Mon Nov 12, 2012, 11:25 AM

Prediction: Petraeus conspired with GOP on Benghazi to undermine Obama for Election

Last edited Mon Nov 12, 2012, 02:20 PM - Edit history (2)

I suspect this was a failed attempt to undermine the President in an election year.

Why? What do we know to date?

1. Classified documents were found on Broadwell's computer
2. Cantor was one of the GOP leading the charge on "investigating" Benghazi
3. Cantor knew about his affair with Broadwell.
4. Conflicting information came from CIA regarding Benghazi
5. Rove seen with Broadwell this summer at NCSL
6. FBI has known about the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus and has an active investigation on this incident.
7. Romney/GOP were looking for something equivalent to Iran Hostage incident to discredit Obama on foreign policy (Romney's recorded statements at a fundraiser).
8. Broadwell is well-connected with Bain-friend David Gergen.

I suspect the administration is all over this and we will learn much more about this failed attempt in the days to come. It could mean the resignation of those Republicans in Congress who knew of this information as well as criminal charges.

Update: consider this: Cantor knew of Petraeus affair (through connections in FBI). Cantor needed someone credible to discredit Obama on Benghazi, so he used his leverage over Petraeus to make a statement in late October to apparently counter statements from the administration (see here http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/petraeus-throws-obama-under-bus_657896.html).

This statement from Petraeus got little coverage due to the hurricane.

Update 2: Turns out, Broadwell is well connected with David Gergen, who as we all know is well connected with Bain Capital. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021798317

