CNN is still refusing to retract its false story about Donald Trump and the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Fusion-GPS sponsored Russians, even as the source of the story, Lanny Davis, continues to explain how he misled the network.
The basic issue is that CNN was so hungry to push a narrative, they were willing to promote Davis’s demonstrably false rumor and innuendo as fact; and mislead their audience about the entire construct of their spin.  Embarrassing Bananas.

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

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

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 †

Yesterday we wrote about how the Associated Press was attempting to cloud and obfuscate details (now getting exposed) about DOJ Official Bruce Ohr and his engagements with Fusion-GPS, Glenn Simpson, Christopher Steele and the collaboration with the FBI in their collective political targeting of candidate Donald Trump.
I noted it becomes frustrating because writing hundreds of words to: (1) initially outline, then; (2) describe as the fiasco unfolds with more details surfacing; then (3) affirm the original outline and description with irrefutable evidence; is like writing/reading the same chapter of the same novel over-and-over-and-over… yet no-one in authority makes a single move to indict these bastards because ‘muh institutions‘ must be protected.  I digress…
Here’s the cut-to-the-chase:  Those AP reporters are almost virtually guaranteed to be the same AP reporters that are participants within the Fusion GPS network; and the same AP reporters who collaborate with Andy Weissmann et al. These endless media scribes were willing participants within the 2015/2016/2017 plot, plan and execution; and as such they are clearly acting/writing to protect themselves and their interests.
Today we cue up another brutally obvious example of media collaboration to protect their own interests, where we see the New York Times attempt to engineer yet another narrative and hide a reality that DOJ and FBI officials were conspiring with Russians:

(Read Article Here)

See how the insufferable media now spin the connection between the DOJ/FBI and Oleg Deripaska as the FBI was trying to “flip” the Russian oligarch.
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The Trump Doctrine is easiest to describe as: deploying economic leverage to achieve national security interests.  The Trump Doctrine is unique and stunningly effective.

Many of the geopolitical decisions have multiple facets which connect like small gears on a much larger machine.  One of those small dual-purpose gears is the Doctrine as it is applied to Pakistan.  The downstream moves impact China, our #1 geopolitical and economic adversary, then Russia, and also support new alliances with India and the broader Middle-east.

Toward China = ♦Squeeze #3. In 2017 Trump and Secretary Tillerson, now Secretary Pompeo, put Pakistan on notice they need to get involved in bringing their enabled tribal “extremists” (Taliban) to the table in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s primary investor and economic partner is China. The U.S. removed $900 million in financial support to pressure Pakistan toward a political solution in Afghanistan, China has to fill void.  [NOTE: Last month the World Bank began discussions about a financial bailout for Pakistan.]  Again, more one-way bleed for China. {Go Deep}

When President Trump removed the $900 million in aid to Pakistan, he empowered the Pentagon via Defense Secretary James Mattis, with an option to give $300 million to Pakistan if Mattis felt positive steps were being taken to change behavior.  Today the Pentagon announces no change in behavior is noted:
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U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has submitted a regulatory 90-day notification to congress outlining the intent to modify the U.S. trade deal with Mexico according to mutually agreed terms.
However, the Canadian trade priorities; including retention of protectionist tariffs (dairy) and non-regulatory barriers (telecom/banking); in combination with subsidies (lumber/aeronautics), make Canada joining the deal almost impossible.

Canada is scheduled to meet with Lighthizer again on Wednesday, but it seems very doubtful the political needs for Justin Trudeau would allow any three-way agreement.
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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

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

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 †

Well this is troubling on many levels.  According to a responsive filing from the FISA Court (full pdf below), there wasn’t any hearing on the sketchy FISA application submitted by the DOJ/FBI to conduct FISA Title-1 surveillance on Carter Page.
Even more disturbing, according to the secret court, it is customary to just accept and review the FISA applications as presented without judicial inquiry into the content.

(link to pdf)

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch today announced that in response to a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, the Justice Department (DOJ) admitted in a court filing last night that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court held no hearings on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) spy warrant applications targeting Carter Page, a former Trump campaign part-time advisor who was the subject of four controversial FISA warrants.  (read more)

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Thankfully, it looks like lawful common sense has interceded…

New Mexico – The FBI on Friday announced that it has arrested all five of the New Mexico compound suspects, just days after multiple charges were dropped against those involved. The suspects were charged with violating federal firearms and conspiracy laws.

The announcement comes as local prosecutors dropped charges in the death of a 3-year-old boy at the property. Taos County District Attorney Donald Gallegos said Friday his office will now seek grand jury indictments involving the death. Gallegos said seeking indictments will allow more time to gather evidence.

“The defendants, Jany Leveille, 35, a Haitian national illegally present in the United States, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, Hujrah Wahhaj, 37, Subhanah Wahhaj, 35, and Lucas Morton, 40, are charged in a criminal complaint that was filed earlier today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico,” the bureau said in a statement.
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