomings; it's General Patreus!!!
Americans and Obama need to rethink this one.
This guy does not need to go down like this.
After what he has done in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and as CIA director, he deserves a second chance.
P*ssy has seen so many great men in history fall; and us knowing this fact; we should not allow it to continue to destroy lives. Gone are the days when people would talk about behind closed doors. Not to say cheating is ok, but also we should not let it destroy people's lives
Gen. Patreus needs to continue to work in a field that allows him to provide his great service to this Nation.
Lets not judge the guy, might turn out his wife is a dud
I'm not 100% sure this is all there is about why he resigned. They are not telling it all ...YET, but will have to someday I bet.
I agree with others here..having that biographer lady getting into his emails is a national security breach for someone with his title and top secret access.
I recall those nine Russians we deported a few years ago..they acted as average American citizens..but were really spy's, you never know these days who is who...even the one in bed with you!
For most of us our personal and professional lives are two different things. However, a 4-star general isn't like most of us. His character is inextricably connected to his job. He is a leader and his ability to lead is based on his character. A leader simply has to follow a higher standard. He has to be an example. No matter how good Patreus was at his job this mis-step showed a flaw in his character and a lapse in judgement. He is right to stand down and we can admire the grace with which he has done so. At the very least he showed that he doesn't accept his own flaws and is not willing to be a position in which he could be black-mailed or compromised. That said, I hope he can find a way to further contribute to this country.
Apparently this General DID set a good example in his JOB... when will the US stop with the Puritanical BS. Having an affair does not destroy the character of a person - it may destroy his/her marriage but that is separate from the work this man did. He can get the Military slap on the wrist - and let him go on doing his job. I don't even like all of his policies but but to burn him at the stake like this over an affair - that's ridiculous.
Why is he resigning? Stop the affair and move on. Our country needs strong military leadership; we can't afford to have our best leaders resign due to marriage issues.
Nonsense if you are willing to betray your vows to your wife & family, you are obviously willing to betray your Oath / Country to the Military Industrial Corporate Interests!
Watch where BetrayUS goes.....Straight into the loving arms of "Wall Street" and a multimillion dollar per year paycheck!
Always remember what President Eisenhower said.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUXtyIQjubU
Psst Anyone else remember his "Testimony" to Congress for more Blood & Treasure after 9/11?
Watch PBS if your really want to know who BetrayUS is....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l-8PFk8j5I
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” ~ George Orwell, 1984
I feel sorry for men - no control. You regular guys with regular jobs don't have a prayer of keeping your extramarital dalliances a secret if the head of the CIA can't manage it. Keep it in your pants!
The issue is as head of the CIA, he would be in a position to be compromised. His babe apparently had access to his email as well. What if she were working for China or the Russians or Iraq?
She is kind of cute. His wife not so much.
I really do not understand why everybody is so fascinated with who this guy was having sex with. Seriously, the mentally old people need to follow the dinosaurs. The rules are an attempt to implement and legitimize old-fashioned prudish mentalities. The rules need to be updated to the modern age, and reflect modern ideals of morality. The excuse is that he is compromising national security is just that, an excuse. The same argument have been made against women, gays, et cetera. Eventually the law will catch up with reality.
Anti-war group Moveon.Org ??? Who are those skeezballs ? they dropped off the radar when Obamanation got elected the first time and proved themselves to be the SKEEZBALLS they are !
He was head of the CIA, he knows things that even the president doesn't, he is in the most sensitive intelligence and security position in the country. In his position integrity and security are everything. He has made himself susceptible to blackmail, and could be responsible for possible security breaches. His integrity and loyalty to country supersedes everything in his life including his family, and he could have possibly compromised the nations security with his personal indiscretions, he has done the correct thing by resigning. Although I am sure she was vetted, what if she turned out to be a Russian or Iranian operative, is it still just an affair.
Independent Thought
I was wondering about that too, I have read that he won't testify (about Benghazi) now that he has resigned.
