truth on hold Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 So who cares if he had an affair. If he's the best man for that job I don't want to lose him over indescretion in his marriage. So a president has an affair in office and doesn't step down but a CIA chief does? Wtf is going on here. Unless the details of this story are super nasty and involve staff or some other abuse of authority, I'm at a loss to understand why he has to step down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Maybe someone could have used it as leverage? Maybe there is more to it? http://usnews.nbcnew...tal-affair?lite By Andrea Mitchell and Robert Windrem, NBC News CIA Director David Petraeus resigned Friday, citing an extramarital affair and "extremely poor judgment." As first reported by NBC News and in a letter released to the CIA work force on Friday afternoon, Petraeus disclosed the affair, and wrote: "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours." Petraeus told President Obama of his affair and offered his resignation during a meeting on Thursday, a senior official told NBC News. In a phone on Friday, Obama accepted the resignation. In a letter released to the CIA work force on Friday afternoon, Petraeus disclosed the affair, and wrote: "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours." President Obama "graciously accepted my resignation," he wrote. Petraeus was appointed CIA director in April 2011, replacing Leon Panetta, who moved to the Pentagon to become defense secretary. Petraeus served as commander of the war in Afghanistan in 2010-2011. Because of that role, he was seen as bringing a “customer’s eye” to the intelligence job. Before that, he served as commander of the U.S. Central Command and as the commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq. Multiple sources tell NBC News that Mike Morrell, the deputy CIA director and a longtime CIA officer, would likely be offered the job as acting director but with the understanding that he may be elevated to the job permanently at some point. That's how George Tenet got the job, first as deputy director in July 1995, then acting director following the resignation of John Deutch in December 1996 and finally as director in July 1997, staying on in the Bush Administration. Morrell is a longtime CIA analyst and was an eyewitness to two of the most momentous events in recent U.S. history. He was traveling with President George W. Bush on Sept. 11, 2001, as the president's briefer, and was in the Situation Room on May 1, 2011, as deputy CIA Director, when Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden. Here is the full text of Petraeus' letter: HEADQUARTERS Central Intelligence Agency 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 It sounds like it was Petreus choice... "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," he said in a statement. "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." He made a personal decision...maybe his marriage is more important to him than his job? What are you hearing that makes you feel like there is something more to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Large Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 So who cares if he had an affair. If he's the best man for that job I don't want to lose him over indescretion in his marriage. So a president has an affair in office and doesn't step down but a CIA chief does? Wtf is going on here. Unless the details of this story are super nasty and involve staff or some other abuse of authority, I'm at a loss to understand why he has to step down. maybe he resigned to focus on his marriage... maybe he felt that was more important right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 It sounds like it was Petreus choice... "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," he said in a statement. "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." He made a personal decision...maybe his marriage is more important to him than his job? What are you hearing that makes you feel like there is something more to it? ...nothing...just seems like...I mean to have done something and then decide "I should just resign now"...weird stuff and unexpected is all I'm saying. Could easily be a personal decision he felt he had to resign b/c of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 ...nothing...just seems like...I mean to have done something and then decide "I should just resign now"...weird stuff and unexpected is all I'm saying. Could easily be a personal decision he felt he had to resign b/c of. Plenty of people have affairs and almost none of them quit their jobs to focus on their marriage. What does that even mean? Sitting around at home staring at the wall 24/7 will help anything ? Yes its possible. But my hunch is the details of the affair are particularly nasty and involve another person at the CIA, which would have called into question his an abuse of authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Plenty of people have affairs and almost none of them quit their jobs to focus on their marriage. What does that even mean? Sitting around at home staring at the wall 24/7 will help anything ? Yes its possible. But my hunch is the details of the affair are particularly nasty and involve another person at the CIA, which would have called into question his an abuse of authority. Yeah, sitting doing nothing really isn't going to help. It may well be something he feels he can't recover from professionally if it was in-house or whatever the details are. But there's enough out there WRT his talking about the embassy attack and murder of Amb. Stevens and three others, just before the election. It's standard procedure that immediately after the election, the