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198 replies	Author	Time	Post
Prediction: Petraeus conspired with GOP on Benghazi to undermine Obama for Election (Original post)	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	OP
Hope you are right, berni_mccoy.	yellerpup	Nov 2012	#1
Petraeus, Rove, and Paula Broadwell: I Smell A Rat	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#119
A Petraeus Puzzle: Were Politics Involved?	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#129
this suggests that the FBI Agent knew Petraeus was involved - very odd twist	Justice	Nov 2012	#190
NY MAG: The Petraeus Investigation’s Rogue FBI Agent Mystery	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#155
In the chain of command, Petraeus has a boss	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#172
Before or after the fact?	leveymg	Nov 2012	#2
After.	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#11
The implication is more serious	zentrum	Nov 2012	#79
Yep. this is the dangerous backstabbing shit	underthematrix	Nov 2012	#167
I'm scratching my	tyne	Nov 2012	#25
don't think so	OKNancy	Nov 2012	#3
I think Cantor had hoped to protect Petraeus	Dalai_1	Nov 2012	#7
Agree	DURHAM D	Nov 2012	#8
could be. If it would have hurt Obama he would	OKNancy	Nov 2012	#10
I believe Cantor used his knowledge of affair to leverage Petraeus.	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#12
More probable than Cantor trying to protect Petraeus. Can't see	kiranon	Nov 2012	#75
So why is Petraeus under the bus wheels now?	Cracklin Charlie	Nov 2012	#90
The Obama administration knows he's a rat, in so many ways.	DCKit	Nov 2012	#125
Obama could have asked for his resignation, certainly should have if not offered	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#133
Fascinating story of how Patreeus is now under the bus instead of driving it..	Cha	Nov 2012	#164
Exactly.	BlueMan Votes	Nov 2012	#64
One fact: Republicans protect their own.	glinda	Nov 2012	#104
The only good thing that came out of this mess	DURHAM D	Nov 2012	#17
I agree with you. This is a story of spooks behaving badly.	yardwork	Nov 2012	#44
Kinda like 'and they would have gotten away it too, if not	Z_I_Peevey	Nov 2012	#48
Have they already hung their 2016 star on Jeb Bush?	summerschild	Nov 2012	#66
That makes sense...	femrap	Nov 2012	#77
Spooks Gone Wild	riverwalker	Nov 2012	#100
A rouge FBI guy?	Chef Eric	Nov 2012	#72
J. Edgar Hoover preferred	riverwalker	Nov 2012	#102
:-) nt	Chef Eric	Nov 2012	#197
LOL - oops rogue, obviously	OKNancy	Nov 2012	#137
I believe this 100%	Dalai_1	Nov 2012	#4
I am not sure what exactly it is	Horse with no Name	Nov 2012	#5
Problem is that Petraeus probably has the goods on some important people himself and	rhett o rick	Nov 2012	#37
The entire thing stinks.	liberalmuse	Nov 2012	#6
Bob Woodward	tyne	Nov 2012	#9
Cantor probably couldn't do it (authorization) so he used his leverage	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#16
What Petraeus interview in late Oct?	speedoo	Nov 2012	#69
Bob Woodward also blamed the President's first debate performance	Z_I_Peevey	Nov 2012	#38
I remember thinking the	femrap	Nov 2012	#81
Or there could have been an ongoing mission at that very moment where american lives were at stake.	bluestate10	Nov 2012	#116
We'll	femrap	Nov 2012	#139
I am convinced that the CIA killed a major al quida operative in either an assault	bluestate10	Nov 2012	#115
Ah yes, #2.	Eddie Haskell	Nov 2012	#121
Al qaeda number 2 is the Spinal Tap Drummer of terrorists.	Dr. Strange	Nov 2012	#142
me too	riverwalker	Nov 2012	#110
you are exactly right - do you think it was the rogue agent?	Justice	Nov 2012	#191
Petraeus did not tell Cantor anything, to my knowledge.	TwilightGardener	Nov 2012	#13
Agree	DURHAM D	Nov 2012	#18
Thanks updated the post with this.	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#19
GOP tried to make this Obama's Iran Hostage Crisis	LynneSin	Nov 2012	#14
Romney even made statements to that effect	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#20
I agree.	sandyshoes17	Nov 2012	#22
I believe your prediction will be true.	BlueCaliDem	Nov 2012	#15
Why would Petraeus(CIA)	tyne	Nov 2012	#23
Oh, right, because Obama would say, "Waaah! The General lied to me!" Cf: Cuba, JFK and.	WinkyDink	Nov 2012	#26
No.	tyne	Nov 2012	#43
It is now common knowledge that the CIA gave	DURHAM D	Nov 2012	#40
I agree with you up to the "simple incompetence" part.	yardwork	Nov 2012	#46
If RobMe	femrap	Nov 2012	#91
McChrystal.	TwilightGardener	Nov 2012	#99
thank you! nt	femrap	Nov 2012	#140
The CIA's supposed "incompetence" is just a cover	daughterofthedust	Nov 2012	#177
Bingo, that's what I think also...and welcome to DU! n/t	AntiFascist	Nov 2012	#183
That might explain this:	bemildred	Nov 2012	#21
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar	frazzled	Nov 2012	#24
People do conspire too, you know. They really do sometimes. nt	bemildred	Nov 2012	#27
Actually, people conspire ALL the time.	WeekendWarrior	Nov 2012	#182
Of course, I'm trying to be polite.	bemildred	Nov 2012	#189
Et tu, Brute?	WinkyDink	Nov 2012	#29
Because I'm not ready to sign on to a conspiracy theory ...	frazzled	Nov 2012	#34
