FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe faced about eight hours of questioning behind closed doors during the House Intelligence Committee yesterday. Unlike prior HPSCI closed hearings remarkably there were no leaks; which would generally indicate the content was adverse to the interests of Democrat party investigators within the hearing.

From scant reporting it appears the questioning surrounded potential conflicts of interest and anti-Trump bias amid the entire cabal of FBI officials. Fox News James Rosen provides some overall information from congressional investigators.
According to Rosen’s reporting Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, bringing a full contingent of FBI/DOJ lawyers, has apparently lost much of his memory surrounding how the Steele Dossier was financed, constructed and later utilized by the FBI Counterintelligence unit (Bill Priestap, Peter Strzok) in their quest for 2016 surveillance and wiretaps against candidate Donald Trump within their FISA applications.

James Rosen – Congressional investigators tell Fox News that Tuesday’s seven-hour interrogation of Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe contained numerous conflicts with the testimony of previous witnesses, prompting the Republican majority staff of the House Intelligence Committee to decide to issue fresh subpoenas next week on Justice Department and FBI personnel.
While HPSCI staff would not confirm who will be summoned for testimony, all indications point to demoted DOJ official Bruce G. Ohr and FBI General Counsel James A. Baker, who accompanied McCabe, along with other lawyers, to Tuesday’s HPSCI session.

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Congressional senators and House members from the republican party are traveling to the White House for a 3:00pm presidential speech following passage of their historic Tax Reform bill.   The celebratory remarks from the president are anticipated at 3:00pm EST
UPDATE: Video Added

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President Trump delivers remarks during a full cabinet meeting earlier today. (fourth full cabinet meeting in December) While celebrating passage of the historic tax reform bill, the President asked HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson to lead the cabinet in prayer.

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[Transcript] 11:37 A.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much. I appreciate everybody being here — Cabinet meeting. And this looks like it will probably be our last Cabinet meeting until the new year. But who knows, you never know what happens with Cabinet meetings. We’ve had some really great and productive ones, and this will be one of celebration because of what took place last night.
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Former Asst. FBI Director James Kallstrom appeared on Fox Business News to discuss the details behind the increasingly transparent 2016 and 2017 Joint FBI and DOJ Counterintelligence Operation to target the candidacy -and block the presidency- of Donald J Trump.
Toward the end of the interview Mr. Kallstrom shares his view, based on current FBI contacts, that FBI insiders (white hats) are on the cusp of removing the cloud of mystery behind all of the obvious politicized shenanigans. When asked about his knowledge of the current morale within the FBI:

…”but I think recent events, that I’m aware of, are going to improve that, because there’s going to be something actually something that’s going to happen; in my view.” … “Well, I think there’s a lot of patriots that have just had it up to here, with what’s going on. And they’re to step forward and tell people what the shenanigans have been; how they shut down the Clinton Foundation investigation; how other things, you know, were done that are so anti what the FBI and United States is all about”…

Watch:

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This would easily align with the years-long Office of Inspector General report by Michael Horowitz that is soon to be released.  The FBI ‘insiders’ would be the primary target audience for the questions from the Inspector General.  Similarly the IG would be the primary and statutory office where FBI white hats would go to become whistle-blowers.
As they say….  Stay frosty, but prepare the ‘tar and feathers’ just in case.
#ColdAnger
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T-Rex and Twinkles

Against the backdrop of NAFTA renegotiation that appears headed for certain doom, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appears contrast against the overly familiar Canadian Foreign Minister Mrs. Twinkles and Rainbows Chrystia Freeland.  I doubt you could find two individual personalities more divergent (watch you’ll see “Rex”?):

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[Transcript] FOREIGN MINISTER FREELAND: Okay. Hi, everybody. Great to see everyone here. Before I begin, I’d like to extend Canada’s thoughts and condolences to our American guests in light of the terrible train derailment in Washington state. We extend our sympathies to those who lost loved ones and wish a full and swift recovery to the injured.
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Almost two weeks ago it was announced that U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras was mysteriously recused from the Special Counsel case against General Mike Flynn, five days after Judge Contreras accepting the initial pleading. No explanation as to ‘why’?

(Reuters) The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judge presiding over the criminal case for President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has been recused from handling the case, a court spokeswoman said on Thursday. (read more)

One might think the media apparatus, or pundit proletariat writ large, might be curious about why a U.S. District Court Judge would be recused. Alas One would be wrong. The recusal angle is transparently missing from any follow-up by media; and apparently the judicial cat also has stolen the tongue of congressional curiosity. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
The story has been memory holed into the concentric whirlpool of nothingness.
We have speculated that U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras was recused, either by himself or by challenge, because he is also a FISA Court Judge and could have signed off on the October FISA warrant that led to the wiretapping and surveillance of General Flynn. However, we have received information that it wasn’t ‘by challenge’, leaving the preponderance of the motive for recusal directly upon Judge Contreras personal decision.
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As the House of Representatives votes on the final tax bill, the White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, delivers the press briefing for Tuesday December 19th.
UPDATE: Video Added

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The House and Senate are scheduled to vote today on the final draft of the reconciled House and Senate Tax Reform Bill. According to Paul Ryan and House Leadership the House of Representatives will call up the vote around 1:30pm EST this afternoon.
According to Senate Leader Mitch McConnell earlier today, the Senate will call up the vote later tonight. That could be very late tonight; the Senate is notorious for votes after midnight. Successful passage by the House and Senate would set up the possibility of President Trump signing the bill as early as tomorrow (Wednesday).
Livestream of House Vote below.  [Each representative has three minutes for final debate and argument presentation]  UPDATE: 2:30pm EST – House Bill Passes 227-203

Now the senate’s turn.

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Last Friday the New York Federal Reserve raised its estimate of U.S. GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2017 to four percent.  That’s officially the unattainable, impossible magic-wand-level of GDP growth all the ‘experts’ said was impossible.  Why did they make that ‘unexpected upward’ re-re-re-revision?  Because the underlying economic activity represents facts that cannot be denied. The economy is on-the-move.

…”Hold on to your economic britches peeps – throw dem ju-ju bones out the windows – grab hold of the young-un’s, squeeze em tight and introduce them to ‘capitalism unchained’. We are in uncharted MAGA territory now. Q4 will be well beyond 3.2% 3.8%  3.9% 4.0%… Well Beyond.”…

The actual economic activity noted in virtually every region in the U.S. is so strong the polling measures of economic optimism are reaching new records.  Today, as an example, for the first time in their 11 year CNBC All-American Economic Survey  more than half of all Americans responding to the questions rate the economy as good or excellent.  Additionally, nearly 41 percent of Americans say they expect the economy to be better a year from now. These represent the most optimistic results CNBC has ever recorded.
We would be remiss if we didn’t note a specific choice of words used to describe the economic conditions being measured:

…”We’re not measuring a marginal change in the economy, we’re measuring a different economy.”…

Sound familiar?
It should….
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From the State Department:
“The United States faces a 21st century global environment that presents unconventional threats from non-state actors, as well as challenges to our economic and national security from traditional state actors. Whether the threats are rogue nations seeking nuclear weapons, terrorists plotting to attack our homeland, or malicious cyber actors seeking to damage and destabilize our critical systems and infrastructure, we must remain vigilant against those who would do harm to our people and our way of life.”

“President Trump’s new National Security Strategy brings to bear all elements of American power to protect our people, generate new economic opportunities, and advance our interests and democratic principles. The State Department will work closely with other federal agencies and our allies and partners around the world to implement this strategy. ”
~ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
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