Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
The current American commander in Afghanistan, General Allen, is now being investigated for "inappropriate communications" with Jill Kelley. If you forgot your scorecard, Kelley is the woman who reported the intimidating emails that started the Petraeus investigation.
The nature of the "inappropriate communications" has not yet been revealed. The quantity of communications has been revealed, and the sheer volume is interesting. According to the linked story, 20-30,000 pages of e-mails and other documents exchanged between Allen and Kelley are being reviewed.
Setting the other issues to the side, I am mystified how it is possible that men like Petraeus and Allen, both exercising great authority and bearing great responsibilities, have the time and energy to devote to sending massive numbers of e-mails to women, especially women who are not their wives.
I am going to take a shot in the dark and guess that General Allen's wife did not receive anything like the same amount of e-mails from her husband in the same time span.
And now the FBI agent who began the investigation on Kelley's behalf is being investigated for sending Kelley shirtless photos.
I feel as if I am trapped in a soap opera dominated by hormonally driven teenagers. But these people are all allegedly mature adults, and several have positions of great responsibility!
It seems to me that the teenage soap opera we are seeing enacted here says something about the level of responsibility and ability amongst our senior policymakers.
In other news, Mrs. Clinton cannot attend the hearings on Benghazi because she has friends to visit and wine tastings to attend!
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Comments:
Oct '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
This is how Rome fell.
It's pretty reassuring that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency thinks you can outwit all our national security agencies using Dropbox.
Jul '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
John, I made the same comment to a friend this morning: aren't there any adults left in government?
May '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Responsibility is the moral corollary to liberty. Can't have one without the other.
Can't have ordered liberty without self-government.
We need to get back "under God."
Nov '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
20 to 30 thousand pages huh? A tad implausible don't you think? Too bad George R.R. Martin doesn't write that fast, we'd have had an end to A Game of Thrones ( Ice & Fire) a decade ago.
May '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
John Grant said:
Never mind this bunch at CIA/FBI/Pentagon; what about the bunch in the White House? I had so hoped for the restoration of grown-up's to the White House, but apparently enough of the conservative electorate decided to "sit this one out" that we're just not going to have that, barring impeachment or further impedimenta...
Jan '11
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
John Grant:
In other news, Mrs. Clinton cannot attend the hearings on Benghazi because she has friends to visit and wine tastings to attend!
Normally, this sort of disrespect would be punished by budget cuts. However, when there is no budget ...
Sep '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Meanwhile another 4 star Gen Ward is being forced to retire with only two stars. Apparently the good general had misappropriated a sizable sum. He also has to repay some $80,000 which happens to be about what he will draw in retirement pay each month. So much for holding senior military to a higher standard.
Nov '11
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
When you bring up the Clintons, you're not insinuating that they might possibly have anything to do with the moral degeneracy of those in positions of responsibility, are you?
If the Commander-in-Chief can get away with it, is it surprising that, a decade and a half later, we're seeing similar moral behavior from others in high office?
Jun '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Vald the Misspeller:
20 to 30 thousand pages huh? Atadimplausible don't you think?
Nah, not really. A couple thousand emails and the rest required Federal Interagency Paperwork Reduction Act Notifications
May '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
In the late 70s the post-Viet Nam and Carter-demoralized military dealt with epic drug use. Perhaps we are seeing an analogous loss of morale today in both the military and law enforcement communities.
May '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Add to the mix the following headlines from the current Drudge Report (not, as you might think, from the Onion):
It is beyond absurd.
Sep '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
John: You've hit on one of the things that always boggles my mind in infidelity cases: the time commitment it requires! I've got a responsible job (and nothing close to the responsiblity of a Petraeus), a family, obligations both professional and personal--and I can hardly imagine finding the time to lead a double life. "Energy in the executive" is supposed to be one of the characteristic American virtues, but I'm beginning to see how the energetic executive personality, unrestrained by respectability, might be nothing more than Machiavellian princehood.
Another thing that amazes me is the utter lack of imagination that these guys betray. They should be derided and humiliated for going after such easy marks: a worshipful biographer, a low-level intern (to use another notorious case). The tawdriness, the dreariness, of their double lives is really embarrassing. I mean, if you’re going to live some kind of secret life, make it exciting, monumental, or at least weird. Be Antony and Cleopatra. Be Batman! But to throw away everything on such unimaginative paramours—that’s just pathetic.
Jun '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
ChrisZ: John: You've hit on one of the things that always boggles my mind in infidelity cases: the time commitment it requires! I've got a responsible job (and nothing close to the responsiblity of a Petraeus), a family, obligations both professional and personal--and I can hardly imagine finding the time to lead a double life. "Energy in the executive" is supposed to be one of the characteristic American virtues, but I'm beginning to see how the energetic executive personality, unrestrained by respectability, might be nothing more than Machiavellian princehood.
Another thing that amazes me is the utter lack of imagination that these guys betray. They should be derided and humiliated for going after such easy marks: a worshipful biographer, a low-level intern (to use another notorious case). The tawdriness, the dreariness, of their double lives is really embarrassing. I mean, if you’re going to live some kind of secret life, make it exciting, monumental, or at least weird. Be Antony and Cleopatra. Be Batman! But to throw away everything on such unimaginative paramours—that’s just pathetic. · 17 minutes ago
You know what they say about "Beauty and the beholder!"
Nov '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Never mind the affair - the thing that amazes me most - why didn't someone put their foot down when it came to light that Petraeus was busy lining up his biography rather than doing his job running the CIA? I respect what he did as a general but nevertheless he seemed more focused on recording past glories than managing the intelligence services. He shouldn't have been allowed to be trailed around by a 'biographer' in the first place!
Sep '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Cdor: Yours is the most terrifying icon I've ever seen!
May '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Whatever happened to Congress's subpoena power? Since do you get an invitation to appear and not an order...
Edited on November 14, 2012 at 12:30amJun '12
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
Hey, if it's OK for the President of the United States to get a willy underneath the desk of the Oval Office then we shouldn't get our righteous druthers up about a few indescretions among our military leaders, right?
Oct '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
No comment on the soap opera, I think it's been covered pretty well. When do we get to switch channels back to the Benghazi action adventure/tragedy?
Great name and avatar. I see it was recently changed, who were you in your former life?
Sep '10
Re: Scandal after Scandal and Immaturity
KC Mulville
John Grant:
In other news, Mrs. Clinton cannot attend the hearings on Benghazi because she has friends to visit and wine tastings to attend!
Normally, this sort of disrespect would be punished by budget cuts. However, when there is no budget ... · November 13, 2012 at 10:50am
She might call him Betray-us