No, because you said "conspiracy theories" PLURAL. My remark was not that YOU are Brutus, but that	WinkyDink	Nov 2012	#117
I agree. Life is so much better if we live in the "no conspiracy" bubble. nm	rhett o rick	Nov 2012	#41
Black box voting, no problem, what conspiracy?	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#149
I agree nt	Crabby Appleton	Nov 2012	#185
Thank you!	Tutonic	Nov 2012	#28
#3 now works for me	DURHAM D	Nov 2012	#30
What a ludicrous prediction! Total fiction!	Hugin	Nov 2012	#31
lol, ok I may be wrong on that part of it.	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#35
broke up four months earlier. found documents on her computer when? a couple months ago?	seabeyond	Nov 2012	#32
I think seeing one of the modern day traitors	Doctor_J	Nov 2012	#33
I have always thought that Benghazi was a Republican political ploy...	CoffeeCat	Nov 2012	#36
They were on message...quick	Horse with no Name	Nov 2012	#42
I know. I wonder how Geraldo knew anything.	loudsue	Nov 2012	#83
Some smidgen of common sense? Wouldn't take much!	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#150
They threw every kind of pasta in Italy at the wall, nothing stuck	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#55
It stuck over at Fox Newsville...	CoffeeCat	Nov 2012	#158
Is it possible that they, through some of their mercenaries, planned and executed the	ciking724	Nov 2012	#67
They did seem to know too much too soon. Or think that they did. n/t	kiranon	Nov 2012	#82
+1 nt	femrap	Nov 2012	#98
Ooohh Bullshit. You are really going off the deep end there.	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#113
+1	femrap	Nov 2012	#96
If so, it backfired.	HooptieWagon	Nov 2012	#39
the murder of an American ambassador and the invasion of a US embassy is a huge deal	demhottie	Nov 2012	#61
It wasn't an embassy,	HooptieWagon	Nov 2012	#138
What IS a big deal, it seems to me, is that a consulate in a hot zone is endangered by CIA ops	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#152
I'm reading theories on other sites	daughterofthedust	Nov 2012	#178
Don't forget the Darrell Issa connection and releasing classified info	BumRushDaShow	Nov 2012	#45
OLD FASHION HYPOTHESIS	ROBROX	Nov 2012	#47
"...business will continue..." - perhaps true if we were still under Bush/Cheney leadership,	ciking724	Nov 2012	#108
I would lawyer up if I was Dave Reichert	alcibiades_mystery	Nov 2012	#49
Dave Reichert something fishy	riverwalker	Nov 2012	#123
we need to be more humble when mocking Freeper conspiiracy theories	Enrique	Nov 2012	#50
Two things	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#51
what did Petraeus do to undermine Obama?	Enrique	Nov 2012	#53
See the update in the OP. Petraeus gave a statement toward the end of the campaign	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#60
that's what I'm talking about	Enrique	Nov 2012	#85
What reason would Cantor have	protect our future	Nov 2012	#94
BLACKMAIL....	femrap	Nov 2012	#101
Petreaus Allowed Right Wing Think Tanks to Set Up Shop at his Afghan Headquarters	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#175
Shades of NYT and Judith Miller in Iraq.	amandabeech	Nov 2012	#187
Seems quite logical to me. nt	Live and Learn	Nov 2012	#52
I agree with some of this, but	plethoro	Nov 2012	#54
They've both admitted to it. And the threatening e-mails Broadwell	loudsue	Nov 2012	#89
Can you source this Bernie?	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#56
Here	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#62
That is hardly something do build your conspiracy theory on.	speedoo	Nov 2012	#74
Sorry, pasted wrong link. Corrected now.	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#93
Important area to consider here: "The source of the classified documents remains unclear."	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#156
TTBOMK - the allegation of classified material release is just Fox talk	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#88
This, I doubt. I never thought Petraeus was all that political.	TwilightGardener	Nov 2012	#57
Do not get to be a 4Star General without knowing how to play politics IMHO.	kiranon	Nov 2012	#86
No, I don't mean political in that sense. I mean political	TwilightGardener	Nov 2012	#92
Don't forget the bush implants. And you don't get to be the head of the cia without	Dont call me Shirley	Nov 2012	#127
Petraus is VERY political--and planned on running for president as a Repeublican someday.	tblue37	Nov 2012	#184
You mean	EC	Nov 2012	#58
Republicans don't resign...they have no shame!	truebluegreen	Nov 2012	#59
The General is	femrap	Nov 2012	#107
Why would you say he was being blackmailed. More likely FIRED!	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#157
Surely the	femrap	Nov 2012	#166
Pre-dating Benghazi, there's another possible side to the story	mojowork_n	Nov 2012	#63
I've idly speculated elsewhere that I had this down for some sort of "7 Days in May"	coalition_unwilling	Nov 2012	#65
Totally agree.	tater_salad	Nov 2012	#68
Somebody was playing games.....was Broadwell the go between?	Historic NY	Nov 2012	#70
Wrap your head around this: "FBI continued to investigate and intercept Petraeus’ email exchanges...	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#71
