General Betray Us

Just when we were starting to wonder whether heart-throb Rob Pattinson had turned the other cheek on cheating girlfriend Kristen Stewart, the media is abuzz again with the very serious headlines that brilliant leader and war strategist General David Petraeus, who about a year ago assumed directorship of the CIA, was resigning under a cloud of admissions about an extramarital affair.  Petraeus, a highly-decorated, 4-star general was almost single-handedly credited with the strategic turnaround in Iraq before becoming the Commander of US forces in Afghanistan. 

Almost immediately, the news cycle was flooded with elected officials from both sides of the aisle singing Petraeus’ praises, some going so far as to speculate that his “poor decision” need not necessarily end his career.  Even President Obama took 24 hours to consider the man’s offer to resign before making a final decision.  Apparently, if you gather enough laurels in your professional career, some may consider giving you a pass on breaking the rules.

Lots of men have extramarital affairs, and this behavior seems especially rampant among elected officials and others in the public trust.  I remember a time when many of us thought John Edwards was a golden boy, his supposedly unimpeachable character on proud display.  President Clinton survived re-election with his marital affairs in full view of the public.  His near downfall came from lying about the details rather than for doing the deeds.  But Petraeus was not an ordinary public official; his position demanded a standard higher than Caesar’s wife.  As a General, his behavior would have been grounds for court martial.  As the Director of the CIA, his indiscretion was considered a serious breach of security and a counterintelligence threat.

David Petraeus will likely be remembered in history books for his gifted performance in the military theater at a time when leadership was critical and elusive.   We do not deny his contributions any more than we deny that Pete Rose was a great baseball player.  Unfortunately, until the final chapter is printed, one’s story is still being written.  That Petraeus was caught with his pants down not only puts an unfortunate footnote on an otherwise stellar career; it also diminishes the stature of a man who we once believed stood taller than others.

Some will suggest that David Petraeus’ career record should be allowed to supersede his behavior.  Others will argue—and rightfully so—that only now are we seeing the whole picture of this man.  The thing about integrity is that it is an absolute constant.  Like honesty and pregnancy, you either have it or you don’t.  It is not subject to context or conditions.  And once lost, it can never be resuscitated or rehabilitated.