Update: Fox already has a conspiracy theory up on this …
Call in the staff from Cheaters, David Petraeus, icon of the right and the family values crowd, is caught with his hands and other body parts in the cookie jar:
NBC News— 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.
Petraeus, whether you like him or not or just don’t care, always struck me as a straight shooter. And I’m not trying to be a scold here. Normally, I could care less about someone’s personal life. Except this guy was the Director of the CIA and affairs therein are a nortorious security issue for reason that should be cleal to anyone who’s read a Tom Clancy novel or watched a James Bond movie. So in this case, I think a resignation makes sense.
I’ve come to the conclusion that many “ordinary” folks in government and business don’t yet realize that nothing they tweet, post, or blog, can be kept secret: hence all the messages with wieners and other stupid shit that have made the news. It also seems they don’t realize most, if not all, personal blunders will eventually get to the public.
But I would have wagered Petraeus would have been smarter about this stuff simply because of his background. I am boggled.
Except that now it’s out, it’s not a security issue. Everyone knows. Unless you’re saying that because he kept a security issue from the CIA, he should resign. But now, everyone knows, and he can’t (for instance) be blackmailed about it. Might as well let him stay.
This came up in the office and a french co-worker’s response was “nonsense, it’s not that he had an affair, it’s whom he had an affair with.”
Yeah, if Petreus had a one night stand with some random congressional aide, and admits it, he’s probably not a security risk.
On the other hand, if it’s a call girl or a foreign national or anything else (including an affair of any sort of well…unusual nature) that could give rise to allegations he’s been comprimised? that’s a different story.
Beside that opinion seems to be coalescing into a couple other possibilities.
(a) In the high echelons of the military, being caught in an affair is still a career ender. Petreus is still military and he might well resign for something that a political hack would be totally unperturbed by.
(b) Petreus has lost some sort of political battle and fallen out of favor. The affair has just been a convenient way for someone to force him out.
(c) Conservative driven speculation that Petreus is voluntarily getting out prior to some scandal breaking.
(d) Falling on a sword.
It was with the woman who wrote his biography. No big deal. It should only be between him and his wife.
Also he retired from the military prior to taking the CIA job
Some readers at TPM are saying that is indeed a textbook issue for revoking clearance.
Well, maybe there could have been a bit more that hasn’t been disclosed
Petraeus… always struck me as a straight shooter.
Funny expression, that – I would worry more about someone who can shoot around corners.
The Man Called DP first came to public attention during the Bush years by writing Washington Post op-eds that just happened to say what Bush/Cheney wanted to hear.
Then he changed his tune and started telling everybody what Obama wanted us to hear.
In neither case were his perspectives notably reality-based.
Count him as another Washington ladder-climber, who wasn’t paying attention when he came to a slippery rung.
F.B.I. Said to Have Stumbled Into News of Petraeus Affair
Meant to say, what I just posted a quote from was an NYT news alert dated less than half an hour ago.