Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live Now on TheBlaze Radio: ‘The Buck Sexton Show’

Government

Paula Broadwell’s Ghostwriter Had ‘No Idea’ About Affair

Nov. 12, 2012 11:01pm Mytheos Holt

Paula Broadwell’s affair with CIA Director David Petraeus has long since become the spiciest of DC gossip stories, with just a little bit of national security risk to add to the tawdriness.

However, for a torrid affair that seems to have been going on for some time, one thing sticks out about the relationship between Petraeus and Broadwell – namely, very few people seem to have suspected its existence. In fact, according to none other than Broadwell’s co-author on her biography of Petraeus – Washington Post editor Vernon Loeb – the relationship seemed almost outlandishly difficult to imagine. Loeb writes about his bewilderment in today’s Washington Post, describing Petraeus and Broadwell as seemingly the least likely people to have an affair, least of all with each other:

I never anticipated the extramarital affair between David H. Petraeus and Paula Broadwell, the woman I’d worked with for 16 months on a book about Petraeus’s year commanding the war in Afghanistan. On rare occasions, her good looks and close access would prompt a colleague to raise an eyebrow about their relationship, but I never took it seriously.[...]

I assumed, given how public their semi-official relationship was, that he would never engage in any risky behavior. He’d always preached to his protégés that character was what you did when no one was watching. And he would always hasten to add, from his most public of perches, that “someone is always watching.”

There was no protégé more ardent than Broadwell.

Nevertheless, the “protege” and her teacher appear to have dropped their standards when it came to each other. Though it is easy to tell whence Loeb’s confusion comes from, reading his description of Broadwell, who – far from the tabloid-esque accounts of a spoiled “prom queen” – comes off, indeed, as a very unlikely “other woman” for the closest thing America has to a modern day war hero. Though, given these passages, perhaps her different from most tawdry women in these situations was part of the appeal:

What was she like? Professional, relaxed and clearly excited about the material she had for me in her big, comfortable house in a stately North Carolina neighborhood. She spoke with great affection about her husband, a surgical radiologist whom she’d met in the military, and her two young sons, whom she clearly adores.[...]

I always thought that Broadwell’s motives were pure, and I always wondered why Petraeus was granting her the access that he did. The two must have seen a lot of themselves in each other — they shared the West Point bond, an addiction to physical fitness and running and an uber-optimistic, never-say-die outlook on life.

From there, Loeb does not speculate, but this portrait of the two arguably makes the picture even more tragic. Instead of a case of a craven fame-seeker seducing a great man, or a short-sighted narcissist seeking a mirror for his own self-perceived glory, this story, as Loeb tells it, seems to be a case of two people who should have been good falling far from even their own standards.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (15)

offbrat56
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:53am
I’m reserving an opinion on this story at this time because I’m still not sure this is even true—as fed to us at this time. Clearly something happened, but I’m not sure what, when, or why. I do, however, have no doubt as to why this is being presented to us at this time.

All those emails they are trying to dump on Congress to go through should be sent to the FBI or the White House, instead. Bog them down…not Congress.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jmmjr49er
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:41am
Nothing to see here. Its just sex. Remember Clinton told us so. Its a private family matter.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Inlightofthings
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:46am
Wouldn’t it be something if the extra-marital affair was a charade to draw the focus of the media lapdogs squarely where it belongs; National security and the Benghazi debacle. Frankly, it’s the only ploy that would keep me from viewing Petraeus as the coward he appears to be. The 20-30k emails from Allen to the Kelly lady are an interesting twist. Clearly this is “No Small Affair”…..

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Gonzo
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:23am
I would say she was the one granting access.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
65Mustang
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:51am
It smells to high heaven and Obama’s corrupt fingerprints are all over this story. Did Petreaus screw her, probably… she is just another slutty, Democrat whore with no morals.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
FinanceSrS
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 7:54am
“perhaps her different” who edited this piece?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Militiaofone
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:16am
  give it a rest
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 7:38am
Have you heard the latest about General Allen ? Has the Obama White House has declared a media war on the US military ? Is this the next Zimmerman media with hunt ? Will they stop at NOTHING to distract from their Benghazi involvement ? What is happening to this country ? Will they stop at nothing to divide and destroy us ?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
RJJinGadsden
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:39pm
Now that more has come out on this, and we know that this affair started while Patraeus was still in the Army. All that I can really say is they brought this upon themselves. What really ticks me off is to just think about how many times either or both brought UCMJ charges against fellow soldiers under their command for doing the very same thing. Worst of all is they did set themselves up for potential blackmail. But, I bet they never thought that it would come from within because of our current political climate. Patraeus should never have accepted his appointment to the CIA. When 0bama sent Biden to swear him in, as Rush stated earlier today, that let him know where he stood in their pecking order. I hope you show up and testify in front of Congress soon General. Before all of your credibility is destroyed.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- The-Monk
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:54pm
  Hi RJJ,
  
  Tomorrow, watch yesterdays GBTV (Nov 11).
  
  GB had an interesting theory on that.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:03am
  Hi RJJ,
  
  Make that last Friday’s GBTV.
  
  Report this comment
- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:25am
  Guys, I don’t believe ANY of this “affair” nonsense.
  
  Petraeus is being removed because he is a grave threat to the Obama Oligarchs.
  
  Is the American public really gullible enough to believe a weak manufactured cover story that a high ranking General of 37 years experience would let himself be “uncovered” in an illicit affair so easily?
  
  I think there just may be a cat being covertly skinned here, and it ain’t Petraeus.
  
  Report this comment
- NeilChapin
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 5:34am
  The Petraeus scandal is a sad and pathetic commentary on our culture. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
MrButcher
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:37pm
“From there, Loeb does not speculate, but this portrait of the two arguably makes the picture even more tragic. Instead of a case of a craven fame-seeker seducing a great man, or a short-sighted narcissist seeking a mirror for his own self-perceived glory, this story, as Loeb tells it, seems to be a case of two people who should have been good falling far from even their own standards.”

Interesting wording here. Passive allusions to Bill Clinton laced with the faux-disillusion that sex, love and character are still used as rhetorical political weapons. Old news.

It perfectly denotes the post-modern state of America, it’s implosion and it’s skeletal existence.

We are no more.

America is dead.

Sow the ashes so something better can grow…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
justangry
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:26pm
Have we interviews her high school boyfriend’s dog yet?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.