In years past I’ve done posts on favorite Christmas gifts, especially those from our childhood, and I will post that later, but this year I have something a little different to talk about as well.
Sometimes we are blessed, in large ways or small, as is the story behind the Christmas Pumpkin, to do something special for someone, something that brings with it a smile and joy to the recipient of your gift, but is an occasion of grace and joy to you as well. Aren’t those the very best Christmas gifts, ones that stay in our memories forever, and pay dividends for all the years to come?
If you guys have been hanging out here at the Tree for more than four years, you remember my grandson Conner. He was born with two holes in his heart, and many of you said prayers for him and his family when he had surgery at Vanderbilt. We still get comments and emails from people who ask for Conner updates! (more…)

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

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

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 †

An interesting tweet from President Trump today with a clearly coded message to North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.  Within the message President Trump notes an ongoing dialogue with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping about Kim’s status.

The hostage negotiations happening against the backdrop of a negotiated ransom, the U.S-China “phase-one” trade agreement:

BEIJING (Reuters) – China will make good on a pledge to purchase more than $40 billion per year of U.S. agricultural products under the recently agreed Phase 1 trade deal between the two countries, China’s top agriculture consultancy said on Friday.

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Within the small group conducting the 2016 FBI investigation of the Trump campaign, the Steele Dossier was called “Crown Material“.  A name relating to Christopher Steele’s British intelligence position. [James Comey testimony to congress]

The “Crown Material” has become more interesting recently against the backdrop of U.S. Attorney John Durham seeking the documents and communication from former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey [SEE HERE] where John Brennan wanted the Crown Material (Steele Dossier) included the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment.
However, there’s a coded email from Lisa Page, on January 10th, 2017, that might prove to be even more valuable for Mr. Durham as he investigates a possible conspiracy therein:

[SOURCE: Page 365 of massive document dump FBI pdf]

Note the highlighted box text in the email from Peter Strzok to members of the small group.

“CNN update – Per Rich, CNN to publish C material today betweeen 4 and 5″

The “C material” is a reference to “Crown Material”, and when put into context of the date and email participants this tells a remarkably explosive story.
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Tonight President Trump will deliver remarks at Joint Base Andrews and sign the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.  Included in the bill are twelve weeks of paid parental leave, initiation funds for the United States Space Force and Southern border wall funding. President Trump will then fly to Florida for the holidays.
Anticipated start time 7:30pm ET.
WH Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream – Fox Business Livestream

Merry Christmas.  The intercept is reporting that former NSA Director, Admiral Mike Rogers, has been working with U.S. Attorney John Durham for several months during his investigation into the origin of the 2016 intelligence operation against candidate Trump.
This is particularly important because NSA Director Mike Rogers’ knowledge is at the epicenter of the origination of almost everything related to the FBI data-surveillance that was happening in 2015 and 2016.
(Via Intercept) Retired Adm. Michael Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency, has been cooperating with the Justice Department’s probe into the origins of the counterintelligence investigation of the Trump presidential campaign’s alleged ties to Russia, according to four people familiar with Rogers’s participation.
Rogers has met the prosecutor leading the probe, Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham, on multiple occasions, according to two people familiar with Rogers’s cooperation.

While the substance of those meetings is not clear, Rogers has cooperated voluntarily, several people with knowledge of the matter said.
Rogers, who retired in May 2018, did not respond to requests for comment.

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The DOJ-NatSec Division and FBI reported issues of fraud upon the FISA court in October and November prior to the IG FISA report release.  Specifically the DOJ notified the FISC that OGC Kevin Clinesmith had manipulated and falsified evidence. On December 5th, Judge Coller responded to that series of notifications with an order.
On December 9th, when the IG FISA report was made public, the FISC was given a declassified version of the report and was able to review for the first time. It was from that IG review that Collyer was able to establish the full context of the fraud upon the court. The court was given no advanced notification as to the totality of fraud upon the FISC other than a preliminary ‘head’s up’ on the OGC Clinesmith compromise.
As a result of the IG report, Collyer told the DOJ to declassify her response of December 5th, because she was going to make it public. Today Collyer released that order.
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This is interesting. Last year Speaker Pelosi used the SOU invite to play out political games against President Trump.  This year, considering the political impeachment effort, I thought she would be likely to replay that scheme; but she didn’t.   This implies the private polling and public sentiment (ie. bbacklash) against her constituent democrats must be much more severe than is currently visible:

Per Hogan Gidley: President Donald J. Trump has accepted the Speaker’s invitation to deliver the State of the Union Address on February 4, 2020.

(more…)

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

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45