Until there is a more reliable source for your linked story	Z_I_Peevey	Nov 2012	#87
Kessler says they	femrap	Nov 2012	#120
Tears of joy & sadness	MissNostalgia	Nov 2012	#73
You think Cantor has a deal with Rand Paul? re: Paul's anti-UN legislation opposing controls on gun	patrice	Nov 2012	#76
PS: Rand has a Nordquist-style OATH/extortion for senators to vote against UN gun control	patrice	Nov 2012	#132
if I say to my fellow Du'ers one more time to watch "Seven Days in May" again...	winstars	Nov 2012	#78
The "classified documents" angle, real or rumor	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#97
Yes, a comprehensive timeline will reveal much, I suspect.	Z_I_Peevey	Nov 2012	#106
Hopefully you are spot on and some repugs get kicked to the curb.	RedCloud	Nov 2012	#80
I fear...	DirtyDawg	Nov 2012	#84
love you Berni but having a hard time with this one.	grantcart	Nov 2012	#95
The supposition you raise does not contradict the possibility	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#109
"The big question is why didn't Cantor say anything when he found out before the election?"	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#160
I have one question	malaise	Nov 2012	#103
I highly doubt it. I don't think this was a conspiracy that was conceived prior to Benghazi	berni_mccoy	Nov 2012	#114
What did the Romney campaign do and when did it do it?	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#161
I think the things you point out are interesting.	glinda	Nov 2012	#105
Cantor sure as hell didn't know and keep it quiet for no reason.	harun	Nov 2012	#111
If it hurt Obama, it would have been made public. Cantor is scum. nt	bluestate10	Nov 2012	#122
what if Cantor suspect the winner would be Obama	aletier_v	Nov 2012	#151
I remember Drudge was supposed to break big news that would be an 'election changer'...	Spazito	Nov 2012	#112
Doesn't this belong in the dungeon?	Eddie Haskell	Nov 2012	#118
Intersting, but requires too many 7 degree calculations	ksoze	Nov 2012	#124
I just now put my dog-tags back on. Whose soldiers? OUR soldiers, our families! Never forget!!!	patrice	Nov 2012	#126
meh. maybe mr cia dude and his fuggbunny were just boinkin fer fun	struggle4progress	Nov 2012	#128
That's what I tend to think. The conspiracy proposed doesnt work for me. nt	stevenleser	Nov 2012	#159
Romney's 2nd Debate Performance	DallasNE	Nov 2012	#130
Your timeline is all wrong	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#131
Do You Have A Link	DallasNE	Nov 2012	#136
Romney's 3rd Debate Performance	unc70	Nov 2012	#148
This absolutely smells like a GOP/CIA attempt to repeat the Iran Hostage Crisis.	backscatter712	Nov 2012	#134
I	heaven05	Nov 2012	#135
Bookmarked.	blackspade	Nov 2012	#141
Juan Cole: Real Petraeus Failure Was Counterinsurgency in Iraq, Afghanistan	crunch60	Nov 2012	#143
There certainly seem to be a lot of familiar players on this.	Ganja Ninja	Nov 2012	#144
What if the the head of the CIA was outed by State?	Mme. Defarge	Nov 2012	#145
More like State people were killed by CIA ops situation, seems to me.	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#162
Proof you might be right - Rush is preparing his ditto heads for the "Democrat lies" that will	AnotherMother4Peace	Nov 2012	#146
That's pretty much how I see it...	ljm2002	Nov 2012	#147
Traitor Evangels of Death and Hate, financed by War Profiteers. nt	patrice	Nov 2012	#153
This is about blood.	patrice	Nov 2012	#154
Cantor didn't tell Boner at all. The plot thickens.	Z_I_Peevey	Nov 2012	#163
More timeline = Petraeus told biographer to stop harassing family friend in mid-summer	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#165
very interesting. so maybe SHE is the blackmailer	aletier_v	Nov 2012	#170
I just want to see repukes go to jail, is that wrong? :-)	OverBurn	Nov 2012	#168
You got it	libodem	Nov 2012	#169
bookmarked for later; real quest is who is the FBI agent and why did he/she contact Cantor?	amborin	Nov 2012	#171
I've felt this from the moment I read about Benghazi	SaveAmerica	Nov 2012	#173
She called it a	2naSalit	Nov 2012	#176
Thanks!! That's the term!! Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy	SaveAmerica	Nov 2012	#195
Wasn't the Romney campaign trying to place "an informant" with Woodward. Who?	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#174
Spy vs. Spy	Hermes Daughter	Nov 2012	#179
You didn't mention it. But Romney's lightening fast response to Benghazi was suspicious	SweetieD	Nov 2012	#180
I don't think Petraeus was a player in this. I think he got played.	Lucinda	Nov 2012	#181
Dianne Feinstein has said for days she and her Senate Intelligence	EmeraldCityGrl	Nov 2012	#186
If FBI did not find a criminal activity, they cannot talk about ongoing investigations	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#193
This story is getting stranger	sandyshoes17	Nov 2012	#188
I think you're correct...seen this?	Lars39	Nov 2012	#192
No, and this is how the GOP thinks!	Logical	Nov 2012	#194
"FBI officials searched Paula Broadwell's home late Monday night. They left carrying several boxes.	Coyotl	Nov 2012	#196
He could have just screwed him with his testimony on Benghazi	B2G	Nov 2012	#198

