In 1961, British secretary of war John Profumo had a brief affair with a call girl named Christine Keeler, who, as it happened, was also sleeping with a senior naval attaché posted to the Soviet Union’s embassy in London.
The affair would never have come to light if not for a wildly coincidental series of happenings nearly two years later.
At first, Profumo vehemently denied the allegations in front of Parliament and in private before prime minister Harold Macmillan, with whom he’d been friends for years.
Months later, though, Profumo finally issued a full admission and resigned. But the scandal forced Macmillan’s resignation, too. Why? Because the unrelenting British press painted him as incompetent, sparking an onslaught of criticism both in Parliament and from the public.
Fast forward to this summer. A socialite in Florida receives a series of unwanted but otherwise ordinary emails, calls her FBI agent buddy, who, with powers unlike those of mortal citizens, takes it upon himself to launch an investigation that uncovers an affair between the head of the CIA and the woman who’d sent the emails.
But though the CIA head can be made a target of blackmail—and there are no assurances that the woman with whom he’s having the affair is not, herself, passing along to someone, somewhere, juicy tidbits of intelligence that she had in boxes at home—he’s kept in office for two months, until after the presidential election.
That decision to keep him dangling could only have been made at the upper levels of the Justice Department, almost certainly with the acquiescence/approval of the White House. And it’s nothing less than scandalous.
So where’s the onslaught of criticism? Cries for a thorough bipartisan investigation? Demands to know what the president knew and when he knew it?
Here’s the headline of a Los Angeles Times story yesterday: “David Petraeus scandal hits White House at an awkward time.”
Get that? Reporters consider Obama’s White House a passive victim.
It seems that in 2012 America, corruption is less a cause for alarm than incompetence was in 1963 Britain.
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“David Petraeus scandal hits White House at an awkward time.”
You mean “late summer”…???
Because any other claim about knowing about this is risible.
Well…and another lie…
It seems that in 2012 America, corruption is less a cause for alarm than incompetence was in 1963 Britain.
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If a majority of the U.S. electorate really cared about corruption in the government, Obama would not have been re-elected last week.
The Petraeus scandal wasn’t the only news the government (and its handmaidens in the MSM) sat on. The Obama agriculture department also delayed the release of the massive number of new food stamp recipients until after the election. (Can’t risk having voters informed of some of the effects of Obama’s disastrous economic policies that close to an election!). MSM just yawned.
Amazing, isn’t it, how a breakin at the Watergate could take down a sitting president although not one person suffered from even a case of hiccups, but four Americans are left to be murdered by Islamist thugs, not to mention hundreds of innocent Mexicans, and the press says “Move on. Nothing to see here.”
I agree with Pat Caddel, the press has become the enemy of the people.
I don’t think that it is that corruption and incompetence are less important than they were in Britain in 1963, a Republican president would certainly be feeling the heat by now. It’s just that protecting Obama is more important. As in the most important thing ever.
The amazing thing to me is the logical fallacy behind that POV. If a guy needs “protecting” that badly then he must not have much on the ball.
There is something very wrong with this country. We are more worried about who a generals are boffing than about the fact that four good men (including a United States freaking Ambassador!) were killed and dragged through the streets with our National Security team watching in real time and not lifting a finger…! Why? Because they had dirt on Petraeus……?
Politics has become everything…particularly DIRTY politics, and it will not surprise me if the nation gets all absorbed in the salaciousness of it all while the Middle East flares up and bites us in the hind quarters.
Congratulations self described enlightened American voters. As Walter Russell Mead noted the other day.
..powerful people going to prison when they break the law is one of the most important signs of a well functioning legal system. By this measure, Brazil may now be working better than the United States.
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/11/13/brazilian-politicians-get-jail-time/
It’s just the media acting as Hyacinth Bucket, keeping up appearances for the Obama residence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5c6KHQKhu8
But instead of being low class they’re ashamed of being human. Must be nice knowing you’re a higher being and difficult when you constantly have to rationalize or ignore your shortcomings.
A Hyacinth Bucket reference… I’m stunned! Although Hyacinth would never allow a scandal in her highly desirable semi-detached two bedroom private residence.
One of my favorite lines, “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s snobbery and one-upmanship. People who try to pretend they’re superior. Makes it so much harder for those of us who really are.”
I hope you are pronouncing it properly.
Hyacinth. BOUQUET
Bingo!
The MSM is not the news anymore. They are simply another branch of the government. At any rate, I very much fear that none of these scandals would have affected the election outcome. Our society is now willfully wicked and completely debased. The new drug of technology has the purposefully ignorant lulled into a false feeling of security. Most people don’t WANT to know the truth. Just my opinion but it may take another Civil War or something equally catastrophic to bring the US back to God.
