Normally it's a waste of time wading into the swamp of sexual scandals. I don't think it's anyone's business on what goes on in people's private lives. But the military has other rules and regs on this, specifically the Military Code of Conduct. From what has been reported in the media, General Petraeus had retired from active duty when he began his affair with Mrs. Broadwell. Who knows.
What has been astonishing about the daily revelations about this scandal is that two highly decorated and powerful military men involved themselves with what looks to be, by all accounts, unstable, obsessive women who were drawn to power and glory like squirrels to a pile of nuts.
What on god's blue-green earth were Generals Petraeus and Allen thinking when they wrote those letters to Jill Kelley's sister's lawyer in support of her request for child custody? If one believes what has been written about Natalie Khawam, Kelley's sister, she's a dishonorable and out-of-control typhoon of a wreck of a disaster. Why would such eminent men as the generals want to be involved in a domestic entanglement that has nothing to do with them? Perhaps the thousands and thousands of "flirtatious" emails General Allen shared with Jill Kelley will tell us?
And the FBI guy who facilitated all of this--you know, the knucklehead who sent Jill Kelley a photo of himself shirtless--he seems to have had a political axe to grind and hoped to ensnare President Obama in the scandal. Instead he irreparably damaged two generals whom the American people thought of as heroic and unimpeachable
It's all so tragic and comedic at the same time.
30 comments:
Nothing really to comment on or add at this time. Mostly it is as you say, tragic and comedic, on several levels.
Give it up Les. Just the other day your post said you were convinced that this was all a cover up. The Gen. will testify, and this is nothing but a sick sex scandal. You were wrong, as usual.
Military men should be setting standards for behavior, not acting like politicians.
The rich and/or powerful have always believed that they live by a different set of rules than us commoners. Usually they get away with it.
I don't know if politics figures into this.
I do know it makes Obama look greater in stature and more mature, so if anyone thought they would damage him with any of this, that was one hell of a miscalculation.
This is a story as old as time itself.
From RN's blog on the Petraeus resignation:
"General Petraeus was slated to testify before Congress on Benghazi November 15th. Maybe it's just me but something smells with respect to this sudden occurrence. It is highly unlikely that a respected and dedicated military man would resign over the issue of a extramarital affair.
Presidents, most recently William Jefferson Clinton have sailed through the stigma of infidelity with flying colors. It is indeed unlikely the reason for General Petraeus stepping down has anything to do with his all to common human failings.
It seems a bunch more likely that the General was pressured to step down because he may have been unwilling to be the fall guy for the failure of the State Department and Obama to respond appropriately to the Benghazi security lapses."
Obama won reelection one week ago, and now the loonies on the right are doing what we all expected thenm to do. They want Mr. Obama impeached. And by hook or crook they'll find sonething to impeach him for!
"Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer on Tuesday said the White House used David Petraeus’s affair to get the CIA director to give testimony about the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that was in line with the administration’s position on the matter. Appearing on Fox News´s Special Report, Krauthammer said, "The sword was lowered on Election Day" (video follows with transcript and commentary): CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: I think the really shocking news today was that General Petraeus thought and hoped he could keep his job. He thought that it might
Chuck has it right!! It will ALL eventually come out and we can hope it leads to impeachment.
After the 2008 election the Republicans stated their priority was to defeat the president, not help the American people.
After the 2012 election they state they want to impeach the president (through their usual media leaders) again their priority is hurting the president, not helping Americans.
Whatever ideas Republicans offer, they must be scrutinized for motive and political posturing. True for Democratic ideas also; but Republicans are the party that have stated time and again that their agenda is not the American peoples agenda, but their own selfish agenda to further their political power.
LOL... you should read what the right wing blogs are saying... It amazes me how connected these bloggers must be to know details that are not in the public domain.
They are like seers... Knowing all... except that you need a crime for impeachment... I think the last one of those we saw on the international scene was when Reagan violated the Boland Amendment during Iran-Contra...
Every citizen has a right to privacy. In this case that right was breached and we all should be a little unsettled by it.
If the generals revealed classified information, they should be tried for that. To make a public disclosure they had an affair, so what. That is a private matter and the FBI should not get involved in private matters.
Looks like J. Edgar has risen.
No Anon you give it up. The likes of you and your ass ain't gonna chase me off the net.
Seems likely does not equate to convinced, except in your delusional mind.
Shaw, I'll play as nice as the situation dictates or as nasty as it dictates.
Maybe Dondero was right after all. With loonies like Anon running around.
Skud,
To bad republicans won't let those issues (abortion, contraception, same sex marriage, etc.) stay private, but insist on law to control them.
RN continues his baseless accusations of a Benghazi cover up in his post today.
RN continues to be a shill for the Republican party, as he has been for over 30 years.
Extramarital affairs are a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If Gen. Allen had such an affair, he should resign or be relieved of duty with reduction in rank.
As for Petraeus, a CIA director who sets himself up for blackmail lacks the judgment and self-discipline to continue in that extremely sensitive post.
Both cases should be investigated for breaches of security. If there were none no further action should be taken against them.