The ONLY reason this guy is stepping down NOW is to try to save sorry little Bozobama, and the suck-up press who knew all about it waited until AFTER the election to let the story go; so much for the objectivity of those sorry douchebags, which we already knew. Let's hope Bengazi becomes Bozobama's Watergate in every meaningful way. That'll keep the socialist fool from doing further damage to this great country.
The concept of America as a nation of nations may seem very romantic and idealistic. But I think Americans must strive for that ideal because it is that what provides credibility to American exceptionalism rather than all the wars waged in the name of freedom - covert or overt.
Go argue with Petraeus, he's the one who resigned.
What did David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett know and when did they know it? That is all that needs to be asked.
How is this any worse than the President of the US, Bill Clinton, having an affair? The President did not resign, so why should the head of the CIA resign? I would say that the head of the CIA has better tastes than the ex president though.
The writing here has gone to c*rap:
1. He graduated as *a* distinguished cadet, not as "distinguished cadet."
Petraeus seemed destined to lead. He graduated in 1974 as “distinguished cadet” among the top 5 percent from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
2. Ever hear of a spell checker? What is "in1987?"
After entering the Army later that year, he went on to earn a doctorate in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in1987.
Yes, and he also married the daughter of the Commandant at West Point.
Very well connected in the military. A bright man, and scholar, a leader.
In the end, one very stupid mistake.
Maybe it wasn't a mistake. Marriages don't last lifetimes. It's not a crime.
Maybe you should cancel your paid subscription.
whats up with the spelling police on here steve is that all you know? all people don't care about the correct way to spell or phrase just the ones that have nothing else to complain about
has anyone thought that perhaps there is more to the story than just the affair .... you know what, i have learnt never ever to take news at face value .... especially when Obama is in office. The government will always tell you what you want to hear so that your draw the next obvious conclusion.
I bet you this is not the whole story...somebody is hiding something somewhere ....NEVER TRUST THE FBI,CIA, THE Officials in the WHITE HOUSE ....especially not Obama!
#idontlistentohoggwash
I'm thinking the more to the story part is his e-mails and mental state. I heard someone say on CNN that he had sources telling him that she had ended the affair but Petraeus had e-mailed her thousands of times after that point. She is 20 years younger with a super hard body, incredibly intelligent and in her sexual prime. He went cuckoo for cocoa puffs. It appears she has a strong family and she made a lapse in judgement but he on the other hand became emotionally dependent, happens in most relationships, there is usually emotional imbalance. To coin a Seinfeld phrase, she has 'the upper' hand. He had hand at the beginning of the relationship due to his stature but now he is going to have to use his hand.
she appears to be bangable, compared to his wife , whom looks more like Martha Washington
OMG
actually, she seems full of herself. She is constantly bragging about her military status, schooling etc.....me...me.....well, she screwed up with the E-mails........Now, she is in the dog house.
Don't beat yourself up Mr. Petraeus. You accepted your actions and told the truth and came clean. Not many in Washington have that kind of guts. Thank you for your service and wish you the best going forward...........
Maybe so, but he lied to protect the "head janitor" at the White House!
Please stay in Texas.
Don't feed the trolls.
According to the MSN.COM article he got caught first. here is the information:
“For the director of the CIA, being engaged in an
extramarital affair is considered a serious breach of security and a
counterintelligence threat. If a foreign government had learned of the affair,
the reasoning goes, Petraeus or Broadwell could have been blackmailed or
otherwise compromised. Military justice considers conduct such as an
extramarital affair to be possible grounds for court-martial.”
It is a security breach. Also states “The FBI discovered the
relationship by monitoring Petraeus' emails, after being alerted Broadwell may
have had access to his personal email account, two of the officials said.”
The FBI discovered their relationship before he came clean. Sad very sad.
I agree with seven2seven. I would believe that more people than not have had affairs and people didn.t know about it. As long as the person is doing their job, they should keep doing it and keep the affair to the people involved. Its too bad he chose to quit over something that could have been forgiven and moved on from. What ever he does I wish him well as he moves on.
~ Gossamer Wings:
The big question is who alerted the FBI and what was their motivation for doing it? What was Petraeus' motivation for exposing the affair to the public? Surely, he knew the pain it would cause his wife/family. There has to be much more to this than is being published.
