David Petraeus Rehire: Obama Should Bring Back CIA Chief, Pundits Say

A David Petraeus rehire would seem like an unlikely event after the public resignation and sex scandal of the CIA director, but many pundits believe that Petraeus remains the best man for the job.

The idea of a David Petraeus rehire has been floated by several political writers, including Emily Yoffe at Slate, who says that Barack Obama should nominate the former chief to serve as the next CIA director.

There is good reason to think that a David Petraeus rehire could be in the cards, The Week noted. For one, he remains very popular with both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, having been first nominated by George W. Bush and re-appointed by Obama.

Also, though his now very public affair with Paula Broadwell may have caused controversy and brought some shame to the CIA, Petraeus broke no laws and didn’t violate national security.

“Thanks to our ever-faster cycle of humiliation and rehabilitation, [Petraeus] has already been punished and paroled,” Yoffe write. “It’s time to let Petraeus get back to work. It would probably even please Mrs. Petraeus to see less of him around the house right now.”

A David Petraeus rehire could also be seen favorably by Americans. Before the affair scandal that ended his tenure with the CIA, Petraeus was viewed favorably by many Americans and even floated as a possibly vice presidential candidate for GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

The former CIA chief remains popular, a ABC News/Washington Post poll found. The survey found that 45 percent still view him favorably, a drop of 10 points from March 2011 and 16 points from his peak in September 2007. Though the numbers are down, the fact this his popularity remains so high could set the stage for a David Petraeus rehire.