Feinstein Expresses Shock at Suddenness of Petraeus Resignation

After General Petraeus stepped down Friday over an extramarital affair, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) indicated regret over the fact that he’d resigned so quickly. 

Feinstein said she wished President Obama had “not accepted” Petraeus’ letter of resignation, but added that she respected the former CIA director’s decision:

At CIA, Director Petraeus gave the agency leadership, structure, prestige, and credibility both at home and abroad. On a personal level, I found his command of intelligence issues second to none. He was especially cooperative with Congress as we exercised our oversight responsibility, and he was responsible for improving American relationships with intelligence agencies in countries around the world.

Petraeus was also at the center of questions regarding CIA actions (and inactions) in Benghazi on September 11th. 

Due to his resignation, Petraeus will not testify at the House hearing on Benghazi on November 15th.