"War is peace...Freedom is slavery...Ignorance is strength."~ George Orwell, 1984
Since "adultery" is a prosecutable offense under the UCMJ why hasn't BeTrayUS been Prosecuted?
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/bladulterydefinition.htm
Please don't try to claim "He Was CIA" this kind of Adulterous Behavior has been going on for a Looooong Time!
It is perfectly OK to imprison & ruin some "Sargent's" Career at any Army, Air Force, Marine, or Navy Post over "Adultery but "NEVER" some General or Admirals Career in Washington?
Once again "Military Justice" proves there is none when it comes to the "Star"! And if you want to get out of testifying to Congress about your criminal complacency?
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/08/obama-administration-officials-to-brief-intelligence-committees-on-benghazi/
BeTrayUS deserves a couple of years spent in the "Stockade" at Leavenworth for breaking his Vows/Oath!
"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. " ~George Orwell
He is not bound by the UCMJ because he is not in the military.
Great timing, now you don't have to testify before congress, next week.
Is he really worth falling on your sword?
I call it smart, no more than what the GOP done when Bush head was in office.
Obama should be impeached for this: Libya and now manipulating Petraeus.
Sorry reasonablewomannyc, its four more years for forty-four. I am so glad too. Romney couldn't never get his story straight.
Reasonablewomannyc- Did you feel this angry when Bush threw Powell under the bus in front of the U.N.? That man basically ended his career pushing Bush's WMD lies. Did you call for Bush's impeachment for manipulating a fine man?
reasonablewoman,
go use your fine reasoning skills to fix me a BLT sandwich on rye- and I want fries!
David, stick close to Democrats. Their big personal failure guy is now called " the big dog " and is on the short list to bail presidents out of bumbling debates, has class " A " status with all the big hollywooders, and gave a semi believable eulogy at the funeral of their last known democratic senator's KKK member's funeral. Hell, this could open a slot for your own prime time MSNBC opinion show host, if, you show proper party affiliation. That is necessary.
Seriously, I hope he and his wife and family, can come through this in the best way possible. I still think he is one of the good guys .
Now why the heck would I care if a CIA insider had an affair? Is it like I'm supposed to think of this guy as a moral being?
In the "proud tradition" of The Party... this is simply a purge... most likely a feigned one... as, if you trust anything this echelon tells you, you are not sufficiently cynical to be hearing it.
You don't have to care but the FBI states it was a security breach.
and clinton wasn't come on lets use our heads there is more to this than us mere peons need to know
Another arrogant US war criminal brought down but not arrested for mass murder of civilians.
What's the matter - you can't get laid to save your life so you post your weenie tripe here to get attention?
dou44 the dou must stand for douche
Hey anybody who has to put up with congress deserves to be "relaxed!"
Obama should had refused Petraeus' resignation.
He is a warrior! Not a pansy! Let him get laid! How crazy are we to let a great warrior go because he wanted to get a little strange stuff!!!What are we looking for? Who cares?????? People who have to kill other people don't march to the same drummer as Billy pulpit. The things that make him a great warrior make him horny. Let it go. You idiots. You must be Baptists or something like Baptists or Methodists or Catholic. This is war. Not a damn game of morals. Hide your Bibles if you want to go to war.
What the hell is wrong with you people. I agree that he was a great General and warrior with a great career of service. Having said that, he also had the 'keys to the kingdom' in his hands (all classified Intel) which any other country would die for. The big question is, if he exercised 'judgement' like this affair, his judgement must come under review. I don't wish him any harm, he's done enough to himself, wife, and family.
NJ John, well said. If a man is willing to cheat on a woman that he swore he would honor and obey, should he be a leader in Washington. The rest of DC could learn a lesson.
Move along people.
Who doesn't? Sorry... guess that doesn't apply to everyone. I do...
The focus should not be on Petraeus but Obama, again. This is another cover up that adds to the others that are surfacing daily. We have the Benghazi, the Drone attack by Iran, false Israel support, manipulated unemployment numbers, claims to be a Christian when in fact, he's only been to Church 7 times during his presidency and now 3 days after the election, the head of the CIA resigns citing adultery just prior to the hearings on the Benghazi cover up.
