for analysis we'll bring in the "washington post's" david ignatius. tom ricks, august of can the gen. and our own bob orr and margaret brennan. and we'll have a farewell interview with maine's republican senator olympia snowe, who's leaving the senate because she no longer felt it was a place she could get anything done. it's been a wild week, but we'll try to put it in perspective on "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: and good morning again. we want to get right to the story in the middle east. , israel continuing to amass troops on the period with gaza. three israelis are dead, more than 50 wounded by rocket fire. the airstrikes go on. the question now, will the israelis send their ground troops into gaza? we're going first this morning to alan pizzey who is in tel aviv. allen. >> reporter: good morning, bob. overnight the israelis continued to pound positions in gaza. they've expand their operation away from just purely military targets into the hamas infra

this evening an analysis of the david petraeus resignation with began, with david ignatius, martha raddatz and a norah o'donnell. >> he watch his reputation so well but he allowed paula broadwell all of this access. all of us had access to general petraeus over the years when he wants us around and tell us something. but this was different. he really allowed her to go everywhere with him. he talked to her all the time. i've talked to many aides, they were concerned about it in afghanistan. they were concerned how it looked, the optics of having this woman all the time. they described her as gushy and inapoprie tkingbout his thoughts. you've seen her on several programs over the last week. and things she was saying about him. that made them uncomfortable. >> well like martha, i've known him for about a decade, covered him in these war jones. he's a disciplined man, a man with incredible force of will. as much as we talk about his counterinsurgency doctrine, when i think about what happened in iraq, it was really david trae' will pow inhat battle space in the way he changed people's expectat

. >> i'll defer to david ignatius on this but look at the way he got the job which is they called him in to say look you're not getting the joint chief's job. >> rose: it wasn't they, it was bob gates secretary of defense. >> i think he talks to the president and says if there's something else you want, let us know and he says i'd like to be director of the cia, which i think took people aback. but i think what you see here is a great blurring between the department of defense and the intelligence community. the more they use intelligence and drones and special forces the more their mission -- >> rose: military aspect of the cia. >> david petraeus looked at the cia as an extension of his ml tree career. this is more about how the future is going to be fought. >> rose: david and norah and john my understanding is he loved the job. david? >> i think charlie, that he denied up loving the job. he loved the science technology toys that the cia director uniquely has. i think he did take the job because it was the next great challenge when he couldn't be chairman of the joint chiefs. when i

and he lived by pure intention. >> rose: aluf, david ignatius and julian sands when we continue. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> rose: we begin with attacks by israel and hamas. in israel, three civilians have been killed and dozens wounded, hamas has fired more than one thousand rockets into israel, many of which have been intercepted by the iron dome missile defense system. the world watches nervously as the buildup of israeli troops continue along the border. today secretary general ban ki-moon arrived in cairo to support egyptian-led efforts at a cease-fire. yesterday, president obama spoke about the situation from thailand, he is viz thing country as part of a three-country asia tour. >> we are fully supportive of israel's right to defend itself from missiles landing on people's homes and workplaces and potentially killing civilians. and we will continue to support israel's right to defend itself. >> rose: here's what "cbs evening news" reported today from the war zone. >> an angry crowd gathered outside

. >> rose: david ignatius, martha raddatz, norah o'donnell and john miller when we continue. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> the president thinks highly of general alan and his service to his country as well as the job he has done in afghanistan. at the request of the secretary of defense, the president has put on hold general allen numb naig as a supreme allied commander of europe pending the investigation of mr. alan's conduct. the president remains fully supporting our troops and partners in afghanistan who general allen continues to lead as he has done so ably over the year. the president was certainly surprised when he was informed about the situation regarding general petraeus on thursday. he greatly appreciates general petraeus' remarkable service to his country both in uniform and at the cia. as he said in his statement, his heart, his thoughts and prayers go out to both general petraeus and holly petraeus at this time. he's focused on his policy agenda. and he has confidence in the acting directo