Response to berni_mccoy (Original post)

Mon Nov 12, 2012, 11:28 AM

yellerpup (12,239 posts)

1. Hope you are right, berni_mccoy.

Nothing less than a hurricane kept this story from becoming the October Surprise of Grover's dreams.

Prediction: Petraeus conspired with GOP on Benghazi to undermine Obama for Election

1. Hope you are right, berni_mccoy.

119. Petraeus, Rove, and Paula Broadwell: I Smell A Rat

129. A Petraeus Puzzle: Were Politics Involved?

190. this suggests that the FBI Agent knew Petraeus was involved - very odd twist

155. NY MAG: The Petraeus Investigation’s Rogue FBI Agent Mystery

172. In the chain of command, Petraeus has a boss

2. Before or after the fact?

11. After.

79. The implication is more serious

167. Yep. this is the dangerous backstabbing shit

25. I'm scratching my

3. don't think so

7. I think Cantor had hoped to protect Petraeus

8. Agree

10. could be. If it would have hurt Obama he would

12. I believe Cantor used his knowledge of affair to leverage Petraeus.

75. More probable than Cantor trying to protect Petraeus. Can't see

90. So why is Petraeus under the bus wheels now?

125. The Obama administration knows he's a rat, in so many ways.

133. Obama could have asked for his resignation, certainly should have if not offered

164. Fascinating story of how Patreeus is now under the bus instead of driving it..

64. Exactly.

104. One fact: Republicans protect their own.

17. The only good thing that came out of this mess

44. I agree with you. This is a story of spooks behaving badly.

48. Kinda like 'and they would have gotten away it too, if not

66. Have they already hung their 2016 star on Jeb Bush?

77. That makes sense...

100. Spooks Gone Wild

72. A rouge FBI guy?

102. J. Edgar Hoover preferred

197. :-) nt

137. LOL - oops rogue, obviously

4. I believe this 100%

5. I am not sure what exactly it is

37. Problem is that Petraeus probably has the goods on some important people himself and

6. The entire thing stinks.

9. Bob Woodward

16. Cantor probably couldn't do it (authorization) so he used his leverage

69. What Petraeus interview in late Oct?

38. Bob Woodward also blamed the President's first debate performance

81. I remember thinking the

116. Or there could have been an ongoing mission at that very moment where american lives were at stake.

139. We'll

115. I am convinced that the CIA killed a major al quida operative in either an assault

121. Ah yes, #2.

142. Al qaeda number 2 is the Spinal Tap Drummer of terrorists.

110. me too

191. you are exactly right - do you think it was the rogue agent?

13. Petraeus did not tell Cantor anything, to my knowledge.

18. Agree

19. Thanks updated the post with this.

14. GOP tried to make this Obama's Iran Hostage Crisis

20. Romney even made statements to that effect

22. I agree.

15. I believe your prediction will be true.

23. Why would Petraeus(CIA)

26. Oh, right, because Obama would say, "Waaah! The General lied to me!" Cf: Cuba, JFK and.

43. No.

40. It is now common knowledge that the CIA gave

46. I agree with you up to the "simple incompetence" part.

91. If RobMe

99. McChrystal.

140. thank you! nt

177. The CIA's supposed "incompetence" is just a cover

183. Bingo, that's what I think also...and welcome to DU! n/t

21. That might explain this:

24. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

27. People do conspire too, you know. They really do sometimes. nt

182. Actually, people conspire ALL the time.

189. Of course, I'm trying to be polite.

29. Et tu, Brute?

34. Because I'm not ready to sign on to a conspiracy theory ...

117. No, because you said "conspiracy theories" PLURAL. My remark was not that YOU are Brutus, but that

41. I agree. Life is so much better if we live in the "no conspiracy" bubble. nm

149. Black box voting, no problem, what conspiracy?

185. I agree nt

28. Thank you!

30. #3 now works for me