David Petraeus' resignation from the CIA because of a self-confessed extramarital affair seems oddly puritanical, or just odd.
Nearly 70 years ago our Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, managed to conquer both Nazi Germany and Kay Summersby and then proceeded to ask--in writing--the profoundly priggish U.S. Army chief of staff, George C. Marshall, what he thought about Ike, maybe, dumping Mamie and idyllically settling down with said Ms. Summersby. To which George responded--and I'm only roughly paraphrasing here--Ike, are you fucking nuts?
Anyway, Ike's temporary schoolboyishness (which wasn't much of a secret) hardly prevented the general from going on to even greater heights. For the next seven years the thought of President Truman being in possession of Ike's letter in Pentagon files worried the bejesus out of the latter, but Harry was an understanding sport, and never used it politically. These things happen, you know, boys will be boys, that sort of thing.
But it doesn't apply to David Petraeus, I guess?
Oh bullshit, General Petraeus is going to run as a Republcan for President in 2016!
Posted by: sueme | November 09, 2012 at 02:52 PM
I don't know why this should effect his job. Married people have affairs sometimes that's just the facts of life. Can we please grow up as a nation and get past these puritanical fantasies? Bill Maher is right when he says this country really needs to get laid.
Posted by: AnneJ | November 09, 2012 at 03:29 PM
I just assume it's the only politically acceptable option for a Republican in today's environment. Something probably happened and he knew he was going to be found out, and he has too much dignity to pull the typical "deny until the evidence is incontrovertible" routine.
Posted by: Jaylemeux | November 09, 2012 at 07:58 PM
It was a security breach. She is a journalist who is known to have tried to hack his e-mails.
Posted by: priscianus jr | November 10, 2012 at 09:06 PM