. >> rose: also, david ignatius of the "washington post" from washington. >> on the larger question here of whether the obama administration before the election had an interest in minimizing the public's understanding that al qaeda still posed a threat, a different threat from the one that we were used to with bin laden but a threat nonetheless, i think the answer increasingly yes s yes. they didn't want the public to see that effort as anything other than a great success. that was part of obama's appeal. so i'd say on the particular details, i don't see much. on the broad theme, did they want the public to feel al qaeda was down for the count? yes, i think they did. >> rose: we conclude with julian sands, a british actor, talking about harold pinter, the english playwright and nobel laureate. >> in comparison with harold, other people looked blurred because he was such a life force. he was so present. he was so forceful. and he lived by pure intention. >> rose: aluf, dvid ignatius and julian sands when we continue. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york

david ignatius joins us. >>> and recovery efforts are still under way after hundreds of thousands ofmericans were devastated by the impact of hurricane sandy. nbc meteorologist bill karins joins us with the latest. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. >>> joining us now from washington, columnist and associate editor for "the washington post," david ignatius. richard haass, jon meacham, john heilemann still at the table. >> so david, what challenges face not only the president but the country in the coming year? >> well, a lot of them, joe. it's as if president obama, sometime last summer, put a sign on the white house lawn saying, closed for business until after the election. well, now we're well after the election, and the problems that have been waiting are stacked up. and i'd start with iran. there have been quiet conversations going on all fall with the people who purport to be intermediaries, emissaries for the iranian leadership sketching possible deals that could be made to resolve the nuclear issue. president obama and his advisers are going to have to decide o

david ignatius, you're excellent at covering all this spy agencies. what's going on? >> well, i think richard mentioned the fbi investigation of paula broadwell. paula broadwell is general petraeus' biographer and somebody who has been close to him. to speak for a moment about the cia, general petraeus when he came to the cia about 15 months ago appointed as his deputy the then acting director michael morell, who is a career agency analyst. michael morell has stepped in as acting director again. i think that's, from the standpoint of the cia and the stability of u.s. intelligence efforts, the most positive thing you could say. morell is a career guy. he's trusted by the white house. he was trusted by petraeus, and so you have a smoother transition than you sometimes do in these situations. >> let me get back to richard engel about this. you know, you know these guys. you know as a military guy covering our fights overseas, the combat operations in iraq especially, this man was almost at the general mcarthur level just a few years ago. people were talking about him bei

david ignatius, you're excellent at covering all this spy agencies. what's going on?well, i think richard mentioned the fbi investigation of paula broadwell. paula broadwell is general petraeus' biographer and somebody who has been close to him. to speak for a moment about the cia, general petraeus when he came to the cia about 15 months ago appointed as his deputy the then acting director michael morell, who is a career agency analyst. michael morell has stepped in as acting director again. i think that's from the standpoint of the cia and the stability of u.s. intelligence efforts the most positive thing you could say. morell is a career guy. he's trusted by the white house. he was trusted by petraeus, and so you have a smoother transition than you sometimes do in these situations. >> let me get back to richard engel about this. you know, you know these guys. you know as a military guy covering our fights overseas, the combat operations in iraq especially, this man was almost at the general mcarthur level just a few years ago. people were talking about him being the

. >> i will borrow the opening question from the "washington post" columnist david ignatius. the question is, is there any escape from this palestinian version of heil? >> there is not. it goes back to what was said in the beginning, that critics have said that israel has turned got into a prison. we seem to not remember that seven years ago when israel left gaza. in front of the cameras of the world, at every soldier, every settlement, every jew left gaza, nothing left behind. israel declared gaza and an international frontier, meaning it was recognized as an independent entity and the first palestinian state. israel wanted nothing but trade and open relations and normalization. what did it get? it got continuous war. that is the cause of this round and the reason there is no hope for the future is that hamas is committed to and less war and destruction of israel. that is why this will only be a respite. there'll be a truce and then it will start again prepared -- start again. >> i see this as a strategic problem, going beyond what happened seven years ago. >> the roles have