Neither of these sordid situations is or should be made into political fodder. Neither merits any more exploitative publicity than they have already received. Americans need to outgrow their eternal-adolescent fascination with scandals.
SW
So lets hang them first and then see if there is any truth.
I will have to assume by you opinion that you were for the impeachment of BC for having an affair.
So far Allen has just been caught emailing some women, including his wife. I don't think emails are a breach of Uniform Code of Military Justice, but what the hell, lets just hang him and be done with it.
On October 11, at a closed-door meeting of the Republican caucus convened by the body's majority leader, Chip Rogers, a tea party activist told Republican lawmakers that Obama was mounting this most diabolical conspiracy. The event—captured on tape by a member of the Athens-based watchdog Better Georgia (who was removed from the room after 52 minutes)—had been billed as an information session on Agenda 21, a nonbinding UN agreement that commits member nations to promote sustainable development. In the eyes of conservative activists, Agenda 21 is a nefarious plot that includes forcibly relocating non-urban-dwellers and prescribing mandatory contraception as a means of curbing population growth. The invitation to the Georgia state Senate event noted the presentation would explain: "How pleasant sounding names are fostering a Socialist plan to change the way we live, eat, learn, and communicate to 'save the earth.'"
Romney concedes a racist victory to Obama.
Skudrunner, your last paragraph makes clear that you either have trouble understanding simple declarative sentences or you're so anxious to comment you just substitute what you want to disagree with for what someone else actually wrote, and then respond to that.
Try re-reading the first sentence of my comment again two or three times, slowly. Get someone to help you, if necessary. Then get a napkin for the egg on your face.
BC was the civilian commander in chief and therefore not covered by the uniform code of military justice.
Your description of this mess is on point. It's like a Lifetime movie! Some on the right have got out their tinfoil hats trying to tie President Obama to this, but I think they are reaching.
On a side note, I know a married guy who was an F-14 Tomcat pilot who had an affair with a woman. He was one of the best sticks in the NAVY's tactical air fleet and served as a Commander in the carrier strike group on the ABEY BABY Abraham Lincoln). Within months he was out and flying for Southwest Airlines. The men and women NAVY fighter pilots don't get much wiggle room.
Why no comments about the military woman who acted so painfully wrong? West Point grad, Major, Army reserves, sender of threatening e-mails.
Your modern Republican Party:
Top Georgia GOP lawmakers host 4-Hour briefing on secret Obama mind-control plot to coerce Americans into accepting his plan for turning the US into a United Nations-run communist dictatorship in which suburbanites will be forcibly relocated to cities.
Seriously.
Your modern Republican Party propaganda cable NOOZ weirdos:
Fox News Goes Full Metal Tin Foil Hat with Claim Obama Blackmailed Petraeus
"Anonymous said...
RN continues his baseless accusations of a Benghazi cover up in his post today.
RN continues to be a shill for the Republican party, as he has been for over 30 years"
If your statements are true (which they are not), then I guess that would make you a shill for the democratic party.
LMFAO!!! What a sheeple and mindless ventriloquist for the progressive democratic party.
Toddles Antoinette...
SW
I happen to enjoy eggs but your statement is a rush to judgement as is the media. Allen's name should never have received any press until enough evidence to bring charges. See how simple that was and I didn't have to insult you at all.
From JC'c comment, never said BC was subject to military code but I would have to assume he was privilege to valuable information. Of course, as he showed, nothing is unacceptable to Clinton.
As if Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley and numerous other high ranking military never had 'affairs'...or
as if no US embassy attacks (like those during the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush administrations) never happened. GOP politicians are desparate to resort to making mountains out of molehills.
The press conference with the President Wednesday was interesting.
The President's hard line calling for tax increases for those making over $250,000 a year was expected from the President. In fact, that is undoubtedly a good initial negotiating tactic that will allow for some compromise or movement at a later date that will increase revenue.
But the Presdent's comments during the press conference on other areas seem to have added to some lingering frustration for many Americans. If I go by past history, such a frank lack of transparency typically doesn't end well for Presidents.
And the President's strident defense of Susan Rice raised some eyebrows. Why so forceful? She misled the public. The question is whether it was intentional or whether she was didn't know what went on at the consulate.
Why was the President so defensive of her? The answer I come up with is that he has no intention of promoting Rice to Sec of State. He gets a chance to reward her loyalty and friendship and is shrewdly inducing McCain, Graham and others into spending time and capital on an issue that may be a non issue if she is not nominated. If that is true, it will be twice she is used as a pawn in a chess game.
OK, skud. Let's look at what you said. First, SW said,
"Extramarital affairs are a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If Gen. Allen had such an affair, he should resign or be relieved of duty with reduction in rank."
In response you said,
"I will have to assume by you(sic) opinion that you were for the impeachment of BC for having an affair."
Clearly you are implying that Clinton should have been impeached due to a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Also, to correct another one of your points. Clinton was not impeached for having an affair. He was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice.
Politics is a chess game, and maybe we are beginning to see a stronger offensive game from Obama.
May the Ancient Athenian Gods help us.
Post a Comment