Old Glory Petraeus On Benghazi

America is about to get a new adjective for Patriot, Petraeus.

After turning the tide in Iraq and improving the situation in Afghanistan, David Petraeus retired from the Army as a four-star General. He then took over as C.I.A. Director from Leon Panetta in September 2011.

Despite left-wing name calling during the "General Betray Us" Move-On.org campaign in 2007 and questions about his ability to lead the shadowy C.I.A., the General has consistently supported his country and his Commander-in-Chief honorably. Recent revelations about an affair have forced David Petraeus to step down.

General Petraeus's departure is an example of honor and service. He protected his Commander-in-Chief and waited until after a close election to fall on his sword. Revelations about his indiscretions may have reflected upon President Barack Obama's reelection.

Honorably parting from a position of power was a staple of American honor beginning from George Washington until Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  George Washington's example of not seeking a third term was seen as a bulwark against monarchy and dictatorship. King George III., famously commented incredulously that Washington was "...the greatest man in the world" for stepping down from power. Upon FDR's successful violation of Washington's example, by remaining president until his death, the Twenty-Second Amendment was passed in March 1947. The amendment formally requires a two-term limit for the President.

Recent American history has seen Republican President Richard M. Nixon step down due to dishonoring the office, while Democrat President William Jefferson Clinton remained in office after a famous sex scandal and impeachment by congress.

While Doo Doo Economics is opposed to the policies of the Obama administration, we are mindful of honorable service by a military leader dedicated to serving his country. For reducing the size of the cover-up and freeing our intelligence agency from the possibility of blackmail, we declare David Petraeus to have honorably served the American people.

That is just the beginning of the story.

David Petraeus is scheduled to meet The House Intelligence Committee in a closed door meeting about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Former C.I.A. Director Petraeus, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Mathew Olson are scheduled for the November 15th hearing. The Hill described the hearings prior to the Petraeus resignation:

A half-dozen committees are probing the issue, including the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is planning to hold a closed hearing on the same day as its House counterpart is set to look at the intelligence community’s knowledge and activity leading up to the attack.

Ahead of both intelligence hearings, the committees have reviewed scores of documents, including cables and communications on how the threat to the consulate arose, what actions were taken in response and who is responsible.

The panels are also expected to probe the level of funding dedicated to intelligence-gathering operations in the region and whether they have the resources they need to defend U.S. personnel and interests.

Chris Mark Heben, a former Navy SEAL who worked with the C.I.A. and trained with Glen Doherty, commented on Fox News:

We stayed, and as a matter of fact, nothing was emboldened [at the Benghazi consulate], actually security was probably reduced. It is actually ridiculous.
...
He [Tyrone Woods] was told to stand down before he even left to go to respond. He was told to stand down while they were still at the annex, and he completely disregarded it. So, within twenty minutes of the siege occurring they were on-site defending the consulate.
...
So, they had a total of nine guys. They disregarded orders. They were told to stand down and I think that stuff is going to come out in the [House Intelligence Committee] proceedings.
...
The fact that these guys were hung out to dry. Basically, exposed like a set of dog balls, pisses me off! They had no support!
...
The request for heavy weapons were ignored. I am baffled by that.

Mr. Heben continues to the point of this article:

I don't really believe much that comes out of her mouth [Secretary of State Hillary Clinton], ya know. The good thing about this, [although] it sucks for General Petraeus but, there is now a sex scandal attached to this story [Benghazi]. So, sex sells. I think, the fact that there is a sex scandal, this story is going to get front line, front and center press, even in the main stream media.

Fellow members of the San Diego Local Order of Bloggers have compiled information and analysis of Benghazi. Blogger In Chief: Sex Lies and Benghazi and we began the reporting with Killing Stevens: The Obama Scandal. The big questions center around whether Barack Obama used Ambassador Stevens as a go between while selling heavy weapons to Al Qaeda. The Ambassador was then the sole witness who could testify that the president intentionally armed anti-American and anti-Israeli terrorist groups in Libya. Such a revelation would tie attacks on Israeli aircraft to shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles known as MANPADS. The facts could also tie the president to major loses of U.S. VTOL aircraft in Afghanistan.

General Petraeus, as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, may have important information regarding these questions. David Petraeus, an Honorable and patriotic American, has just watched the president relieve General Ham, Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette and the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens, all related to Benghazi.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) told Greta Van Susteren that David Petraeus will be questioned despite his resignation via subpoena.

The fact that he’s resigned and had an affair has nothing to do with whether he will be subpoenaed to Congress. I hope we don’t have to subpoena a four star general and a former CIA director. I would hope he would come voluntarily but if he won’t he will be subpoenaed. And none of what happened today is an offense to a subpoena… He’s either a witness in our case in chief or he’s gonna be a rebuttal witness if Susan Rice and others blame him for their failure of intelligence and failure of information. But there is no way we can get to the bottom of Benghazi without David Petraeus.

Petraeus has positioned himself with little to lose but politically everything to gain by telling the truth.The subpoena allows David Petraeus to testify reluctantly to protect his political left flank.  His political right flank will be protected by conservatives who appreciate his honor and service. 

His legal position will be behind a closed door with Congressional leaders. Congress members are automatically granted security clearance due to vetting by the public in gaining public office. Further Petraeus will be required to tell the truth under subpoena by the government he has spent his life in service of.

The media, due to his sex scandal, will be focused on the story of his testimony as he is dragged before congress. If he blows the lid off of Benghazi, he will be sitting in the position of patriotic American hero.

P.S.
Do not forget that David Petraeus loved his C.I.A. position:

Why did Petraeus take the job after finishing his military career? The answer is suggested by a comment he made to a senior colleague considering retirement in 2013. “You have to ask yourself if you’re really ready to be out of the arena.”

Petraeus might well have been talking about himself. He wasn’t ready to leave the arena, and after learning the peculiar culture of the CIA, he seems increasingly confident in what he calls the best job in government.