and david ignatius washington post, reporting early on there was a report video.he president himself used aed word terror in the rose garden and the day after. it seems like the right wing media is trying to make something here, tried to do it during the the election as if it would somehow change the results of election and which it didn't. and continuing the rap on the president that i don't think was a coverup. >> and then the media seemed to love the defense of ambassador rice, the president. one said, there is no damsel in distress and obama's eternalistic bravado of a top administrative official is going to come back to haunt him. she's a big girl in a big position and she should defend herself and what she said. >> i don't think it's necessarily a right wing smackdown of susan rice, it's the liberal media make it go about john mccain's comments about susan rice and john mccain never used the word filibuster. he said he would have serious issues susan rice as secretary of state. i agree with judy, what is susan rice doing representing the administration on th

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others, as some people david ignatius at "the washington post." foreign policy a magazine shows up in benghazi to find documents in the personal documents of ambassador stevens. the fbi had been there but left the evidence in the rubble. >> it is unthinkable. it is a draft cable we don't know if it was ever sent but it does say we have asked the libyans again and again for more security with a patrol in the front in the back of roving patrol, bomb sniffing drugs, ambassadors coming and we have nothing we requested. that is found on the ground october 26? why are to the media up an arms asking again and again at every opportunity? get a straight story. nobody died with watergate or monica lipinski. the president owes the american people and explanation and they should not hide behind a "robust investigation." lou: the fbi left the documents on the ground amid the rubble. >> despite the fact fable told us the mission on the ground there were 10 training camps and benghazi the administrations and acted as a bit was normal we need to change policy. >>

we're going to talk to our panel now back again, "washington post" columnist david ignatius. longtime defense writer for the "washington post," tom rickes, now the author of a new book called "the generals: american military command from world war ii to today." and cbs news state department correspondent margaret brennan, margaret, welcome to you, and cbs news justice correspondent bob orr who has been following all of this situation. let's talk-- let's just start here at home. where are we on all of this situation involving these investigations into general petraeus, into benghazi? i mean, bob, how many investigations are going? >> i know of three right now, bob. the c.i.a. inspector general is doing an internal review of whether or not former director petraeus misused any agency assets during his 14 months on the job. so that's number one. number two, the department of defense inspector general is looking into these communications and e-mail betweens general allen and jill kelley, the tampa socialite. there are interesting developments there. this started out as a raft of i

. >> let's bring in david ignatius. the columnist for "the washington post."ton post" and the u.s. army general, mark kimmitt, retired, who's worked at the state department as well as the military. general kimmitt, a lot of people are asking, these indiscretions now from the highest levels, these totally respected generals. it may be part of a bigger, systemic problem within the military. do you believe that? >> well, i really don't. i mean, what makes these unique is sort of the level that these are happening. the fact remains, at any period of time, a certain number of generals are being investigated for indiscretions. in this case, two four stars, three in you include general ward. but the military needs to take an internal look, really evaluate to see if this is, in fact, something institutional or if this is just episodic. >> look at these poll numbers, david. we asked -- not we, but nbc and "the wall street journal" in a recent poll, do you have a great deal or quite a bit of confidence in the u.s. military? 76% said they do. the presidency, 42%. the sup

for example, david ignatius at the washington post. veteran foreign policy correspondent suddenly embracing the cia. i have never seen the likes of this. their version, but without even qualification. >> and you know the tragedy, i kept thinking, where were we in 1972 during the watergate break-in? that was a time, and tha movie is seen by every reporter as the cult clssicof how reporters investigate the troops got there up against the establishment and are going to fight for the truth. what has happened that is just the opposite. we have a mainstream media that does not want to fight for the truth. it is realy the press office of an obama campaign, and i think when you look back 20 years from now and people look at this era, they're not going to talk about the things you and i are talking about. they will look back and say, where was the media? why did they not exercise the first amendment rights? why did they not speak truth to power? why did they just take what they were fed and go with it bcause they had political leanings that ree

