How come we're only now hearing what a sycophant Petraeus is?

[tularetom]

I mean this guy's name has been all over the news for the past 6 months. For the first time today I'm hearing about how he wrote extremely partisan op eds for the WaPo in 2004, how he screwed up up several previous assignments in Iraq, how he'd never been in combat prior to 2003, how unpopular he was with fellow generals due to his sucking up and self promotion and on and on.

I didn't hear any of this in the corporate media of course. I read it on various blogs. But didn't any of these bloggers know any of this before today? This asswipe could have been thoroughly discredited if months ago these bloggers or anyone who knew these facts had made an effort to get them out there. The punditry would still glorify him but the public would have a truer picture of him as a political ass kisser and his "testimony" would have even less credibility.

[Kelly Rupert]

1. Because now that he's become a partisan figure,

he's become a target for half the blogs out there. Blogs muckrake. Blogs post character-assassination pieces. Blogs try to discredit their enemies. Papers usually don't.

(I make no claims as to the truth of anything the OP referenced, nor as to my own opinions on the General's character)

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Somehow, I don't see bloggers as the big problem. The corporomedia, well yes.

Bloggers, not so much. MKJ

[Bitwit1234]

3. Since the day he took office I have seen articles on the net

telling us he was the worst kind of bush kiss up. And that the troops thought so also. All you have to do is search and check the dates.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Echo Chamber

We don't get information from the Bullshit Media System, we get planned PR events.

[TankLV]

5. Because you were not paying attention...

Many of us already knew this as soon as he was replaced as head of the command structure after the LEGIGIMATE generals who DISAGREED with this INSANE LYING REPUKE in OUR White House all were forced to RESIGN because they would not go along with this lies any longer...

Money controls the news...

And repukes control the money...

[tabasco]

8. Roger that.

Petraeus and the top generals under Bush have been selected based on political loyalty, not competence. Just another way they are destroying our military - putting their stooges in charge.

Competent generals, like General Shinseki, have been forced to retire.

This has been a common refrain on DU and other blogs for years.

I suppose the OP just missed it.

[kurth]

6. Petraeus is an expert PowerPoint user

and he understands Microsoft Excel graphs.

[MidwestTransplant]

7. * had to shop around until he found a General to go along with his plan.

[Oilwellian]

9. Better late than never

Many of the blogs have been reporting on General P for quite some time...glad to see you finally aboard the truth train. :D

[tuckessee]

10. Practically the entire general officer class are sycophants.

It's the nature of the beast.

Politics, brown-nosing & covering up for the good of Institution (& one's superior officers) is what gets these guys to the top.

The only time a significant number of competent officers rises to the top is during & after a major, hot war like WW2, when the "perfumed princes" fall by the wayside to make room for guys who can actually win real battles.