The U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) was created in 1973 and reports to the Attorney General through the Deputy Attorney General. The AGAC represents the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
The purpose of the AGAC is to ensure consistent interpretation and application of the Attorney General’s priority throughout the broad U.S. justice system. [28 CFR § 0.10]
As much as possible pay attention to the dates and names (highlighted) as they each play an important role in understanding what has taken place in the past two years.

• On February 8th, 2017, the Senate confirmed Alabama Republican Senator Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General.
• On November 13th, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed the first nine U.S. Attorney’s to serve on his Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).
• NOTE:  Why AG Sessions waited nine months to appoint his Advisory Committee members is unknown.

Those November 2017 appointments included: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Richard Moore; U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John W. Huber; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin E. Herdman; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert Higdon; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Trent Shores; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Joshua Minkler; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri Jeff Jensen; and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Bryan Schroder.

AG Jeff Sessions appointed Richard Moore (Alabama) as Chairman of the AGAC, and John W Huber (Utah) as Vice-Chairman.

“I am pleased to announce the first members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee under this administration. These U.S. Attorneys will play an important role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission to reduce violent crime, combat transnational criminal organizations, secure our southern border, end the devastating opioid crisis, and return to the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions

Four months later, on March 12th, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the appointment of six additional U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the AGAC, joining the nine members previously selected on November 13, 2017.
(more…)

The Commerce Department has released a much anticipated January Retail Sales Report which shows total cumulative spending growth of .02% over prior month, and 2.3% growth year-over-year.  Importantly, a sector review (year over year), comparing January ’19 with Jan ’18, highlights where we are against our anticipated state of the economy:

(source – pdf)

Gas prices are low which are reflected in lower overall sales data (-4.2% year-on-year) within the gasoline station sector.  Additionally, electronic and appliance store sales (-3.3%) reflects American consumers holding on to currently owned durable goods in that sector and not replacing. Both of these sectors were defined within the larger MAGAnomic forecast.
On the strong upside, building materials and home improvement reflect large growth of +8.7% year-over-year and +3.3% over prior month.  Again, when considering how the principles of MAGAnomic policy focuses on ‘blue-collar’ economic improvement, these outcomes are exactly what you would expect to see.
How do these results reflect amid your family and social circle; do you see the same?
(more…)

Remember: “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” ~ Mike Tyson
The exploitation of Michael Cohen toward the launch of Speaker Pelosi’s impeachment effort backfired bigly.  Not enough people found Cohen credible; and because of the ridiculous way the entire staged performance was carried out by Democrats, and the their media allies, most people saw right through the politicization of it. The plan just failed.

Additionally, some politicians like Jim Jordan, Jody Hice and Mark Meadows started calling out the blatant construct behind Pelosi’s impeachment plan.  HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff sending his staff to New York four times to prep Michael Cohen before the hearings – was only made more ridiculous by Chairman Schiff trying to deny they coached Cohen.  Schiff looks like a doofus.  So today:

[Nancy Pelosi] “I’m not for impeachment. This is news. I’m going to give you some news right now because I haven’t said this to any press person before. But since you asked, and I’ve been thinking about this: Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it.” (link)

UPDATE: Jerry Nadler has also joined in (see below).
(more…)

Earlier this afternoon White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Acting OMB  Director Russell Vought held a press conference to brief reporters on the president’s fiscal year 2020 budget and answer questions on current political events:

.
[White House] FURTHERING OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: President Donald J. Trump’s budget request will continue our economic resurgence while furthering his vision to reduce spending and invest in America.
(more…)

It is important to remember the DNC and RNC are private clubs. Their rules and processes have have no direct connection to the administration of government. They are completely private organizations with the ability to make their own rules, membership terms, conditions and agendas.  You’d be surprised how many people do not know that.
Because they are private clubs it is always laughable when politicians talk about “campaign finance reform”.  Quite simply if either club -or both- wanted to put limits or restrictions on the financial side of their club membership or activity, they could; easy peasy. Those rules have nothing to do with government; the clubs make the decisions not to do so.

In the latest CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of Iowa Democrats, Joe Biden leads the pack with 27%, followed closely by Bernie Sanders with 25%.  The rest of the field, or potential field, is in the single digits.
Now, let’s get down to business….
(more…)

On Thursday of last week Judicial Watch received a 300+ page release of Bruce and Nellie Ohr communication with government officials as the result of their 2017 FOIA submission. The following day, Friday, representative Doug Collins released the transcript of Bruce Ohr testifying about his activity and contacts with DOJ and FBI officials.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton appears with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the revelations within both the testimony and FOIA release, saying Bruce Ohr’s testimony confirms how closely the Department of Justice and FBI were working with Clinton operative, Christopher Steele.

(more…)

National Security Adviser John Bolton appears with Maria Bartiromo to discuss recent reports that Kim Jong-un is moving toward more nuclear testing.
Obviously that discussion moves quickly into the influence of China and Chairman Xi Jinping.
The frustrating question no-one ever seems to ask is not “if” China controls the DPRK government, but rather “to what extent”?
It has become more obvious in the past few years that North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un has much less control over officials and military leadership within his own government than previously thought.
Does Chairman Xi and Beijing structurally control everything around Kim? Is Kim a hostage; forced to ride a dragon he doesn’t control?  I think the answer is yes.

.
Once people start to realize that China controls North Korea as a proxy province, then the discussion can evolve toward the true nature of the challenge, and the way President Trump is precariously negotiating a hostage release while refusing to pay the ransom.
(more…)

Beware of the Decepticons. Senator John Barrasso is one of Mitch McConnell’s key small council members, which includes: McConnell, Cornyn, Barrasso, Earnst, Young, Thune, Lee, Crapo and Gardner.  All the Decepticons make moves based on ulterior motives.  The Decepticons are the UniParty constants in an ever changing universe.

.
Where’s the USMCA vote Mitch?…
(more…)

National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss economic policy, budgets and taxes. Since the discussion is the economy, Wallace quickly puts on his doomsday hat.

(more…)

NBC News penned an article about the unorthodox release of DOJ official Bruce Ohr’s transcript.  Within the article NBC notes current DOJ officials responded to the congressional request for release by sending them an approved “redacted version”:

(NBC) […]  The transcripts of interviews with Ohr and other witnesses before the joint committee investigation were sent to the Justice Department last December to be vetted for public release at the request of the outgoing GOP chairmen, Bob Goodlatte from the Judiciary Committee and Trey Gowdy from the Oversight Committee.

The Justice Department returned the Ohr transcript to the committee this week with redactions. But Collins said he was releasing a copy without those edits because the changes sought by the department did not relate to classified information or sensitive personal data. By releasing the transcript on the House floor, Collins would be protected under what is known as the Speech and Debate Clause from any reprimand. (read more)

Having read the Ohr transcript (also provided below), there didn’t appear to be any national security interests, sources or methods, beyond investigative embarrassment for DOJ and FBI, simply because of the sham of it all.
What parts did the current DOJ redact, and what would have been their justification? What did the current DOJ attempt to hide? …Maybe Representative Doug Collins could provide the redacted version, so we can find out.  Curiouser, and curiouser…
(more…)