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Marc Ambinder

One secret reason Petraeus had to resign

…CIA Director David Petraeus, as a senior civilian in the presidential chain of command should something go catastrophically wrong in Washington, violated special behavior codes for officials who might one day be forced to execute nuclear strikes.

In classified presidential emergency action documents, the CIA director is among the dozens, if not hundreds of officials who are listed as National Command Authority successors in the event that higher ranking officials are no longer able to do their jobs.

Because under certain circumstances he’d have ready access to the nuclear satchel, Petraeus was indoctrinated into the Personnel Reliability Program, which evaluates and monitors the lifestyle and behavior of Americans with access to nuclear command and control mechanisms. Adultery is not a minor sin under the PRP rules.

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If it’s being posted in the blogosphere it’s not really a secret.

dczombie on November 16, 2012 at 10:32 AM

Yeaaaaaah riiiiiiight Ambinder. Do you seriously think we’re gonna believe this garbage? Oh wait. He’s writing to the stupid people who’ll believe anything the Lap Dog Media scribes.

conservative pilgrim on November 16, 2012 at 10:34 AM

Personnel Reliability Program, which evaluates and monitors the lifestyle and behavior of Americans with access to nuclear command and control mechanisms. Adultery is not a minor sin under the PRP rules.

Tell that to Clinton…it doesn’t matter “I won”…

right2bright on November 16, 2012 at 10:34 AM

So? It’s inconceivable that his affair was not known prior to his confirmation. He wad confirmed anyway.

Cody1991 on November 16, 2012 at 10:35 AM

So why didn’t Bill Clinton have to resign?

Curmudgeon on November 16, 2012 at 10:44 AM

Petraeus was vetted for the CIA job, and surely the Broadwell affair came out then. So Obama knew about it when he appointed him.

Why did Obama overlook the Broadwell affair and appoint him anyway? And why did Clapper force him to resign just recently?

petefrt on November 16, 2012 at 10:45 AM

Bill Clinton, JFK….oh wait, they’re Democrats so it doesn’t count…

rcpjr on November 16, 2012 at 10:48 AM

Plus Dear Leader and James Clapper told him to resign…

d1carter on November 16, 2012 at 10:58 AM

Tell that to Clinton…

right2bright on November 16, 2012 at 10:34 AM

You gotta wonder if Marc thought through what he wrote.

Fallon on November 16, 2012 at 11:03 AM

You gotta wonder if Marc thought through what he wrote.

Fallon on November 16, 2012 at 11:03 AM

He likely thought harder than he ever thought before

entagor on November 16, 2012 at 11:49 AM

You gotta wonder if Marc thought through what he wrote.

Fallon on November 16, 2012 at 11:03 AM

Neither Clinton, Obama, nor Petraeus fall under the PRP or would need to be certified (what does he mean by “indoctrinated?”) under a PRP certifying command or authority. I kind of doubt Marc really understands PRP. It seems he read the first few paragraphs of this, and went no further. He may have found this:

Only DoD military or civilian personnel shall perform the duties of a PRP position unless it has been determined by the Head of a DoD Component that contractor personnel are required and essential. Contractor employees performing duties in PRP positions shall meet the reliability standards of this Directive, and the standards and procedures in enclosure 4 shall be incorporated into all contracts involving nuclear duties. Additionally, contractor employees shall perform nuclear duties only on those specific DoD installations or in cleared contractor facilities authorized by the Head of the DoD Component.

Ambinder is fishing.

Kraken on November 16, 2012 at 12:03 PM

Cute. A national catastrophe that destroys our government, and leaves the football in the CIA director’s hands, isn’t going to slow down or be effected because of some immoral nookie. Ain’t nobody thinking about Paula Broadwell on that day.

NotCoach on November 16, 2012 at 12:06 PM

He is far too interested in maintaining his “vital bodily fluids” (that being a Dr. Strangelove reference).

kurtzz3 on November 16, 2012 at 12:11 PM

What an idiot writes when he’s got nothing to say, to an audience of idiots.

Spook86 has written about the Personnel Reliability Program on many occasions over the past few years, specifically in regards to screwups at Barksdale and Minot involving nuclear weapons handling and security.

Wanderlust on November 16, 2012 at 1:12 PM

the Personnel Reliability Program, which evaluates and monitors the lifestyle and behavior of Americans with access to nuclear command and control mechanisms. Adultery is not a minor sin under the PRP rules.

LOL – almost every guy on my first nuke submarine (including me) were in the Personnel Reliability Program …

WE USED TO PARTY IN BROTHELS OVERSEAS – NO ONE GAVE A SH!T

So this article is pretty much bunk.

Oh yeah – we partied in brothels … hell I wasn’t married then but prostitution wasn’t exactly legal everywhere we engaged in it. And there were MANY married guys in those brothels too – our Executive Officer for instance …

Never saw the Captain in one – I was told he got his “girls” on the down low and kept them in his hotel so as not to be seen by the crew.

HondaV65 on November 16, 2012 at 1:20 PM