Does anyone really expect this newly elected president to succeed?
Yes...and about 61,617,147 other Americans did as well.
@kkwilson,
Just cut the crap... It has NO value.
Newly elected president? Have you been in hibernation since the Bush debacle?
Maniac
He best consider himself new. His old ways will not get him by for a second term.
Someone, please explain to me how Petraeus having an affair and potentially allowing his girlfriend to have access to his e-mails has somehow become President Obama's fault? Petraeus was confirmed by 100% of the Senate and both Republicans and Democrats have supported him. The fact that he had an affair was his decision. He certainly should have known better, considering his position.
Sad. 37 years married and now an affair and his reputation in shambles. I get it but it's still sad.
It will be interesting to hear if his battlefield experiences will be tougher than his divorce experience.
And yes... I do sympathize with his family. The guy has a MUCH tougher road ahead than anything he experienced in Afghanistan.
General Pateaus.... was it worth it?
The general is one of the best and most competent in Washington D.C. (Obviously that is not really saying much.) I don't give a flying f**k about his personal life - although I must admit his taste in women leaves a little to be desired. He is still presidential material - he would be an excellent democrat candidate. He has ten times the quality and character of the idiot Clinton.
Come on Airborne, it's not that bad is it. Men or going to be men. Yes he had the potential to be president, but with this, the GOP and Fox news would never let it go. My only concern is that this was done while in uniform and there are a lot of enlisted guys and girls that has lost their careers for affairs. The question is should the military bring him back on active duty, charge and court martial him?
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."~George Orwell
Nonsense Airborn7....He betrayed his Vows to his Wife & Family and has Betrayed His Oath To US!
Want to know what the BeTrayUS resignation is really about?
Read this CNN Article.....http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/08/obama-administration-officials-to-brief-intelligence-committees-on-benghazi/
Watch this "True American General"speak......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw&feature=g-all-f
And then Watch this PBS Documentary.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l-8PFk8j5I
If you then cannot understand the truth behind these "Facts"....You CHOOSE Not Too!
"He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past." ~George Orwell, 1984
Patreus is a registered Republican in New Hamshire.
I'm cynical enough to suspect that the next boss-spook has been waiting in the wings for the election to pass...
and I consider CIA chiefs like Prescott and George Bush to be standard fare for CIA chiefs...and I think we should notice the dynasty. Dynasties don't happen in a democracy. Not for President, not for chief spook.
George III didn't even raise an eyebrow in the whole country... so deep is this stuff.
I think we should assume that the CIA is so amoral and anti-democratic that a dynasty can, and must, exist there, in violation of every principle of US government.
...and that Patraeus did not resign because of an affair.
just imo
How long has the affair been going on and why decide now to resign? The resignation is a way to cover someones butt. He knows something about Benghazi and this is a way to get out of testifying.
Oh yeah, like he wouldn't just lie.
Besides, what would he be testifying about, and to whom? It's not like the administration isn't entitled to lie about stuff.
Are you that new in town?
Hopefully congress will do the right thing and take legal steps to require him to testify. If there isn't any cover up there will be no need for an Executive Order to stop him like in Fast and Furious. Obama SHOULD want him to tesify to clear the administration of any cover up. Right?
i think u are on the right track KevinT
hey blonde smart chick-
trying to take Ann Coulter's place?? Forgetaboutit! Get back in the kitchen and make your man a sandwich!
This article reads like a hastily edited version of the on-file epitaph held in advance of the subject's death.
He was crucified as "Gen. Betray us" by liberals when Bush was president.
No crime committed. FBI doing a spot check on his email account and ran across emails that led them to believe that this affair could have put the General in a compromising position if the information about the affair had gotten into the wrong hands. No crime committed. His wife is not going to divorce him. He is about to make more money than he ever seen working for the Government. She would be a fool to leave him now. If i was a female married to him, i would just wait it out to see who dies first.
