commentaries

From the article: The idea that an affair involving the CIA director would trigger a national scandal when the daily activities of the agency do not is ludicrous bordering on offensive ... The idea that an affair should be the stuff of headlines, much less anyone else's business, is what borders on offensive. There are plenty of real stories going on out there - thousands of people still lack adequate shelter in the Northeast in the aftermath of Sandy, for example - so let's try sticking with issues that genuinely impact peoples' lives instead of media contrivances like the dalliances of a 65 year old CIA director. Readers should take it as an insult that this garbage is being served up as "news."

I agree. Our culture is way too fascinated with other people's sex lives.

This writer's way off base. Petraeus isn't Joe Schmoe meeting his girlfriend at the No-Tell Motel. He's head of the CIA! He's subject to blackmail and infiltration by foreign agents. He can't conduct himself recklessly. Leave that for Bond and the movies.

The Director of the CIA has access and knowledge of state secrets ranging from covert activities to agents and double agents, to the nationan's response in case of a nuclear attack. This knowledge is critica to the safety of all Americans and as such must be protected. Anyone entrusted with that knowledge must be above scrutiny by any and all other governments. That being said, once the "affair" was initiated, Gen. Petrius was no longer above scrutiny and as such must be excused from his position. Go through a top secret background check sometime and you will be amazed at the lengths they go through to make certain you can be trusted with this knowledge.

This is just another story of a powerful man using his position for personal gain. The most important thing is that otherwise intelligent men believe they have a right to do whatever they want and that they will be able to hide it from public view. With all the high-minded talk of the sanctity of marriage, seemingly mostly coming from powerful males, these guys are terrible role models for American youth - and we know that the stories that come out are only the tip of the iceberg. If men cannot be trusted to keep their promises to their wives, how can they be put in positions of responsibility where they are asked to put the needs of other people first?

Patreaus and this affair situation should not have gone as far as it did. So, the question is why? Why wasn't this dealt with a long time ago? Those in the know should are responsible to, as muc or more than Patreaus himself.