Al Kamen
Al Kamen
In the Loop

The general and the biographer

Paula Broadwell, the newly famous author of a book on now-former CIA director David Petraeus , might want want to take a cue from Jill Kelley — the alleged recipient of those unpleasant e-mails — when it comes to Damage Control 101.

Kelley, who Broadwell allegedly may have been concerned was the general’s other “other woman,” has lawyered up with renowned defense lawyer Abbe Lowell. His former clients include John Edwards, Gary Condit (in the Chandra Levy investigation), Bill Clinton (during impeachment days) and Loop Favorite/disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Video

Paula Broadwell is a West Point graduate and married, mother of two small children, and the woman behind the extramarital affair that led to retired General David Petraeus's resignation from the CIA.

Paula Broadwell is a West Point graduate and married, mother of two small children, and the woman behind the extramarital affair that led to retired General David Petraeus's resignation from the CIA.

More from PostPolitics

It's not just Republicans up in arms about Benghazi

It's not just Republicans up in arms about Benghazi

THE FIX | More than half of Americans say the Obama administration is trying to cover up the facts of the attack, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

IRS’s Lois Lerner to plead the Fifth

IRS’s Lois Lerner to plead the Fifth

The IRS official who first disclosed the agency's improper targeting of conservative groups will invoke her right not to incriminate herself.

Has anyone been ‘fired’ because of the Benghazi attacks?

Has anyone been ‘fired’ because of the  Benghazi attacks?

FACT CHECKER | Sen. Rand Paul claims no one has been fired because of the Benghazi attacks. So what happened to those State Department officials who lost their jobs?

Coburn: Tornado aid must be offset

Coburn: Tornado aid must be offset

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) will insist that any federal aid to deal with the tornado in his home state must be offset by budget cuts.

Read more

Kelley also hired crisis-management guru Judy Smith — of Monica Lewinsky and BP (the oil-spill company) fame — to handle any media fallout.

But it appears Broadwell has yet to set up a team, though she has hired veteran Washington criminal defense lawyer Robert Muse.

And although she’s known for months about potential trouble via the FBI investigation, she had planned a birthday dinner last week at the superb — and very, very expensive — Inn at Little Washington.

Worst of all, she never bothered to even tweak her bio on the Web site of the Institute for Defense & Business, which, while probably factual, could have some discreet scrubbing.

Broadwell, on the board of directors at the educational and training institute, had “unprecedented access to one of America’s most acclaimed leaders,” the bio says, referring to Petraeus, and she was “at his elbow in a war zone.”

And then: “Broadwell embedded with the general, his headquarters staff, and his soldiers.” Oh, dear.

Please. Just changing a few words would help.

On the other hand, Broadwell’s book is apparently faring well on Amazon’s best-seller list. On Saturday afternoon, it was No. 93 for all books, No. 1 for books on the military and the Middle East, and No. 5 for biographies, though by Monday evening it had settled down to No. 137 for all books.

Naked and the reelected

Could it be that the Sea of Galilee has mystical electoral properties?

Ask the members of Congress who splashed in its waters during a fact-finding mission to the Holy Land. The congressmen-gone-wild revelry, which was revealed in August, caused plenty of embarassment all around. And yet none of the swimmers suffered any ill effects from the scandal during the election — so we can only credit those waters.

Every member of the group who faced an election on Nov. 6 bested his opponent. Even Rep. Kevin Yoder , the Kansas Republican who went the full Monty and skinny-dipped, was reelected.

Republican Reps. Jeff Denham (Calif.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.), Tom Reed (N.Y.) and Steve Southerland (Fla.) will also be returning to Congress, though Southerland had to survive a hard-fought race.

Only Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) lost his primary after taking the plunge — but he claimed to have only been in the water “for 30 seconds at most,” so the magic clearly didn’t have a chance to take.

Perhaps incumbents facing tough races might think about taking a swim?

Openly ambitious

Various supporters of President Obama — the ones who pulled out their wallets and turned out their constituencies for his reelection — will soon be coming to call at the White House.

Loading...

Comments

Add your comment
 
Read what others are saying About Badges