There are 545 members of the House of representatives and 100 senators. How many of them can swear they are innocent? Just look at the recent going on's of our officials. How many will swear they are innocent. Come on its Washington and the government.
fred you answered your own question they are politicians they would all swear
So there are 110 members of the House of Representatives, unaccounted for against current law of 435 (545-100)?
Now we know the hidden chamber, perhaps it members are drawn from a major collection of fellows having similar interests. Or just senato-representatives shadowing the Houses every move, leaving ten top personalities. Shadow members could just be combination of powerful lobbyists; top members include the US Chamber of Commerce who obviously takes orders from the largest American corporations, and any number of Global corporations shadowing for wealth foreign interests.
Dependency on the Military:
Sleeping with Mata Hari could make us more secure, but profits only from selling this secret if only we could find someone one with lose money.
Big Business:
The US Chamber of Commerce is the leading force in creating and supporting and growing corporations into large unbranded monopolies. While this bias is intentional and the consumer is the helpless captive in participating in the energy bounded economy. It is worth examining why more and more power is needed to be concentrated in the hands of these powerful persons, because when we the consumer are well defined, and constrained to participating in the energy dependent economy. We the consumer have little choice in the free market to affect a change toward a more sensible energy based economy.
Government:
Let's approach this from the current (and next) Congress's dedicated toward obstruction in balancing the budget, by proposing to zero all spending, to remove all social programs and to sabotage the current social system. This much is clear, the obstructionist, have defined their agenda, and if hasn't gone away in the last 75 years, the undercurrent to undermine the government. Generations of obstructionist, have strange beliefs, strange in the sense that they are contrary to their own interests, it is common for humans to oppose what they cannot understand, but in this case what they wish for 'less government' can only be achieved by making government functions run well, run better, that work and in using all the resources effectively, and to utilize feedback controls that prevent decay. The administration of manmade organizations can use as may modern tools for benefit as are used to design and build the most complex machinery imaginable. Lost to obstructionist is the fact that obstructionism is a poor alternative to trying new things, using old wisdom to build better things. The idea of destroying the government, but not being able to propose viable alternatives in detail is little more than anarchy, obstruction built on obstruction, piled at the edge of the cliff, suggest that a puff of wind is to determine our fate.
How to respond? How to achieve change? How long will it take?
Responding is problematical you may have to continue as we are; even if it is against the long term goal. To achieve change you might have to demonstrate what failure to change looks like. We can always hope that the natural delays, setbacks and delays will done 'smartly' but the chances of doing things 'smartly' will be sacrificed to getting anything done at all. The budget imbalanced in cause by not being invested in the future, spending time for the water that when over the dam is not as worthwhile as spending time to save the valley. Just because governments fund dams to be built, does not mean that commerce has stop replant trees in the water shed. Paying for government borrowings takes time, the same time as it takes to grow trees. While the tree is convenient metaphor, it represent businesses planning for growth, by recognizing that if it plants commercially viable trees, in prepared soil, where water is suitable, and utilizes tree maintenance that it can produce a sustainable crop of premium trees suitable for harvest. The government funded dam becomes a feasible solution against ruin and the dam can produce sustainable power.
Are we using knowledge of the environment to grow trees, and facilitate an eco-system that we have largely destroyed, or are we just going to preserve the last postage stamp parcel to have overrun by visitors? See how 'smartly' just does not work!
One proposal is to have government spending to rebuild infrastructure, commonly road and bridges for (transportation). Politically this makes sense, and should be done, however without attention to the energy resources cost incurred and the future energy cost (sustained transportation). As can see setting aside space to build a rail system or to rebuild villages to use less costly transportation is an intense development situation that can only be done over 99 years, by the combined forces of commerce and good government. In effect to have viable economy, we will rebuild transportation as we always have, even if uses more energy and resources that a lengthy drawn-out 'smartly' done plan that has no political hope at all.
Human societies are much like lower forms of life, were they have to run out of resources before changing. Having brains has very little value in human societies.
Just in case you are wondering what does the military have to do with securing the Oil energy supply for the economy we need to grow? I hold out hope that your brain can figure that out. Need I be disappointed?
Must be something on having the whole world knowing you had extra marital affairs. Well, the media should have fun with this. His book will benefit on sales. War,peace and sex.
