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The Spectacle Blog
Citing an extramarital affair, CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned, effective immediately.
NBC news is reporting that Mike Morrell, deputy CIA director and a longtime CIA officer, will be offered the job as acting director, and a nod to his permanent placement.
What follows is Petraeus’ resignation letter:
HEADQUARTERS Central Intelligence Agency
9 November 2012
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
View all comments (29) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Reid Smith
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/11/09/cia-director-david-petraeus-re
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DRed| 11.9.12 @ 3:27PM
Benghazi! Benghazi!
Jack in Wi| 11.9.12 @ 6:31PM
He was a political hack who did what he was told. Everything he touched turned to ashes. I figure he was blackmailed to take the fall for Bengazi. He could of resigned quietly otherwise. They are trying to keep him from testifying.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.9.12 @ 10:04PM
"He could of "
He could have is what I believe you meant to write, isn't it, Jack?
JmsA| 11.9.12 @ 9:38PM
What's wrong with you?
JmsA| 11.9.12 @ 9:43PM
The previous post was intended for the delusional one above, who apparently derives some sort of morbid pleasure from others' tragic demise.
DRed| 11.9.12 @ 10:22PM
Not quite. What is funny is your attempt to find some sort of political benefit from the tragedy.
Tom Kyba| 11.12.12 @ 11:24AM
Actually, he has you dead to rights, and as usual, you deny it because you are not a man. Happy self-esteem to you comrade.
SCPOret| 11.9.12 @ 3:37PM
I hate to see him go he has been an honorable man. Easier to admit to an affair than to call out Obama for being a lying A$$hole who through him under the bus for Bengazhi.
Bob Grant| 11.9.12 @ 4:14PM
Honorable men don't cheat their wives, especially when you head up the CIA.
Honorable men don't cover for lying A$$holes.
Honorable men don't serve Barack Obama.
I see chickens coming home to rooooosttttaaah.
Simon Templar| 11.9.12 @ 4:20PM
You mean like Clinton?
Derek Leaberry| 11.9.12 @ 4:42PM
Honorable men also don't support Obama's homosexualization and feminization of the military.
CJW| 11.9.12 @ 5:28PM
Let me see if I understand this.
The Director of the CIA has to resign because his affair may be used to blackmail him, and it is not honorable to head the CIA and have an affair because it shows poor judgment.
But the Commander in Chief (president for you dems) can have serial affairs, harass his subordinate female employees, grope women, be credibly accused of rape, lie under oath, get disbarred, and none of that is poor judgment.
So we have higher standards for the Director of the CIA than for President.
And the Commander in Chief can ignore requests for security in Libya and ignore requests for help, allow four Americans to be murdered by muslim terrorists, and then lie about the attack so he can win his election. This is not poor judgment.
Warrior| 11.9.12 @ 5:53PM
There are higher standards to be met for conduct, acquisition of a security clearance and just about every other category for a one striper departing basic training than the Pres, VP, Speaker and most of congress.
C Bowen | 11.9.12 @ 3:45PM
Any word of an investigation into who the gal was/is?
If she was CIA, she needs to resign as well. If she was outside the organization, one just assumes it was a spy or a honeytrap.
Warrior| 11.9.12 @ 9:01PM
If they release the name, Scooter Libby will be convicted again.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.9.12 @ 10:08PM
Thus far, merely because it is characterized as an extramarital affair, it is assumed it is a woman.
Can anyone assure me this isn't the Chicago Bathhouse Connection?
JustenO| 11.10.12 @ 8:36PM
it was the girl who wrote his biography "All In"
good looking lady.
Anyone who belives his resignation is about an affair, is deluded.
Stan Redmond| 11.9.12 @ 3:51PM
Now we know who Benghazi will be blamed on. He is no longer there to defend himself and has no political aspirations that I know of. He makes the perfect scapegoat now and I'm sure will be taken care of the rest of his life by the liberal establishment he served as CIA director.
By the way. What's glaring is he resigned in disgrace. Clinton and countless liberals are heralded as heroes when their affairs come to light.
Crassus| 11.9.12 @ 3:51PM
Take the highway and take all you can hold.
