CIA Director Petraeus Resigns

[Guest American Woman]

Evidently the director of the CIA has resigned, citing an extramarital affair as the reason. It will be interesting to hear more about this as the story develops, as I can't imagine anyone in such a position resigning for that reason - but perhaps there isn't any more to it.

[bush_cheney2004]

General/Director Petraeus is fed up with the nonsense. Look for other high profile cabinet members to resign as is customary for a second term. Hillary Clinton has already given notice.

[sharkman]

Oh, he's seeking legal counsel and trying to distance himself from the Benghazi thing. I'll bet he can name names and produce email records though. The Obama administration is no doubt coming after him as they need a patsy. The affair? A convenient excuse.

Edited November 9, 2012 by sharkman

[dre]

As long as his girlfriend was hot and younger than him, it doesnt seem like anything to resign over.

[Guest American Woman]

General/Director Petraeus is fed up with the nonsense. Look for other high profile cabinet members to resign as is customary for a second term. Hillary Clinton has already given notice.

Clinton hasn't made it official, so I'm not putting any money on it at this point. However, resigning because it's "customary" is quite different from resigning because of an extra-marital affair.

CIA director David Petraeus submitted his letter of resignation to President Obama on Nov. 8, 2012. In a letter to CIA employees, he said: "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." Petraeus said Obama accepted his resignation on Nov. 9.

http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/cia-director-david-petraeus-resigns

Edited November 9, 2012 by American Woman

[Big Guy]

I thought that former President Bill Clinton set the new standard for marital responsibility while serving your nation. Maybe Petraeus was having an affair with another guy?

[bush_cheney2004]

Clinton hasn't made it official, so I'm not putting any money on it at this point. However, resigning because it's "customary" is quite different from resigning because of an extra-marital affair.

OK..maybe Petraeus is a Republican!

[bush_cheney2004]

As long as his girlfriend was hot and younger than him, it doesnt seem like anything to resign over.

But not OK if it was Queen Elizabeth II ?

[dre]

But not OK if it was Queen Elizabeth II ?

No definately not.

[Guest American Woman]

OK..maybe Petraeus is a Republican!

I'm not following .....

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm not following .....

Republicans resign when disgraced in office much faster than Democrats. See Richard M. Nixon.

[Guest American Woman]

Republicans resign when disgraced in office much faster than Democrats. See Richard M. Nixon.

Richard Nixon didn't resign over an extra-marital affair.

[bush_cheney2004]

Richard Nixon didn't resign over an extra-marital affair.

Right...but he did resign instead of going through an impeachment process. Clinton took his chances and got impeached, humiliating Hillary in the process.

[Guest American Woman]

Right...but he did resign instead of going through an impeachment process. Clinton took his chances and got impeached, humiliating Hillary in the process.

Hillary has never come across as "humiliated" to me. Quite the opposite. The humiliation was Bill's alone.

I would imagine that Clinton was more sure of the outcome than Nixon was; as I said, Nixon wasn't facing impeachment for an extra-marital affair.

Edited November 9, 2012 by American Woman

[bush_cheney2004]

Hillary went through Bill's continuing infidelity going back to their days in Arkansas, then her own party turned its back on her in 2008.

[Guest American Woman]

Hillary went through Bill's continuing infidelity going back to their days in Arkansas, then her own party turned its back on her in 2008.

And yet she's persevered. Again, the "humiliation" wasn't hers. She did nothing wrong. That she should be humiliated because of her husband's wrongs is ridiculous.

[bush_cheney2004]

And yet she's persevered. Again, the "humiliation" wasn't hers. She did nothing wrong. That she should be humiliated because of her husband's wrongs is ridiculous.

Yes, she did, splendidly. But at the time the humiliation lay not in Bill's betrayal, but the public pretense and lying:

What Hillary found harder to tolerate was public humiliation. Time and again, she rose to Bill's defence, even when the facts overwhelmingly suggested that he was lying.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-508015/Hillarys-humiliation-How-swept-Bill-Clintons-affairs-carpet.html#ixzz2BlI0Gz3o

[Guest American Woman]

Yes, she did, splendidly. But at the time the humiliation lay not in Bill's betrayal, but the public pretense and lying:

What Hillary found harder to tolerate was public humiliation. Time and again, she rose to Bill's defence, even when the facts overwhelmingly suggested that he was lying.

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz2BlI0Gz3o

The ;pretense and lying was on Bill's part; that she believed her husband, that she had faith in her husband, is not something to be humiliated about.

[bush_cheney2004]

The ;pretense and lying was on Bill's part; that she believed her husband, that she had faith in her husband, is not something to be humiliated about.

Well, as I recall, she finally got tired of covering for him and declared she was not Tammy Wynette. That must have lifted the burden and humiliation she expressed earlier.

[Guest American Woman]

Well, as I recall, she finally got tired of covering for him and declared she was not Tammy Wynette. That must have lifted the burden and humiliation she expressed earlier.

When did she ever express humiliation? I've seen others attribute it to her, but I don't recall any claims of humiliation coming from her.

[bush_cheney2004]

When did she ever express humiliation? I've seen others attribute it to her, but I don't recall any claims of humiliation coming from her.

Could be, but it will come out in a bestseller book sooner or later. Humiliation led to rage which led to redemption.

[TimG]

Evidently the director of the CIA has resigned, citing an extramarital affair as the reason. It will be interesting to hear more about this as the story develops, as I can't imagine anyone in such a position resigning for that reason - but perhaps there isn't any more to it.

Really? If you are working for the CIA you have an obligation to avoid doing things that would people an opportunity to blackmail you. He could have made it public from the start and it would have been no issue but since he kept it secret and is suddenly revealing now it he has undermined his moral authority as leader of the CIA.

[GostHacked]

Really? If you are working for the CIA you have an obligation to avoid doing things that would people an opportunity to blackmail you. He could have made it public from the start and it would have been no issue but since he kept it secret and is suddenly revealing now it he has undermined his moral authority as leader of the CIA.

Being the leader of the CIA would possibly mean you did not have many morals to begin with. Being the nature of the biz that the CIA is involved in.

[Guest American Woman]

Really? If you are working for the CIA you have an obligation to avoid doing things that would people an opportunity to blackmail you. He could have made it public from the start and it would have been no issue but since he kept it secret and is suddenly revealing now it he has undermined his moral authority as leader of the CIA.

He came right out and said that he had an affair, so how could anyone blackmail him? - No need to resign for fear of blackmailing. Furthermore, what he does in his private life and what he does in his work life are two different things.

[TimG]

He came right out and said that he had an affair, so how could anyone blackmail him? - No need to resign for fear of blackmailing. Furthermore, what he does in his private life and what he does in his work life are two different things.

You seemed to miss my point. It is non-issue now because he admitted it, however, he kept it secret for some period of time which meant he was vulnerable during that period. It would not surprise me to hear he ran afoul of a CIA-code-of-conduct issue that would not apply to others in other jobs.

Of course the real reason may be something else entirely, We can't know what was said behind the scenes. The departure the day after the election seems a little co-incidental.

Edited November 9, 2012 by TimG