In addition to close ties with top generals, women in Petraeus scandal had visited White House

[Coyotl]

Last edited Sat Nov 17, 2012, 12:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Associated Press, November 17, 12:36 AM

WASHINGTON — Their close ties to the military community giving them unusual access to top generals, Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley even visited the White House on separate and apparently unrelated occasions before a sex scandal brought down former CIA Director David Petraeus.

...

Jill Kelley, the Tampa, Fla., socialite who initiated the investigation that revealed the affair, and her twin sister had two “courtesy” meals at the White House mess as guests of a midlevel White House aide in September and October, the White House official said. Kelley and her family also received a White House tour on the weekend before the Nov. 6 election.

Broadwell, who was writing a book about Petraeus and eventually became his paramour, attended meetings in June 2009 and June 2011 on Afghanistan-Pakistan policy in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is located in the White House complex, the official said.

The White House visits by Broadwell and Kelley illustrate the wide-ranging access both women enjoyed because of their ties with Petraeus, Gen. John Allen and others in the close-knit military community. The White House official discussed their visits on condition of anonymity because the visitors logs being cited have yet to be made public. ...


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-addition-to-close-ties-with-top-generals-women-in-petraeus-scandal-had-visited-white-house/2012/11/17/78391dae-3091-11e2-af17-67abba0676e2_story.html

---

Neither met with Obama per a White House official.

So what exactly are the Kelley women doing in these circles of people, just throwing the parties? At least Paula Broadwell is known to work in intelligence, she is supposed to be there, so there is less security concern with her access (albeit the biographer role may have been abused for personal reasons).

[Botany]

1. OMG

[aletier_v]

3. Dates are interesting.

"On Nov. 4, two days before the presidential election and five days before Petraeus visited President Barack Obama at the White House to offer his resignation, Kelley, her twin sister Natalie Khawam, their children and Dr. Scott Kelley went on a tour of the White House.

On Oct. 24, the sisters had lunch in the White House Mess with a White House staffer. That followed a Sept. 28 breakfast between the same three people"


The twins were making a major move on the White House.

My guess is that they were hoping to be swept into the confusion of an incoming Romney administration.

Not sure if they're really spies or not, but they're calculating women.

[nc4bo]

6. Seems there were quite a few people caught up in the GOP polling BS HA!

The pollsters fooled all those big wallet contributors, poor little freepers donating from the Cheetos slush fund, the Romney's all ready to appear in Tux and ballgowns packed in advance of the BIG EVENING, KKKarl looking like someone torched his Wheaties, Husted going POOF early, various others making a move to slide into Romney/Pug favor so they can grab a piece of the pie.

Behind the political scene - revealed! fresh, hot and steaming FAIL.

[nc4bo]

2. Rats in the corn.

Lord.

[pscot]

17. +1

[leveymg]

4. They don't make Hostess Ho Hos like that, anymore. Right General?

Get your Ding Dong, while they last.

[Coyotl]

18. ROFLMAO. The General's Hostess Ho Ho days are over.

In the Petraeus/Allen context, these twins bring new meaning to the term Hostess Ho Ho

[gordianot]

5. These women and the idiot Generals they lead are classic examples of the "honey trap".

Or at least exemplify the potential vulnerability.

[ewagner]

22. That's the first term

that came to my mind...all you have to do is read John LaCarre' novels to understand it.

[hughee99]

7. Not sure when a white house tour was considered "access",

the other things, maybe, but a white house tour?

[aletier_v]

11. Circulating in the area, hoping to make connections.

[hughee99]

13. My brother went on a tour not to long ago,

can I tell people I know someone with access to the White House?

[Coyotl]

19. Did someone working in the Executive Branch arrange that for them?

And did your brother broker a no-bid deal using his access to high-ranking persons hoping to net himself $80 million dollars. If so, perhaps he can.

