On July 21st of this year the United States told China they must close their consulate in Houston, Texas, giving them 72 hours to cease operations and events.

Three days later U.S. federal agents and officials entered the consulate alleging the Chinese government was engaging in espionage targeting U.S. interests.

The activities of consulate officials in Houston “are a microcosm, we believe, of a broader network of individuals in more than 25 cities that network is supported through the consulates here,” a US Justice Department official said Friday. “Consulates have been giving individuals in that network guidance on how to evade [and] obstruct our investigation. And you can infer from that the ability to task that [a] network of associates nationwide.”

In an interesting interview a few days ago, Gordon Chang, expanded on the operation that was taking place from within that consulate. (H/T Cari Kelemen)  WATCH (prompted):

https://youtu.be/Qn4FLJXVfaU?t=773

What Chang outlines is in alignment with what Trump officials have cited as ongoing malign activity by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and speaks to a larger intent by Beijing to influence the 2020 election.

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The New York Times is reporting today on a Friday night visit between President Trump and lawyer Sidney Powell.   According to the Times President Trump’s legal counsel Rudy Giuliani was present via phone conference and White House counsel Pat A. Cipollone represented the office of the President.

There are essentially a few competing approaches still being provided to President Trump for consideration as the White House awaits an important report from Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, on what the DNI has affirmed was “foreign interference in the 2020 election.”

Rudy Giuliani and several members of the formal legal team seem to prefer President Trump using executive order #13848 upon, and as an outcome of, formal findings represented by DNI John Ratcliffe.

Use of that specific XO would make sense as the direct purpose of the 2018 order was targeted toward foreign interference. However, there is no specific information known as to which executive agency would carry out any authority if the issues directly highlight domestic election infrastructure targeting.

The Times reports “[p]art of the White House meeting on Friday night was a discussion about an executive order to take control of voting machines to examine them, according to one of the people briefed.”  However legal advisors to the office of president are unsure if DHS would have authority to impound Dominion ballot machines.  The 2018 executive order would seem to indicate that any office directed by the White House would have authority. This avenue would obviously depend on the DNI final report.

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From an article at Yummly. I’m going with Kentucky on this one. Runners up are Louisiana, Florida, Minnesota, and New Jersey, the state that came closest to knocking Kentucky out of my favorite position.

I am verklempt at Tennessee not having a Jack Daniel’s cookie. I’ll console myself with Gentleman Jack and a slice of Jack Daniel’s cake.

And really, Nebraska and Alaska, sad. You guys need some help.

Sigh. No political comments, and for goodness sakes, why make an even slightly off color comment on a cookie thread? Use some sense, please. If the fun of this thread escapes you then go comment on the other threads. Please.

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

(H/T Gateway Pundit) Russell James Ramsland is the security and intelligence analyst who did the audit of the Dominion ballot counting machines in Antrim county, Michigan.   Tonight on Newsmax Mr. Ramsland stated he suspects further evidence will come forward in the next few days that might “change the playing field.”

Given that many venues for evidence hearings have been shut down, I suspect this “something” relates to the Michigan lawsuit carried by Sidney Powell to the supreme court.  Michigan has until January 14th to respond to the court.

https://youtu.be/Ykjjr8KUgSQ

According to the audit:

“We conclude that the Dominion Voting System is intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results.

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The Democrats certainly appear to have a compromising situation with Chinese spies inside their political network that extends well beyond Representative Eric Swalwell and Senator Dianne Fienstein.   The California delegation of Democrats most certainly has the biggest exposure to having been infiltrated with Chinese operatives.  It is all sketchy.

Think carefully about this part….. As noted in this interview segment Nancy Pelosi is claiming she was briefed on the Chinese spy compromise around Swalwell with McCarthy.  However, simultaneously House Leader Kevin McCarthy states he found out through the media.  Keep in mind McCarthy has only been part of the ‘Gang of Eight’ since Jan 2019 (he as minority leader and Pelosi taking over from Paul Ryan as House Speaker).

A Pelosi briefing prior to 2019 was in her role as Minority leader with Ryan as speaker (Nunes/Schiff as Chair/Ranking on HPSCI). Therefore either Pelosi was briefed outside the Go8 structure, or she is lying about briefing with McCarthy.  While Pelosi is a notorious liar, the former explanation of a defensive briefing seems more likely.

That means U.S. intelligence officials during the Obama administration kept the Swalwell compromise secret and outside the Gang-of-Eight.  Accepting that reality is further evidence the U.S. intel apparatus -writ large- was operating through the prism of politics.

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I respect Dinesh D’Souza.  However, on this issue I also disagree intensely.

The foundation of D’Souza’s reason for why he does not support a new political party, a MAGA or Patriot or (__fill in blank__) party, appears flawed.  By saying a new party would only split the GOP, D’Souza is actually making the argument that creates Battered Conservative Syndrome; the DeceptiCon argument that protects the GOP wing. WATCH:

When the Tea Party rose to power and primaried a host of GOP politicians, it was the Republican party that attacked the conservative base and attempted to destroy the rebellion.  McCain called us “hobbits” and McConnell called us “jihadists.”  The threat from the Tea Party was felt amid the GOP.  The GOP was *not* going to adjust.

Meanwhile Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama destroyed the center of their political party called the Blue Dog coalition, represented by Bart Stupak.  The Blue Dogs were wiped out in 2010 because Democrats forced them into radical left-wing agenda items.

A new party, ie. ‘THE’ new party, would not be a carve out within the Republican club.  A new party would be a coalition party of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.  Need proof of the scale, look at the 2020 election for Trump.  That’s the (fill__blank) party.

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The New York lawsuit against the Trump administration -over disqualification of unlawful aliens in the 2020 election- was dismissed today by the Supreme Court [full pdf here] under procedural grounds.

However, that said, there is a clear indication where the outcome is likely to end-up once the court takes up the case next year.

The high court noted no harm currently exists because the census report hasn’t been delivered to congress to begin the representative apportionment.

The ruling was 6-3 on process, with justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer signing a dissent on the case.  Justice Breyer wanted to fire a shot into the administration by outlining a liberal opinion/perspective of the issue:

…”The plain meaning of the governing statutes, decades of historical practice, and uniform interpretations from all three branches of Government demonstrate that aliens without lawful status cannot be excluded from the decennial census solely on account of that status,” Breyer wrote. “The Government’s effort to remove them from the apportionment base is unlawful, and I believe this Court should say so.”

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec