David Petraeus Resigns From CIA – Obama’s Cabinet Headed for Shake-Up

CIA Director David Petraeus has resigned his position, citing personal reasons and an extramarital affair.

“Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the president to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA,” he said in a statement. “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation.”

The FBI was investigating Petraeus’ biographer, Paula Broadwell, for strange activity on the Internet when it discovered some emails that raised concerns, according to officials familiar with the probe.

Petraeus, a former Army general who led the surge into Iraq under former President Bush and also led U.S. troops in Afghanistan before taking over the CIA, is one of the most respected and influential generals of his time. His wife, Holly, has worked with the Obama administration to help military families.

He was scheduled to testify next week on Capitol Hill behind closed doors about the death of four Americans, including two working for the CIA. They died at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Sept. 11. Holes in security at the consulate have been the subject of an internal government investigation at the State Department and a congressional inquiry.

A U.S. official stressed that Petraeus’ decision to step down had “absolutely nothing to do with Benghazi.” Planned congressional hearings on the Benghazi incident will continue as planned with CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell filling in for Petraeus as acting director.

A senior U.S. official also told ABC News that Morell is expected to be named the permanent replacement atop the CIA.

President Obama reacted to the resignation with a written statement.

“David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades,” Obama said. “By any measure, he was one of the outstanding general officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end.

“As director of the Central Intelligence Agency, he has continued to serve with characteristic intellectual rigor, dedication, and patriotism. By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.”

There was no mention of the affair or the circumstances of Petraeus’ resignation.

“Today, I accepted his resignation as director of the Central Intelligence Agency,” Obama continued. “I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting-Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe.

“Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time,” the president added.

The news shocked official Washington. Petraeus was perhaps the military’s most-respected general of his generation. He was a problem-solver entrusted with key roles by two presidents from different parties.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she wished that Obama had not accepted Petraeus’ resignation.

“I wish President Obama had not accepted this resignation, but I understand and respect the decision,” Feinstein said in a statement. “This is an enormous loss for our nation’s intelligence community and for our country.”

In his statement, Petraeus said, “As I depart Langley, I want you to know that it has been the greatest of privileges to have served with you, the officers of our Nation’s Silent Service, a work force that is truly exceptional in every regard. Indeed, you did extraordinary work on a host of critical missions during my time as director, and I am deeply grateful to you for that.

“Teddy Roosevelt once observed that life’s greatest gift is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. I will always treasure my opportunity to have done that with you and I will always regret the circumstances that brought that work with you to an end,” Petraeus added.

There were no further details about the circumstances surrounding the affair or Petraeus’ departure.

But there is a story published this week on Newsweek’s website titled “General David Petraeus’s Rules for Living,” written by biographer Broadwell.

No. 5 is notable in light of the news about his extramarital affair. “We all will make mistakes. The key is to recognize them and admit them, to learn from them, and to take off the rear-view mirrors — drive on and avoid making them again.

The departure of Petraeus will add another hole to Obama’s leadership team, which is expected to lose some high-profile faces in the coming weeks and months. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is among the cabinet members who have said they will not stay in the administration for a second term. A hole at CIA will add yet another position that requires Senate confirmation to that list.

National Intelligence Director James Clapper praised Petraeus, who turned 60 two days ago, for his years of service.

“Whether he was in uniform leading our nation’s troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, or at CIA headquarters leading the effort to generate intelligence used to keep our nation safe, Dave inspired people who had the privilege of working with him,” Clapper said in a statement. “I have spent more than five decades serving our country — in uniform and out — and of all the exceptional men and women I have worked with over the years, I can honestly say that Dave Petraeus stands out as one of our nation’s great patriots.”

Story 2:  Obama’s Cabinet Headed for Shake-Up

By Devin Dwyer, ABC News – November 9, 2012

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/obama-cabinet-outlook-hillary-clilnton-geithner

President Obama’s victory Tuesday means he will pivot almost immediately to shoring up the team of top aides and cabinet secretaries who will help him tackle the looming fiscal cliff negotiations with Republicans and the full legislative agenda to follow.

While the president’s White House staffers have undergone some serious changes during his first term, his cabinet secretaries have remained remarkably stable. That is sure to change. Several high-profile members are expected to step down from their roles in early 2013.

Here’s a look at the major Obama players and some candidates to fill any openings based on ABC News reporting, beltway buzz and outside reports.

Department of State

Hillary Clinton

Clinton has openly and unambiguously pledged to step down from her post in a second Obama term, though she told State Department employees in January that she “will certainly stay on until the president nominates someone and that transition can occur.”

Secretary of State is “my last public position,” Clinton said in a December 2010 interview. “I will probably go back to advocacy work, particularly on women and children and probably around the world.”

Possible replacements:

John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1984-present); Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Vietnam veteran; 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2009-president); Obama campaign adviser on national security (2008); Brookings Institution fellow (2002-2009); U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1997-2001).

Thomas Donilon, National Security Adviser (2010-present).

Samantha Power, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights (2009-present).

William Burns, Deputy Secretary of State (2011-present). Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2008-2011).

R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2005-2008).

Department of the Treasury

Timothy Geithner

Geithner, the longest-serving member of Obama’s economic team, said earlier this year that he would not return to the administration in a second term. “I’m confident he’ll be president,” he told Bloomberg News, speaking of Obama. “But I’m also confident he’s going to have the privilege of having another secretary of the Treasury.”

During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” in April, Geithner said the next Treasury Secretary would need to be someone who is “willing to tell [Obama] the truth and, you know, help him do the tough things you need to do.”

Possible replacements:

Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff (2012); former OMB Director (1998-2001; 2010-2012).

Erskine Bowles, co-chairman of the National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (aka Simpson-Bowles Commission); White House chief of staff (1997-1998); serves on board of directors for Morgan Stanley and Facebook.

Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO, world’s biggest money manager.

Roger Altman, investment banker, executive chairman, Evercore Partners; Deputy Treasury Secretary during Clinton administration; Obama bundler.

Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council (2011-president; 1996-2000).

Department of Defense

Leon Panetta

Panetta, 74, who assumed his role as Defense chief in June 2011, will likely continue in his position for a few months to another year, according sources close to him.

Possible replacements:

Michele Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, (2009-2012); senior Obama campaign adviser for national security (present); co-founder of the Center for a New American Security (2007); Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Threat Reduction and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy during Clinton administration — highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history.

Jack Reed, Democratic U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (1997-present); Former Army Ranger; West Point Graduate.

Ashton Carter, Deputy Secretary of Defense (2011-present); Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (2009-2011); Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy (1993-1996); former Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Chuck Hagel, former Republican U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1997-2009); Vietnam veteran; Member of the Secretary of Defense’s Policy Board; co-Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board; professor at Georgetown University.

Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy (1997-2001); Obama campaign adviser for national security (2008, 2012); chairman of the Center for New American Security; member of the Defense Policy Board and the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

Department of Justice (Attorney General)

Eric Holder

When asked if he’ll stay for a second Obama term, Holder told a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year: “What my future holds, frankly, I’m just not sure.” Holder, the first African-American U.S. attorney general, is said to want to remain in the job but recognizes that controversies have marked his tenure. “Some have raised concerns about whether I was tough enough. I hope people will see … [that I] stuck by my guns,” he said. “I’ve lost some, I’ve won more than I’ve lost.”

Possible replacements:

Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts (2007-present); Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights (1994-1997); former executive at Texaco and Coca-Cola.

Amy Klobuchar, Democratic U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007-present); member of Judiciary Committee; former Hennepin County attorney.

Sheldon Whitehouse, Democratic U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (2007-present); member of Judiciary Committee; former Attorney General of Rhode Island (1997-2003).

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security (2009-present); former Arizona Governor (2003-2009); former Attorney General of Arizona (1999-2003).

Department of Homeland Security

Janet Napolitano

Napolitano, the first woman Homeland Security chief, is said to enjoy her role but contemplate a return to her native Arizona. In an August interview with the Arizona Republic, she said a 2013 departure was “certainly in my mind” but added, “I don’t know if or when. … But I left a lot of my stuff in Arizona, and I’m still a registered voter there.”

Possible replacements:

Raymond (Ray) Kelly, New York Police Department Commissioner (2002-present); Customs Commissioner (1998-2001).

Bill Bratton, former Los Angeles Police Department Commissioner (2002-2009); former New York Police Department Commissioner (1994-1996); Boston Police Commissioner (1986-1990).

Thad Allen, former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (2006-2010); coordinated response to the Haiti earthquake; former National Incident Commander who led the response to BP Gulf Oil Spill in 2011; led response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Clark Ervin, heads Homeland Security Project at the Aspen Institute; former Department of Homeland Security inspector general (2003-2004).

White House Chief of Staff

Jack Lew

Lew ? Obama’s fourth chief of staff during his first term ? has held the position since January 2012 and will play a key role in charting a course for a second administration in early 2013. He will likely remain in the role at least into early 2013 but is also said to be interested in a new role in Washington or back in his hometown of New York.

Possible replacements:

Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (2011-present); Director of Office of Health Reform (2009-2011).

Alyssa Mastromonaco, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (2011-present).

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the Obama (2009-present).

Ron Klain, former Chief of Staff for Vice President Joe Biden (2009-2011).

Thomas (Tom) Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (2011-present).

White House Press Secretary

Jay Carney

Carney is expected to leave his post and return to the private sector early in a second Obama term. He has served 20 months in his current role as Obama’s second official spokesman, first assuming the position from Robert Gibbs in February 2011.

Possible replacements:

Jen Psaki, Obama campaign traveling press secretary

Joshua Earnest, Principal Deputy White House press secretary

Department of Health and Human Services

Kathleen Sebelius

Sebelius is expected to remain in her post well into a second Obama term to oversee further implementation of the administration’s health care law. “So much of what we’re working on isn’t fully enacted until 2014,” she told the Kansas City Star in September. “I can’t imagine walking out the door in the middle of that?. I could say to him, ‘Good luck, hope that goes well.’ I don’t think that works really well.”

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Shaun Donovan

Donovan has said it’s ultimately up to the president but that he would like to remain the head of the agency responsible for promoting home ownership, affordable rental residences and community development. “I’ve loved serving him. But ultimately he’s going to decide who his team is,” he told CSPAN in October. “I’ve loved what I’m doing. I think we’re making a real difference in families’ lives. I’m very, very happy with the work that I’m doing.”

Department of Education

Arne Duncan

Duncan, who is close personally with Obama and an occasional basketball playmate, is likely to stay through a second term to marshal an education reform plan he helped put in place, including the Race to the Top program and administering waivers for the No Child Left Behind law.

“I’m in it for the long haul,” he told the Washington Post in September. “I’m staying, unless the president gets sick of me.”

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