OK, maybe it's just me:

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

But why is it that sleeping with a woman he's not married to is all it takes to get a CIA director out of office? I mean it seems a rather underwhelming offense given how many people who retain their positions in office *coughDavidVittercough* happen to have done much worse things and retain their position and shamelessly keep doing the same kind of foolishness they got in trouble for beforehand. In today's America where the self-appointed defenders of traditional marriage cheat on their cancer-stricken wives to establish the bases for their third marriages and where sexual mores have changed for the better, how is this is at all a cause to dismiss anyone or for anyone to resign?

Sure, it might be bad 'if they talk' but then again, people like J. Edgar Hoover got away with much more than this. I really don't know what to make of Petraeus's resignation, so I'm basically asking you guys:

If someone in that position is boinking someone who's not his wife, should that alone be enough to lead to his resignation? (I admit to gendered bias in the question here but there aren't too many female politicians involved in sex scandals yet so that can be excused). I don't think it should be and I find the whole reaction to have more to do with puritanical pseudo-moralism than anything inherent in the offense. What do you think?

Comments

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

Do you think he wanted out? I had the feeling that he accepted the position out of duty to country, but that he may not be a big fan of Obama.

[mikeyxw.livejournal.com]

Yep, he had to resign. In the military and the CIA, having an affair is a no-no. If you're a senior officer, you'll pretty much have received your last promotion, if you're in the CIA, you get fired. It's a cultural thing, also the CIA believes that having an affair puts a person at risk of blackmail. It may not be the most sensible thing, but it definitely would have caused problems for the folks in the CIA who are held to this standard if the director was held to a different one, even if the standard folks outside the organization agree with.

He could run for congress. Having an affair seems to be a requirement for that. This one didn't involve an intern, drugging, or a men's bathroom, but I still think it will count.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

I heard it might have something more to do with a possible security breach then the actual affair. I don't know the whole story of course.

Or maybe possibility of blackmail like mikey has stated. This is the CIA we're talking about here.

[politikitty.livejournal.com]

A sweep of the Ms Broadwell's computer uncovered classified documents that she appears to have gotten through her relationship with Petraeus. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324073504578113460852395852.html)

[404.livejournal.com]

Being incompetent usually isn't a fireable offense for government workers, but the culture of he CIA is for officials to resign if thy are caught in affairs.

[notmrgarrison.livejournal.com]

It makes them open to blackmail.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Things That Shouldn't Be An Issue But Are #8572

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Because it's how they are trying to prevent him from testifying about Benghazi. It may not work in the long run, but then again, it might.

http://news.yahoo.com/petraeus-may-called-u-inquiry-benghazi-feinstein-040127558.html

Petraeus had been scheduled to testify about the Benghazi case on Thursday in a closed session of the committee; Mike Morrell, the acting CIA director, is now expected to do so.

But on a more pertinent note, in the intelligence community, having an affair is always a security risk, and you can't have a security risk at the head of the CIA.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

The power afforded to the penis placement police is astonishing. We are still in the clutches of our puritanical beginnings.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

It's simple really.

Vulnerability to blackmail renders one ineligible for a security clearance.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

Too soon to tell, but there is sniffing about indicating that this is more a breach of security issue. Broadwell, turns out, was military intelligence. Petraus may have been indiscrete somewhere along the line.

I doubt the investigation will concentrate on the boinking.