Simon Templar| 11.9.12 @ 4:27PM
The reference to Teddy Roosevelt should be enough of a clue as to who he really was politically...this is has nothing to do with his service in the military or his abilities as a commander fighting a war. You keep forgetting, there are liberals and progressives in the military particularly at the highest ends! Surprise. Surprise.
Why are are you all so surprised? This is just an extension of the coverup, please wake the fuck up.
Jimminy crickets...two in one week, the great conservative, fatman from New jersey and now the great army general.
fmm| 11.9.12 @ 6:17PM
I am assuming your use of the word great referring to these two is tongue in cheek.
Hardcard| 11.9.12 @ 4:57PM
Gee !! What a coinkidinky and right after the election.
Mike in N.C.| 11.9.12 @ 6:25PM
This story will keep the tin foil hatted conspiracy theorists in a state of orgasmic ecstasy for the next several weeks. This is going to be soooooo entertaining. Nothing quite as funny as total stupidity on roll. Go to it , clowns.
Paul McGrath| 11.9.12 @ 7:03PM
He resigned. He'll keep his pension. He won't testify. Happy happy for everyone all around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Four more years of this. Maybe more. My worst fears have come true. We've been taken over.
Whig| 11.9.12 @ 7:59PM
First, he can be made to testify through subpoena. If the Senate doesn't do it, the House can. Second, all written records can also be collected the same way from his office. Even if an investigation is going on, he can be required to testified through a grant of transactional immunity for testimony. Doesn't matter about security clearance, etc. because the committees can take testimony in closed session for secure information. Obama can assert executive privilege to prevent him from testifying but courts can overrule through civil lawsuit. Depending on when the alleged affair occurred, he can recalled to active duty, punished, and then returned to retired status. Officer status is forever unless he resigned his commission.
Much as many want this Libya story to be over, even the MSM will be required to look at it as it just got sexier and if the House or Senate moves forward then conflict will be news as well.
kingsmill| 11.9.12 @ 9:46PM
What bull. Allen Dulles, a noted CIA director, was a notorious womanizer. JFK made him a fall guy for the Bay of Pigs. This affair excuse stinks to high heavens.
Thom| 11.10.12 @ 9:49AM
I’ve never understood the fascination Republicans have with Generals becoming high level politicians like President. I understand the “leadership” link but a career in the military is 20-30 years indoctrination in the most solidly “socialist” or “collective” organization on the planet. I think you’ll find most high level military officers are Democrats at heart not Republicans.
U.S. Grant was both a terrible General and President. He won the Presidency for the same reasons Eisenhower did. Eisenhower was competent didn’t butcher his own troops like Grant but had all the same material advantages Grant had thus he “won” against forces with gross inferior numbers. A “general” who wins a fair fight or one where the odds are overwhelmingly against him is in different league than one who wins with a preponderance of forces and material. Caesar speaks to what men are willing to believe despite those stubborn facts.
Thom| 11.10.12 @ 9:53AM
I have no axe to grind with our “generals” but the bulk at his level aren’t honorable men. Honorable men don’t serve a corrupt King, even an elected one. General Dipshit is quite comfortable serving the current King. Better than 9 out of 10 will put their career and pension ahead of honor every day. Stanley McChrystal showed I have no axe to grind with any of our “generals” including Petraeus. On the other hand he like more honor when he pulled a Mac Arthur to get out of a losing hand dealt to him by his King. Stanley is a Democrat. Petraeus dropped the ball right then and there when he took the job. His move after a short time there to the CIA and now this speak to his lack of honor. No man of honor can serve a corrupt King.
If Petraeus has any honor left, he will now be free to tell the truth about the King. He either will or will not and that will mark him for the rest of his life.
Thom| 11.10.12 @ 10:00AM
A coherent version:
I have no axe to grind with any of our “generals” including Petraeus. The rest at his level aren’t honorable men. Honorable men don’t serve a corrupt King, even an elected one. General Dipshit is quite comfortable serving the current King. Better than 9 out of 10 will put their career and pension ahead of honor every day. Stanley McChrystal showed on the other hand he had more honor when he pulled a Mac Arthur to get out of a losing hand dealt to him by his King. Stanley is a Democrat. Petraeus dropped the ball right then and there when he took the job. His move after a short time there to the CIA and now this speak to his lack of honor. No man of honor can serve a corrupt King.