president gets resignations from his (or her!) entire cabinet and head muckity-mucks. That way there's less direct confrontation, and publicly, people who are let go can save face professionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) If it has something to do with embassy in Libya then just resign for no stated reason other than time to move on. Here he's specifically tying the resignation to an affair. Edited November 9, 2012 by Joe_the_6_pack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 That's the thing of it. You don't say that publicly unless someone is threatening to release it themselves, ala David Letterman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Plenty of people have affairs and almost none of them quit their jobs to focus on their marriage. What does that even mean? Sitting around at home staring at the wall 24/7 will help anything ? Yes its possible. But my hunch is the details of the affair are particularly nasty and involve another person at the CIA, which would have called into question his an abuse of authority. So you're ok with someone with really, really, really poor judgement running the CIA? I'm not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 It is the CIA for crying out loud. This type of lack of personal judgement is big. Jeeze, things gotta be kinda pefect given the nature of the CIA beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 It is the CIA for crying out loud. This type of lack of personal judgement is big. Jeeze, things gotta be kinda pefect given the nature of the CIA beast. Damn federal employees are always screwing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) CNN just reported there was an "FBI probe" into the affair for some period of time lol...jesus http://www.newsmax.c...11/09/id/463573 Ronald Kessler reporting from Washington, D.C. — The resignation of David H. Petraeus as CIA director followed an FBI investigation of many months, raising the question of why he was not forced out until after the election. In his letter of resignation, Petraeus cited an extra-marital affair he had been having. “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair,” Petraeus said in his letter to President Obama. “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.” Petraeus, who had a distinguished military career, revealed no additional details. 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. Neither Petraeus nor the CIA’s Office of Public Affairs had any immediate comment. FBI agents on the case expected that Petraeus would be asked to resign immediately rather than risk the possibility that he could be blackmailed to give intelligence secrets to foreign intelligence agencies or criminals. In addition, his pursuit of the woman could have distracted him as the CIA was giving Congress reports on the attack on the Benghazi consulate on Sept. 11. The CIA ‘s reporting to Congress included a claim that protests over a YouTube video played a role in the attacks, thus allowing Obama to initially discount the possibility that the U.S. had suffered another terrorist attack just before the election. In contrast, based on real time video and reports, the State Department was reporting that the attack that led to the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, was terrorist-related. The State Department reported that there were no protests at the consulate. Still, the FBI, Justice Department, and the White House held off on asking for Petraeus’ resignation until after the election. His resignation occurred three days after the election, avoiding the possibility that Obama’s ill-fated appointment of Petraeus could become an issue in the election. FBI agents on the case were aware that such a decision had been made to hold off on forcing him out until after the election and were outraged. “The decision was made to delay the resignation apparently to avoid potential embarrassment to the president before the election,” an FBI source says. “To leave him in such a sensitive position where he was vulnerable to potential blackmail for months compromised our security and is inexcusable.” Michael Kortan, the FBI’s assistant director for public affairs, said he had no comment. Edited November 9, 2012 by TheNewBills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Damn federal employees are always screwing up. Us toll takers can have an affair and not blink an eye! Then again, who wants to sleep with a salty lock operator taker? Besides all your guys' wives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) Breaking News FBI investigating Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell for improperly trying to access his email, officials tell@NBCNews Edited November 9, 2012 by TheNewBills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 I don't care if certain public figures have affairs...but not the CIA director. Not the president. And why? See The stories NewBills linked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Breaking News More: Officials say they don't believe FBI investigation into Broadwell will result in criminal charges - @NBCNewsnbcnews.to/Z0kZlP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Wow, what a coincidence! He resigns after the election and before the hearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Wow, what a coincidence! He resigns after the election and before the hearings. You think? oo oo oo oo oo Black helos flying low! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 So, if I get this right, the POTUS left the CIA Director in place until after the election, purely for political reasons? Politics over security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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