Should an extramarital affair mean the end of a career?

Absolutely not, it's ridiculous! I'm assuming they are saying it should be, because then it questions his decision making abilities, or some crap like that. He can annihilate 1,000 people, but he can't cheat on his wife? Come on!

But a good excuse for him to get off the hook!

No. i do not think that an extra marital affair should end a career, but.... sometimes for the sake of the people that are aware of it, some type of disciplinary action might be necessary.

what goes on in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom

Unless the affair in some way compromises the employee's ability to do his job.

And no, having an affair in his private life doesn't somehow mean that the employee "can't be trusted" to do his job. Look at George W. Bush. Perfectly loyal to his wife, but lied his ass off to the American people as President.

Yuuup! I see why he did it. Look at his wife compared to his mistress. Not saying it was the right thing to do but that is what I am thinking.

The affair wasn't the sole reason behind the resignation. I'm not sure what it was but it can't have been a little booty call that sent him pakcing.

Not necessarily . It depends on the position they hold. I think someone with national security priorities should at least try to stay out of cheating situations, Can't trust someone who lies even by silence. It is a character trait.

But then we all know this is a politically motivated execution of sorts. These things NEVER are really about sex.

The one thing that I don't understand is if you are a regular military personal and you have an affair you can and usually are court martialed... so why shouldn't his career end?

"In this case, yes". That is a conditional resulting from the fact that classified information Petraeus appears to have been responsible for seems to have appeared on non-secure systems and, perhaps, in unauthorized hands. Secrets which are not kept aren't, and that creates an opportunity for America's enemies foreign and domestic; you see, the right secrets in the wrong hands are weapons.

The head of the CIA acting in such a manner - regardless of intent/motivation - is rather like a fire department chief turning out to be an arsonist. Or, to use a more approximate analogy for this situation, a fire department chief going on vacation and then getting his picture splashed across the evening news after his careless campfire set Yellowstone National Park ablaze.

Numerous affairs didn't end the careers of JFK or Bill Clinton, did they?

It show poor judgement and you don't want someone like that being a leader. If he strays for sex what else will cause him to stray? But at least he had an affair with another woman not a guy like some of them.

Clinton did not resign.

Not unless they are a pastor or something...I think 99% of the polititans are sleeping around ...they are whorish so it's kinda hypocritical.

SMOKESCREEN. And now some NEW WRINKLES.....

The top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan -- Marine General John Allen -- has been "implicated" in the Petraeus matter by being involved in emails sent between him and another woman involved in the "Petraeus affair".

Gen. Allen was on the path to becoming the next commander of U.S. European Command and supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe.

Those plans have now been put on hold until the emails’ contents are analyzed and official decisions are made regarding Allen’s future.

People, what we are seeing unfold is something that could have been written as a collaboration between Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum. Chess pieces are being moved.

EDITED TO ADD: Marine Gen. Allen's confirmation hearings (next commander of U.S. European Command and supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe), which Gen. Allen was expected to sail thru -- had been scheduled for this coming Thursday!! (Nov. 15)

Anyone else out there finding all this, including the timing, more than a little suspicious?
***If you don't find any of this at all suspicious -- please do not reply -- instead go make an appt for a CT scan of your head***

Good way to obfuscate a scandal - make a different scandal and have it have SEX in it.

Great way to implicate the military too.

Yup, also like a "rope-a-dope" (any pun merely non-coincidental ;)

And like you said, the only SURE way to get mainstream media to "report" a scandal is to make it about SEX.

Create confusion, fan the flames to further confuse and divide an already divisive and weakened nation... Confuse, divide, and conquer.

The biggest question is who is the puppetmaster? 0bie and Friends? Or is it even possible 0bie is himself a puppet with some other entity or entities pulling his strings while letting him "think" he's the puppetmaster? (the vainglorious one certainly wouldn't be hard to manipulate for anyone knowing his background, predispositions, beliefs, etc.)

Back in the USSR, travel back to the 1930's then go forward -- Stalin’s regime maintained its people in a state of fear and uncertainty, and recurrent random purging of not only ordinary citizens, but most importantly of -- military leaders and key government personnel. Meanwhile, the people HAD to rely on their government for EVERYTHING -- Food, Shelter, Medical Care, all necessities of life. And even though terrified of their government, revolution was not even a remote consideration for them as a people because then WHO would provide for them?

Hmmm... I wonder why I went off on that tangent ;)

Perhaps because history is once again repeating.

All these stupid idiots that think THEY can do SOCIALISM 'right'.

Absolutely not.

But who in their right mind would be stupid enough to believe that this is all there is to the story?

Amen to that.

Did it end Clinton's???

If folks are stupid enough to think an affair is why Petraeus is resigning - well - there isn't help for any of those idiots. None at all.

why did he resign

To not testify.

I have no idea why folks think Congress does not have subpoena power. They do it all the time. It does not matter if he arrives as a citizen or a cabinet member he still has to show up or go to prison. If anyone thinks a General will give a different answer because of his status as a human being knows nothing about a military man.

You really think that he will testify against the Obama Administration?

LOL!

Chicago politics exactly dictates use any unsavory means to an end.

This isn't about an extra-marital affair. If you think that it is, God help you.

nor the end of marriage

Ain't nothin wrong with gittin a little on the side.

Something else was probably going on.

In the position he is in YES!!!!!!!

this has nothing to do with a affair , it has something to do with Bengazi and Obama. Petraeus was just thrown under the bus. When this all comes out people that voted for Obama will know four men died so he could get elected..

I disagree with your "Yes", but I agree with your comment!

there was no other option. Petraeus is the escape goat.

He will be offered the position of dean of Princeton, I am sure they knew about this long before the election, this reeks of Chicago style politics, when Petraeus said it was not the CIA that denied help to the Ambassador Stevens and 3 America hero's, they played their card to keep him from testifying about Benghazi, the truth will come out eventually but not under the most transparent administration ever.

...... certainly not, General Petraeus was simply helping this young lady.

She has all sorts of BirthControl Options under ObamaCare and he was simply helping her to use ' Her Share '.

Seems to me that there actually is a ' War on Women ' .... if this gal wanted to keep screwing the HeadHoncho of the CIA, now she's going to have to cozy-up to the next CIA head ..... somebody pulled the rug from beneath her just as she was getting full grasp of her Birth Control Options

............. now there's a War on Women.

I don't see this as any Different then Bill Clinton's affair with Monica