I just don't get the Petreus thing as a big-deal story

[cthulu2016]

Is there anything that happened? Did this affair have any effect on anything other than Petreus' employment status?

It seems like a lot of nothin' to me. Guy talks out of school to his unbalanced stalker mistress. Embarrassing as hell, and career-ending on merit, but it doesn't seem to feature policy implications.

Mishandling classified information? That's almost as perennial as not paying social security taxes on the nanny. It is never a good thing, but unless the information is being used for some nefarious purpose...

Some side-show stuff, like the wing-nut FBI agent. .. Broadwell's Benghazi theories... but ultimately Kind of like the Profumo scandal without the Russians, and hence, without anything of import.



What am I overlooking?

[PoliticAverse]

1. America loves sex-related scandals. n/t

[grasswire]

2. remember the "two bit burglary"?

Keep it in mind.

[cthulu2016]

5. The ratio of two-bit burglaries to two-bit burglaries that end up

deposing a President is millions to one.

What is anyone (on the left) even alleging that is worth talking about?

[former-republican]

6. Are you saying this was a cover up by the Whitehouse until after the election?

I've heard that thrown around here also.

[grasswire]

11. no, not at all

I'm saying that things of this nature are seldom what they initially seem to be.

[former-republican]

14. agree

[chillfactor]

3. me either.....

I am so sick of hearing about this "story" i could throw up....

[former-republican]

4. who knows

FBI just searched her home and left with some boxes.

Some say she knew classified information.

Who knows how far this is going to reach

[Kalidurga]

7. Some Republicans may have tried to make it an October surprise...

But, I don't think that it would have effected the election in any way. It just shows they are the slime balls that they are accused of being. Some say the FBI should have told Obama or the senate or something, but apparently there are no rules or procedures in place for them to have had to do that. Personally, I don't think the FBI did anything wrong with not telling Obama as I doubt their investigation is finished. There is also the issue of Petreus being vulnerable to blackmail. Somehow I don't see that happening in this case. So, it's mostly a non story, but there are some concerns i.e. national security and reporting procedures.

[Turborama]

8. Specualtion she and Rove had a nefarious plan

Which David Gergen was also involved with.

I think...?

[Live and Learn]

13. Yikes, I read that as she and Rove had an affair.

Plan is much better and more believable. I know this is getting nutty but I don't want it to get that ugly.

[Whisp]

9. things are getting more interesting

the sex part is boring compared to the other possibilities.

[aletier_v]

10. Think of the affair as a keg of potential energy

There's circumstantial evidence that both sides (D & R)
tried to use it for political purposes during the election.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

15. What circumstantial evidence?

All I've seen or read is...

Patraeus screws around on wife
Mistress gets mad that Patraeus is close friends with another woman
Mistress sends friend threatening e-mails
Friend reports e-mails to FBI
FBI initiates an investigation
RW nut in FBI believes investigation is stalled
RW nut in FBI calls Washington Congressman
Washington Congressman calls Cantor, House Majority Leader
Cantor, House Majority Leader calls FBI to see if any of this is true
FBI tells Cantor investigation is ongoing
Election
Patraeus resigns
Story breaks

I haven't seen or read anything that seems to point to either party trying to use this for political hay.

[aletier_v]

17. Rove & Gergen's connection to Broadwell

The timing of that photo, and timing of investigation are close.

Cantor's behavior.

I think it's clear that the story was squelched
to avoid influencing the election.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

18. I haven't read about the Rove & Gergen connection

Thanks, I'll have to look that up.

As for Cantor, sorry, but I don't see where he did anything wrong.

[aletier_v]

22. I didn't say wrong. I said his behavior

The on-going question is why he did NOT try to turn this into an Obama drama controversy.

Also, a few weeks ago,
a story floating around of an "insider"
who had "Benghazi information".

That story fizzled out but I believe now
that it will be traced back to this ball of wax.

Somebody tried to float it as scandal material for awhile.

FYI, there's a photo of Kove & Broadwell from June,
and she was doing some work for a Gergen / Bain organization.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

23. My guess is that he didn't do anything with the info

Because the FBI told him it was an ongoing investigation and to keep his mouth shut.

I'm all about going after politicians when they do something wrong, but not so much about trying to twist nothing into something.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

12. A sex scandal involving the head of the CIA and

a very attractive homewrecking vixen?

This is the stuff the msm blows a wad over.

[graham4anything]

16. I will always question the people that attempt to use conspiracy theories to further something

when there are far more important issues out there to waste time about

usually conspiarcy theorists follow bread crumbs left just to obtain the info that the bread crumb leavers wanted

after all no longer do I wonder why Woodward was the only one who got info from Deep Throat and Bernstein did not.

fast forward to 2012 and its no wonder.

all Watergate did was get two Bush presidencies, with them hoping they can sneak a 3rd one in.

[Schema Thing]

19. I think most likely he resigned for one reason...

He's lying when he says the affair started two months after he became CIA head.


Of course it started much much earlier. Which means he was carrying on the affair while in the military. Which IS illegal, and while I'm sure common, isn't/can't be allowed to happen in the open with Time Magazine cover articles being written about the specifics.

And THAT is too much ugly heat to allow to simmer, especially if there is some whacko (or a couple of whacko's) out there pressing the issue out of teenage jealousy.

[aletier_v]

25. I agree, I think it started earlier.

[condoleeza]

20. Doesn't anyone here think

that this is probably what all these men in power usually get away with until someone who has more power finally has the cards in hand to get someone he'd rather not have as CIA Chief replaced? He inherited this guy, Petraeus is a Bush guy, who made $ from the war in Iraq? Who ignored the over spending/waste of $ for "sub-contractors (i.e. Dick Cheney and his companies) during the Iraq war?

I think Obama is cleaning house, high time.

[pa28]

21. If she leaked classified info with the intention of sabotaging Obama it's a big deal.

Not sure if that's the case but everything about this smells bad. I want it investigated.

[Tx4obama]

24. I think the most IMPORTANT part is she publicly said the CIA had taken prisoners in Benghazi, below

DU OP here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014301612

[aletier_v]

26. Yes, there's a question of where this info came from

It was reported by Fox and Broadwell on the same day.

Which one fed info to which?