In my initial post on l’Affaire Petraeus, I expressed skepticism about whether there was something more sinister surrounding his resignation for broadening the well, if you will. The timing, I did question, but I didn’t read much more into it than a guy getting stupid and certainly didn’t see or expect a Benghazi connection.
Well, here’s the twist: He didn’t get stupid and spill the beans. The woman he was nailing did and went full bunny-boiler on another woman, which set off an FBI investigation. USA Today reports that the FBI found Petraeus didn’t violate any confidentiality rules, though they did notify him of what they found out shortly before the election. Or the political class is just protecting itself, as usual. Either way, Petraeus now gets to do the Schwarzenegger to his family but he’s off the hook for any legal issues.
Is this a scandal? I suppose so, but that was never in question. It just further darkens Petraeus in my eyes, who didn’t come clean about what he had done and didn’t resign immediately when the jig was up. Does the FBI deserve any criticism here? I don’t think so. Petraeus broke no laws, but I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when the agents got to explain to a sitting CIA director that they knew what he was up to.
Obama? Yeah, I’m sure he was aware of this before the election and he probably begged Petraeus to keep his mouth shut until after Super Tuesday. I’m not sure where you go with it from here. This will be just one of many scandals that I expect are already piling up within the Administration, given how undisciplined and opportunistic everyone in it is.
Shit, if even Petraeus went bad…
6 comments
No ping yet
repmom says:
November 12, 2012 8:06 am at 8:06 am (UTC -4)
“bunny-boiler”
Ha! Clever.
Thrill says:
November 12, 2012 10:31 am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
Oh, great. Eric Cantor knew about it too.
I guess that takes Obama off the hook too.
Read more: http://www.kmbc.com/news/national/Cantor-knew-of-Petraeus-matter-for-weeks/-/11664252/17362198/-/no2a8/-/index.html#ixzz2C1TTu8OZ
Hal_10000 says:
November 12, 2012 11:28 am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
Matt Yglesis pointed out the contrast between how fast Congress wants to find out what happened with Petraeus with how slowly they’ve moved on everything else. The Obama executive power grabs have happened because they haven’t been *willing* to exercise control over the Administration (also this, unlike drones, involves juicy sex details and tearing down an idol).
Thrill says:
November 12, 2012 11:49 am at 11:49 am (UTC -4)
I don’t know if it’s that Congress wants the information more or is just having an easier time getting it. Keep in mind that the whistleblower approached Cantor directly. If anyone has spoken with Congress about Benghazi, we haven’t heard about it.
Hal_10000 says:
November 13, 2012 12:50 am at 12:50 am (UTC -4)
This just keeps getting weirder. how deep does the rabbit hole go?
http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-agent-petraeus-2012-11?0=bi
Thrill says:
November 13, 2012 7:49 am at 7:49 am (UTC -4)
Hopelessly decadent and corrupt out there in DC at all levels. I can’t even force myself to be shocked.
The big giveaway that things are completely out of control for me was the Secret Service scandal. If that many agents from such an elite organization felt comfortable doing what they were doing, you can bet that their political bosses do far worse on a routine basis and they know it.