Hey, dimwit Legal Texan! Judging from your illerate racist hateful post, my guess is you couldn't get a job as a janitor. It would be too intellectually taxing for you. You must clean out horse stalls or something. Hope you haven't contaminated the gene pool with very much of your DNA. Geez. Just remember what Barney Frank said: "Vote Democrat. We might not always be right, but Republicans are crazy."
The other article (the one that is only a video and doesn't allow comments) has this for a headline:
PETRAEUS' STUNNING FALL FROM GRACE
LEAVES HUGE VACANCY FOR OBAMA
Why is it always about Obama? Defending someone you voted for is understandable, but why do the headlines always make it seem like it is another 'struggle' that he needs to overcome. All Presidents have to deal with top-level resignations, it's in the job description.
Frankly, I am more interested in why this is a big deal, but Obama firing his AFRICOM General (a 4-star), and the firing of the Admiral in charge of the Mediterranean Fleet was barely reported.
Essentially the Army 4-star General closest to Libya, the Navy Admiral closest to Libya, the Director of the CIA all being fired/resigning within a few weeks of the attacks inLibya, combined with Hillary seemingly being on a permanent overseas vacation and can't attend the Congressional Hearings next week appears to be a bigger story. You watch, Hillary will suddenly come back to the USA a few days after these hearings and be in the newspapers every day just like the last few years.
I would think that the Director of the CIA (and Army 4-star General with 37 years in service) would probably have had the reporter/biographer writing his autobiography cleared ahead of time. Why exactly was the FBI investigating her? Is Hoover back in charge? The FBI has time to investigate the writer of an auto-biography and find out she might have had an affair with the CIA Director, but 8 weeks after Libya attacks the White House is 'still looking into' why the attacks happened?
The Democrats couldn't have cared less when the President was cheating on his wife, in the Oval Office, with a young intern-employee (which is actually against the law, it's called sexual harrassment, using power and position to get sexual favors). Who knows if she had accidental access to anything on or under his desk that might have been secret, something he could have been blackmailed with. But the CIA Director, cheating with someone who wasn't an employee is just a personal issue, not something the FBI usually investigates.
Americans will wake up sometime in the future. Just imagine that a Republican did this and how much you would be crying that something quite suspicious seems to be going on. This idea that 'my party' lies less than 'your party' is soon to be the end of America. The CIA would have already cleared this lady. In fact the investiagtion would have been done by the FBI, before she could have started to write the book. Why exactly did the FBI start another investigation? Or a better question is who asked them to do the investigation. Sound like someone wanted to dig up dirt on someone BEFORE he might be called to testify in say, a Congressional Hearing.
"Stunned"
Now I get how the author of "Jack and the Beanstalk" came up with a tall tale of climbing a plant to the clouds and stealing a golden goose from a giant.
The way you're able to take some real facts and stir in some crazy a**ed ideas would make you one of the New Brothers Grimm! It's either that or mental illness, your call not mine.
Come on. Even your questions are not searching for the truth but statements of belief.
The rules regarding this kind of conduct are not a state secret. He knew them before entering into a relationship and has done the right thing by holding himself to the same standards he was required to impose on others as a military leader. The greater issue appears to be that his paramour may have had access through Petraeus to secret information, intentionally or not, and that is a great big deal!
Apparently he fell prey to the same self delusion of infallibility that many powerful people experience. He did the right thing in resigning and the President did the right thing in accepting that resignation regardless of the General's popularity with just about everyone.
This nation is screaming for people to take personal responsibility. Well the General did just that.
Well said Anita,, agree totally,,,
well i'm not buying it there is more going on than an affair you sheeple will believe anything in the media rather it makes sense or not
He was best friends with Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush. I wonder how good his judgement really is and was about Afghanistan and Iraq. He associated with liars and thieves to get his promotions. Can anyone be trusted in Washington these days. The fact that he cheated on his wife isn't a crime. The fact that he let a woman tempt him is just more proof how weak minded men are at any position in life. The power of the pussy has destroyed many a man. How 5 minutes of fun can really screw you.
Five minutes? hmmm.