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GOP Dreams of David Petraeus for President Crash and Burn After Affair Revelations
Gen. David Patraeus abruptly resigned from his position as CIA Director citing poor judgment and an extramarital affair. Thus, another Republican dream candidate for president has self destructed.
Here is Patraeus’s resignation letter from NBC News,
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
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney had no comment on the circumstances surrounding the Petraeus resignation:
President Obama did release a written statement that said in part, “By any measure, he was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end.”
Petraeus’s name has long been a favorite to toss around in Republican circles. Most recently, there was speculation surrounding whether or not Mitt Romney would select him as his running mate. Some Republicans viewed him as a future presidential candidate, despite the fact that the General has referred to himself as a moderate Rockefeller Republican.
Of all the names being floated around as the first to leave the second Obama administration, Petraeus was not one of them. It is a bit of an out of the blue shock that he abruptly resigned, but it is also the move of a man who was trying to get ahead of a story that would have been a reputation destroying scandal.
Instead of dragging the president into his personal mess, Gen. Petraeus did the honorable thing and resigned.
A long career in public service has come to an abrupt end, and the Republican dreams of a political savior arriving from the military are dead and gone.
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dave
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
What real chance did Patreaus have of being president after he presided over the largest corporate fleecing in history, the Iraq war? Wouldn’t the fact that he presided over billions of dollars going out the door to build tin shacks and to pay for Blackwater troops getting pissed and killing civilians come up at SOME point?
majii
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
After seeing how much about himself that Romney concealed and got away with, Dave, I don’t think the things you mentioned would prevent Petraeus from being a viable candidate in the Republican Party. These things matter to you, I, and many other Americans, but as we saw with Romney, many Americans have a huge capacity for overlooking very important things about a candidate for POTUS that could impact his/her performance.
Beaglemom
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
What might keep him out of the running is his own statement that he sees himself as a Rockefeller-style Republican. That’s practically treason to the 21st century GOP!
I think it’s shame that human nature trumped good sense. Extramarital affairs while heading the CIA – not a good idea. One has to question his judgment.
bottomhouse
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Where I came from …no.one wud have given a rats ass…but this is america where there is no line between personal and public lives..
buckeyewill
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Where’s David Vitter’s resignation?????
mjh
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
GOP Dreams of David Petraeus for President Crash and Burn After Affair Revelations
Ha! Who says?
Given all the other GOPpers who’ve recently got caught with their pants down — David Vitter, Newt Gingrich, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Ensign, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Larry Craig, Mark Sanford, Herman Cain, etc. — Petraeus would just be par for the course . . .
.
UncaJoe
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 8:53 am
I remember when a Democrat got into political hot water, it was a sex scandal and a with a Republican it was money.
Nowadays it seems that both parties have decided to be bipartisan on at least one issue. ;)
Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 9:47 am
Shall I present you with the list of republicans caught for sex with minors? Or according to you we are not allowed to mention republicans who get caught?
majii
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
If Newt Gingrich, Scooter Libby, Oliver North, and David Vitter can make a comeback and be revered as “stars” in the GOP, Petraeus can do the same thing. He only has to wait a few years.
mjh
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
He only has to wait a few years.
. . . And get a show on Fox News.
.
Carlos
Nov. 11th, 2012 at 1:03 am
You rate these clowns as stars….I know you kidding right? Newt and Vitter should be run out of the GOP. Libby and North should be in jail.
Reynardine
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Well, yes, but if Petraeus is not *that* kind of Republican, he can’t find the Lard and be absolved.
Churchlady
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
He’s not that kind of Republican – he IS that kind of Christian. He’s been in league with Dominionists, has failed to protect the Constitution by letting Dominionists rule the roost under his command. Now all one can speculate is that the one force that can undermine him – his wife – has forced his hand.
His religion is part of the arrogant Relgious Right who preach one thing and do another. I’m somewhat heartened by his self description as a Rockefeller Republican, but those of us who watch the Religious Right know that might actually be a lie. Lying for Jesus is OK you know. But let’s take him at his word – he still would have to be accountable to his wife. And I suspect she is NOT ‘standing by her man’ without sacrifice and public mea culpa on his part!
PMom_GA
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Word up is that some woman writing a book involving Petraeus was apparently trying to gain access to confidential e-mails, endangering national security.
That is why Petraeus resigned – poor judgment in who he bonked on the side.
PMom_GA
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Here’s link to article re: mistress/e-mails and, gasp!, the FBI!
www.huffingtonpost.com/20...
“MSNBC’s Richard Engel reported on Friday evening that the FBI is conducting an ongoing investigation into Broadwell to see whether she had improper access to Petraeus’ emails and may have seen classified information. Engel added that it doesn’t appear that any charges are going to be filed, and that Petraeus himself is not being investigated.”
Anne
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 7:34 am
I wonder how many Republicans were considering him as a presidential contender. Whoever they might be, their hopes have been dashed early on. In any case, since they’ve learned nothing of value from the presidential defeat which left them “shellshocked,” they would hardly embrace a Rockefeller Republican type. The best thing Petraeus could have done under the circumstances was to resign.
mary aseltyne
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 10:04 am
It is odd how Republicans thought of him as THEIR hero, when he worked for Obama. That is reason enough to be glad he is gone.
Reynardine
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 10:48 am
My understanding is that the worst thing about his affair with Paula Broadwell wasn’t that he got into that broad’s well, but that she got into his classified emails and other such stuff. That dirty old maxim about when men are hard, they’re soft, has been used by female spies since long before Mata Hari, and at his age and rank, Petraeus should have known better.
Reynardine
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 11:25 am
Actually, that’s how Judith got Holofernes.
FauxRomney
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 1:45 am
Aha. The plot thickens. Tonight, the FBI went to Miss Broadwell’s home and confiscated many of her personal items. It was with her consent.
I haven’t heard one word tonight on cable news about Eric Cantor having known about this affair since a few months ago. A whistleblower told him. (Check it out on Politico.) Oh, no, does the cable anchors ever mention this. NOT.
The GOP are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill as usual. They have been referring this to Watergate and the Iran Contra Affair. Of course, they will try to bring down the president. What else do they have to do, when otherwise they should be working for America and helpig our country to grow.
Oh, the irony. Tonight, Lawrence O’Donnell reported that John Edwards’ mistress, Riel Hunter, lives a stone’s throw away from Miss Broadwell’s home.
Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 7:49 am
to his credit, Cantor was aware of this going on but kept it to himself.
Who Cares
Nov. 11th, 2012 at 10:46 am
How quickly we forget! I remember a President going on national TV and lying about having an affair in the Oval Office and still being Re-elected. Patreus for President 2016!
Anne
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 10:15 am
@Unca George and Ginger B:
While it’s true that there are also Democrats who’ve been caught in compromising situations, it’s the Republicans who like to ride on their high horse and pretend a moral superiority they simply do not possess. That’s why they have a harder fall and why folks are generally harder on them.