catherine herridge has reported, this of course, david ignatius has the white house time line on the "the washington post" right now. the cia time line, excuse me. what happened point by point throughout the 7 or 8 hours that this thing went on. it's amazing to watch this. and to read this play out. he said there is no conspiracy. but there are clear misjudgments in major areas. i think people factor that in. >> protect their guys. >> yeah we have dead americans as a result. >> bill: laura ingraham, everybody, we would like to you vote in our new bill o'reilly.com poll. we asking do you believe the factor has been fair covering the presidential campaign? yes or no? by the way, bill o'reilly.com premium members can participate in the presidential town hall meeting next monday right before the vote 6:00 p.m. eastern time. check it out. next on the run down the most controversial story of the evening african-american bishop says that black christian voters have a moral obligation not to cast their ballots for democrats. that obviously includes the president. that report moments away. >>

and david ignatius washington post, reporting early on there was a report video.resident himself used aed word terror in the rose garden and the day after. it seems like the right wing media is trying to make something here, tried to do it during the the election as if it would somehow change the results of election and which it didn't. and continuing the rap on the president that i don't think was a coverup. >> and then the media seemed to love the defense of ambassador rice, the president. one said, there is no damsel in distress and obama's eternalistic bravado of a top administrative official is going to come back to haunt him. she's a big girl in a big position and she should defend herself and what she said. >> i don't think it's necessarily a right wing smackdown of susan rice, it's the liberal media make it go about john mccain's comments about susan rice and john mccain never used the word filibuster. he said he would have serious issues susan rice as secretary of state. i agree with judy, what is susan rice doing representing the administration on these

another thing that happened, david ignatius of the washington post, met with the cia. the cia gave them a timeline as to what happened. this is what is new for me. number 1, it appears that the last two who were killed were not killed until about 5:00 hirt in the morning, which fwaifs another hour for the -- which gives another hour for the united states to take military action. but secondly, let me read this to you, senator, this is david ignatyus. at 4:30 a.m., the first idea of some of the cia reinforcements was to go to a benghazi hospital to recover steven who is they rightly suspected was already dead. but the hospitals is surrounded by the al qaeda linked militia that mounted the consular attack. 4:30 a.m., that happened. why in the world, for two weeks did we hear about the video story? there is a lot of explaining to be done here. >> as i say, gret ait's the classic scanneddal and coverup that is going on now. one of our veterans said to me, i said, i think it could be as bad as watergate. one of our veterans said, yeah, but nobody died in watergate. and they

it was "washington post" columnist david ignatius, very good in the intel community, and also talkingger tom ricks about whether or not a potential strike on iran has anything to do with the fighting going on right now. >> some people think that what this is about is in preparation for a likely war with iran, israel testing the rockets that would be fired against it from gaza, next from lebanon so, we may see something with lebanon soon because it's a preliminary, kind of a warm-up round for the real conflagration ahead that involves iran. >> you really think there's a chance that israel would strike iran and try to take out those nuclear -- >> yes, especially given the timing of the gaza thing. if they waited until after the american elections are over and now they're getting down to business. >> i guess that's the question that call for some speculation, but is it possible that netanyahu and his cabinet and the knesset have decided the best way to deal with iran is to get involved in a hot war and then -- obviously iran's arming the enemy, arming hamas, and going for the source of t

here's a story by david ignatius, a very respected writer for "the washington post" saying, "mr. obama, take big risks, get it done. a successful second term is less about ideology than results." this column by william saletan on "slate" who says, "cheer up, republicans, you should be happy. you're going to have a moderate republican president for the next four years. his name is barack obama. he's in the same mold," says william saletan, "as dwight eisenhower, richard nixon and gerald ford and he stands where the gop used to stand and will be standing once again." now, if you can see the tensions there that people are reading into and out of obama. >> i have a quite different perspective from william saletan. i think that actually president obama in passing his health law really took a big gamble. because he really wanted to complete the project that he saw as having been started, some could say 100 years ago, some could say with lbj with medicare and medicaid, it was very important to him. and so even when it was very clear that he was suffering some political consequences he t