Ask yourself: how many times have you heard the word Benghazi lately? Particularly compared to Petraeus or affair?
Now ask yourself why Øbama completely sidestepped the question of whether he issued any orders to help those people.
The flying monkeys of the media just follow orders: no mention of White House leaks, Fast and Furious, the fiscal cliff, Benghazi, Øbamacare, food stamp numbers, the “lost” unemployment numbers from Cali in the last jobs report, the lousy job FEMA is doing on the East Coast etc., etc. until AFTER the election.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
…or, in this day and age, sometimes the one eyed man is queen,’Yo. Just saying…
Chuck Todd was going to grill Obama on all this at the presser today, but his tongue got stuck in Obama’s anus – unexpectedly! – instead.
“David Petraeus scandal hits White House at an awkward time.”
Get that? Reporters consider Obama’s White House a passive victim.
The Benghazi terrorist attacks, (all the attacks, not just the last one that was more “successful”) also happened at an awkward time. It was so awkward that Obama’s “told the military to do everything” must be understood in light of “but remember my campaign says al Qaeda dead, so a dead ambassador would “play better” than calling in a strike force, Stand down”.
But the sex scandal was convenient for Obama … wasn’t it known to be going on even when Petraeus was appointed to head the CIA? Obama likes to get dirt to eliminate candidates, even better to have dirt on a Republican and then hold that gun to his head to manipulate intel operations, while appearing bipartisan.
Now report is Petraeus thought he could keep his position … but oops … election over, time for a public hanging. Great spectator sport, and great distraction. Will Petraeus still testify to the truth?
Obama admitted Susan Rice had nothing to do with Benghazi, yet she went out and spread the lie, so due for promotion. I just wonder if Justice Roberts has a honey on the side, but he gets to keep his.
I was thinking about the Profumo affair this morning but because it happened 50 yrs. ago I didn’t think anyone would make the connection and write about it.
There are a few similarities but there have been bigger political
downfalls engineered by the Master Spy the DDR ‘s Marcus Wolfe. He got to the very top of the West Germans for years.
But one thing is striking -the fact that Christine & Mandy were young & HOT & the current paramours are 40 years old & attractive for a 40 year old but the Florida Twins are definitely NOT.
Christine & Mandy were professionals & had star quality. Mandy owns the most famous & blunt line -” They would say that , wouldn’t they? “
As I told my mother, since when is being in an affair/committing adultery a hindrance to someone doing their job in a Democrat administration?
What’s more shocking?
This post, or the fact some still think the “old” rules still apply.
Time to get grounded in reality, and quit waving our hands in the air “NOT FAIR!!”, like a freaking libtard.
If the press was honest and objective the electorate would have more knowledge of gov’t corruption. Nothing will change until the press places country over party. How many times have we seen a comment beginning with “If it was a republican…” and knowing the press coverage would be much different.
I don’t even know why I’m commenting on this. We all know the solution to the problem. Until the left leaning corrupt press is reformed the electorate will remain uninformed and continue to vote against its self interest and corruption on the left will become worse and more blatant. I’m afraid Chicago is setting the trend and showing where we are headed as a country if something isn’t done.
Shouldn’t Petraeus himself have resigned rather than be blackmailed and totally tarnished by the WH and DOJ? They’re still growing to screw him and likely being him up on charges. That’s one way to get him out of the face of a future Democrat presidential contender. Word to GOP stars: patriotism is great, but when a Democrat president invites you to join his administration, refuse him. He will screw you over.
Overarching GOAL & FOCUS of the Malignant-Corrupt MSM-Lapdawgs: PROTECT the Boy King.
Any questions?
Is that because he’s incompetent and can’t do anything worthwhile on his own?
If a conservative complains about liberal bias on a conservative blog, does a tree fall in the forest?
Joel?
We all know nothing will come of this. Harry Reid has already decided a bipartisan investigation is unwarranted.
Legal question (or pipe dream): When Obama is out of office, can he be prosecuted for wrongdoing while in office that is later discovered? Although I’m sure they have already fired up the shredders.
Meanwhile your & your grandkids tax dollars are being spent by Hillary & her massive entourage in bucolic Adelaide.
She is accompanied by massive security as it is well known that sleepy Adelaide – The City of Churches – is brimful of terrorists & assassinators having the grand total sum of 0 in 200 years.
If you are reading this FineReport – Adelaide is within a happy morning bus ride to thousands of acres of nice German Pioneer .Wine Country .