First let me say that General Petraeus has been an outstanding military man. His achievements are well documented and publicized. His more than thirty seven years in the army deserve high commendation. And, yet, all of that becomes detritus in light of the most recent reports. The man who was thought to be a perfect example of discipline and order has been proven to be a mere mortal; succumbing to the same temptations as men have since the creation of Adam and Eve. It is unfortunate that his legacy will include this event.

Paula Dean Broadwell met General Petraeus at the end of 2006. Since both were members of the army (she had served and was in the Army Reserve) they must have found common ground in many of their conversations. Though the general claims to have been involved with her for less than a year, it seems that is questionable, at least in my mind.

When I heard the announcement that the president made about General Petraeus leaving the military to become head of the CIA, something felt amiss. It seemed an incongruous move.  I am not a pundit but my instincts were telling me that something was wrong. Why was this successful military man, who must have loved serving in that capacity, switching gears now? His relationship with Mrs. Broadwell sheds some light on the subject; but I have more questions. At what point did their relationship become an affair? They had known one another for more than five years. If human nature is any indication, it would seem that their intimacy went on for more than just the year it has been claimed. More importantly, was the white house aware of the affair? I say, “more importantly” because, if there was knowledge before the CIA position was offered, that would imply a set of circumstances whereby one party would be beholding to the other party. Where one might expect favors or information to be distributed according to the blackmailer’s point of view. Yes, I said “blackmailer”. This goes back to Benghazi. The ambassador was killed in a facility that was considered under the control of the CIA. The white house did nothing to help the four Americans who were murdered there. Did the white house think that General Petraeus would do as he was told because of what they knew about him? Did he disagree with the white house talking points? His loyalty to the military would mean standing up for those who died in service to their country. That may have been the reason he was “outed”. There is so much more to be discovered about Benghazi and this white house agenda but I fear we will never know. They have skillfully created distraction after distraction in an attempt to keep the truth from surfacing. It is my prayer that congress will pursue discovery of the answers and accountability for the failure in Benghazi. Perhaps that will finally give peace to the families of those brave American souls.