[hughee99]

26. Only $30 million, so I guess not. n/t

[JDPriestly]

42. Jill Kelly is quite striking looking

and of Lebanese descent. All she would have to do is catch the eye of an important personage who would remember her face and convince him- or herself he or she could safely befriend Jill.

Jill Kelly may be perfectly OK. We just don't know. But she was definitely seeking attention so we can't discard the notion that she had some intention other than just making friends. Maybe she wanted to get information. Maybe she wanted to get influence. Maybe she just wanted to be able to brag. And maybe she is a true patriot, but she certainly was trying to position herself well.

[heaven05]

8. oh shit

[madmom]

9. I don't understand how this Broadwell person can

be considered the author of a book that was ghost written. I can understand if they say Petraeus was the author, it was his life after all, but why Broadwell? What did she do to deserve the title?

[xtraxritical]

10. Why is there no souce link for this?

Read more: Link to source

[aletier_v]

15. here's link to my quote

http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/macdill/article1262009.ece

Plenty of stuff all over the place.

This is kind of interesting -

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/11/jill-kelley-calls-david-petraeus-mistress-paula-broadwell-criminal-stalker

" David Petraeus' mistress Paula Broadwell a "criminal" and accused her of "stalking us all."

In emails she sent to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and released by his office on Friday, Kelley wrote complaining that her name along with those of Petraeus and Gen. John Allen being "exploited by the media,"

[Coyotl]

20. Got the link fixed in the OP. Thanks for the notice.

[bushisanidiot]

12. I suggest the WH look into that "mid level aide" to find out what the purpose was of inviting

these troublemakers into the white house.

honestly, i think these women are republican plants paid to try to set the president up.
they probably couldn't get close enough to the president or any of his staff to cause trouble
but they found a way into the cia and were able to get petraeus to risk his career
in order to get them the info they are looking for.

[aletier_v]

16. freepers think they're muslim spies.

I think they were opportunists hoping to parley their military connections into a Romney White House connection.

They're not smart enough to be spies,
no spy would have called the FBI about an anonymous email.

[ewagner]

24. I agree with your assumption

making White House Connections with "junior staffers" who's loyalties were with RMoney..who would become a "Senior Staffer" and very influencial in a Repub administration...you are correct sir!
s

[Historic NY]

14. The WH mess is open to the general public....

Last edited Sat Nov 17, 2012, 02:10 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/mess-hall.htm

corrected link the parody had better photos

[obamanut2012]

21. Yup -- I've eaten there

[aletier_v]

25. I'll add that to my list of things to do.

[obamanut2012]

32. You can eat in most of the messes/cafes in DC

There, Senate buildings, etc. It's very interesting, and often quite inexpensive!

[TruthTeller]

34. and very tasty

Whenever I go to Washington, every 4 years for NEA. I eat at one of the messes. Senate has great food, the Library of Congress is even better if you can find it.

[obamanut2012]

39. Yes!

LOC has the best! Commerce used to be very good, too, but I haven't eaten there in years and years.

[Coyotl]

23. Join President Obama for Happy Hours at the White House Mess = Drink White House Honey Ale

O.K., this is sheer serendipity, but check the name of the beer! Honey Ale

NOT THE OFFICIAL WHITER HOUSE WEB SITE!!

The public is now invited to join President Obama and his staff at their regular Happy Hours on Friday afternoons.

Read more about it.
http://whitehouse.gov1.info/white-house-mess/happyhours.html

[vaberella]

28. The article is weird. It makes it seem rather nefarious what the women were doing.

I thought most of what they did to be rather normal things. So what if it's coincidentally during the time of the election. Actually it makes more sense that it's during that time. You're on the brink of a historical moment in time----the voting in of our President---possible change from one to another.

I felt people were just making it out to be something it most definitely is not.

[foo_bar]

31. in the interest of disclosure...

