None of you see this as strange? The timing and all? Infidelity is only a problem if you are hiding it. He could have told his wife and his boss (if the FBI missed this when he became CIA chief) and you can no longer be blackmailed. That is what made Clinton so dangerous to national security. Petraeus (can we settle on a spelling) didn't have to resign for an affair unless you really want to believe that none, nada, zero of the former directors never had an affair. Is that what you believe?
Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn
No. I don't see it as strange. And what about the timing? There is NEVER a time in Washington DC when something big isn't going on. So no matter when he resigned, somebody would be calling the timing suspicious.
And you set up a false choice when you say that he could have told his wife and boss and he would no longer have to worry about blackmail. Even if his wife forgave him and his boss told him his job was safe, that STILL doesn't get him out of the public humiliation that would be attendant to being exposed. Petraeus is mortal and therefore weak in at least some respect, but he is also a proud and dignified man. I doubt very much he would find it amusing to be a punchline in Letterman's or Leno's monologue every time his name came up in the press for the next 4 years.
One of the least savory aspects of Bill Clinton wasn't that he had an affair. It was his craven lust for power that made him cling to office despite all the humiliations to which he and his wife were subjected. I used to watch him on TV and think "Christ, have you no dignity?" Oh, and he fucked Al Gore in the process. So there.
The best way to avoid all that extended public humiliation is to confront it head on and expose it yourself. Don't wait for the press to find out and come asking questions. Just admit what you did and resign quickly. Apologize to your wife and colleagues and say nothing further. Just fade from public view.
There was a time in this country when public officials resigned as a matter of due course when caught involved in wrongdoing. In England, it is still done that way much of the time. Generally, when a British MP is caught dipping his wick or submitting fraudulent expenses or whatever, he resigns quickly and quietly while maintaining a stiff upper lip.
In this country, we seldom see that anymore. Instead, our political class desperately clings to power no matter what the humiliations. Think about how long Anthony Weiner tried to hang on when caught red-handed. The only reason he resigned when he did was because Brietbart had dick pictures he was going to publish. Otherwise, he'd still be there fighting off Congressional censure and telling us all how he had learned from the experience and that he and his wife had found closure. Or think about the dipshit Republican that got caught trolling for dick in the airport bathroom. He tried to give all kinds of BS excuses about a wide stance before he finally faced the music.
I'm glad Petraeus fell on his sword the old-fashioned way. He spared us another dragged out scandal.