We are unable to process your reservation request for the "Dine at the White House" program because there is no "Dine at the White House" program. This is a parody website. The content is fictional.

http://whitehouse.gov1.info/white-house-mess/reservation.html

(see also: http://whitehouse.gov1.info/visit/index.html)

[obamanut2012]

33. Citizens are able to eat there

I have done it. You can't just sashay in, as yo can in some of the other government eateries, but you are able to do it. If I could, I'm sure rich people easily can.

[struggle4progress]

27. "Holy guacamole! They had a tour of the White House! We'll pin something on Obama yet!"

[vaberella]

29. Exactly..."They ate at the mess." <---It's public.

Media is sensationalizing stupid, by also assuming we're dumb.

[Historic NY]

30. I pee'd in Bush's toilet...

well it was in his house.

[freshwest]

35. Obama's alien baby from his teen years on Mars. Details at your local supermarket check-out line.

?w=595

Clearly, this is why he appointed her as Secretary of State. Extortion. See, plain as day in black and white. We're doomed. All of us.

[Coyotl]

37. This brings new meaning to the birther movement

Oh where oh where did Barack really come from

[freshwest]

38. Don't encourage me or I'll post the Obama time travels via the stargate to Mars tale with pix...

[Coyotl]

36. NO. What this reeks of is Romney White House Fever.

Maybe that aspect needs to be made a bit more obvious. Those going to the GOP Convention are drooling over possible new party digs on Pennsylvania Ave. Many are drooling over the Abramoffesque possibilities, others over legitimate jobs in the White House, etc.

I'd check Ann Romney's e-mail for redecorating tips from them long before I'd look for an Obama connection

[november3rd]

40. Standard Procedure

This is the usual way that spies and military higher-ups are disposed of by their political rivals. The women are involved with the Intelligence and military communities because operatives in those communities planted them there to get rid of Patraeus.

[Coyotl]

41. I'm certainly not buying that line

"Petraeus" would have been gone a while ago then. Broadwell was near Petraeus for other reasons.
Petraeus was disposing of his career by his own decisions just fine w/o outside help (unless you want to call a mistress the help ).

If anyone played a hand in getting rid of Petraeus it was shirtless FBI guy, who wasn't happy that his silly, unwarranted investigation hadn't besmeared Obama.
What was driving him to think this thing was political anyway?

[aletier_v]

43. Yes, I'm not buying the spy thing, at least not about the Twins

A real spy would not have involved the FBI and triggered this mess.

Well, okay, they could be spies
but they are amazingly bad at it
so it doesn't matter in that case, either.

[Enrique]

44. the women aren't terrorists

they are getting a lot of attention and their lives are being examined and some embarrassing things are being revealed, and people are hating on them, but they don't have cooties and a connection like this isn't a scandal.

[Coyotl]

45. Petraeus scandal puts four-star general lifestyle under scrutiny

Petraeus scandal puts four-star general lifestyle under scrutiny
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/petraeus-scandal-puts-four-star-general-lifestyle-under-scrutiny/2012/11/17/33a14f48-3043-11e2-a30e-5ca76eeec857_story.html

... Of the many facts that have come to light in the scandal involving former CIA director David H. Petraeus, among the most curious was that during his days as a four-star general, he was once escorted by 28 police motorcycles as he traveled from his Central Command headquarters in Tampa to socialite Jill Kelley’s mansion. Although most of his trips did not involve a presidential-size convoy, the scandal has prompted new scrutiny of the imperial trappings that come with a senior general’s lifestyle.

The commanders who lead the nation’s military services and those who oversee troops around the world enjoy an array of perquisites befitting a billionaire, including executive jets, palatial homes, drivers, security guards and aides to carry their bags, press their uniforms and track their schedules in 10-minute increments. Their food is prepared by gourmet chefs. If they want music with their dinner parties, their staff can summon a string quartet or a choir.

The elite regional commanders who preside over large swaths of the planet don’t have to settle for Gulfstream V jets. They each have a C-40, the military equivalent of a Boeing 737, some of which are configured with beds. ....