Hmmmm….  this is interesting.  The Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, is demanding the FBI and DOJ must keep records from congress.

(Source Link)

According to Mark Warner, it would be “irresponsible” and “potentially illegal” for congressional oversight to keep demanding records from the FBI and DOJ about their spying and surveillance activity against the campaign of Donald Trump… wait, what?

Hmm?… Methinks Senator Mark Warner has a conflict here.

You see, when Dianne Feinstein stepped down as Vice-Chair from the Senate Intel Committee after the 2016 election, it was Mark Warner who took her place.  This puts Warner on the Gang-of-Eight.  Coincidentally, the Gang-of-Eight conduct all oversight over DOJ and FBI covert and counterintelligence operations…. including those covert actions that took place in 2016.   But wait, it gets better….

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DAY#3 – Everyone has a role to play. While President Trump’s ‘killers’ sharpen dragon-slaying strategy, NEC Chairman Larry Kudlow rubs Big Panda’s belly and discusses the optimistic outlook toward the ongoing trade negotiations with China.

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In Part II of the interview chairman cuddle-bunny discusses the issues of intellectual property rights, patents and copyright protections.

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Buried in paragraph 40 of the FBI/DOJ justification article presented by the New York Times on behalf of contributing editors James Comey, Sally Yates, Mary McCord, John Brennan and James Clapper, the oft-used intelligence propaganda outlet attempted to bury the lede:

The F.B.I. obtained phone records and other documents using national security letters — a secret type of subpoena — officials said. And at least one government informant met several times with Mr. Page and Mr. Papadopoulos, current and former officials said. That has become a politically contentious point, with Mr. Trump’s allies questioning whether the F.B.I. was spying on the Trump campaign or trying to entrap campaign officials.  (read more)

In essence what the Deep State apparatchik was/is doing is admitting they conducted a large-scale surveillance operation against their political opposition by weaponizing the most intrusive intelligence gathering capabilities of the federal government.  An admission they denied for the previous 18 months….

And somehow, we are supposed to be ok with this.  Well, that’s their story, and they’re sticking to it.  Ultimately they have no choice.  If the participating members don’t justify their endeavors there’s a strong likelihood of shiny new steel bracelets.

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Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks during a White House summit discussing prison reform.

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[Transcript] 11:41 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Unfortunately, I have to begin by expressing our sadness and heartbreak over the deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas. Just took place moments ago. We’re closely monitoring the situation, and federal authorities are coordinating with local officials. This has been going on too long in our country. Too many years. Too many decades now.

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•At least 9 people killed Friday morning in gunfire at Santa Fe High School. •30 miles south of Houston, Texas. •Area hospitals reported at least a dozen others were injured. •Police arrested a student suspect and detained a second person. •Victims include students and staff. •The attacker was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a pistol, a shotgun and pipe bombs. •Police: “Evidently this guy threw pipe bombs all in there. We don’t know if any of them went off.” •First reports of the shooting came in around 7:45 a.m (local). •School police officer engaged attacker, wounded, shot in shoulder.

•Shooter identified as: 17-year-old Dimitrios (Dimitri) Pagourtzis. •High School junior class. •Member of Greek orthodox church. •Social media profile deleted. •Pictures Here •Pictures Here

KHOU – Local Media Link – CRHON: Houston Chronicle Media Link

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I might be wrong, but this is the first prime-time mention of Stefan Halper I’m aware of:

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Two days prior to the New York Times article outlining an FBI counterintelligence sting operation to infiltrate the Trump campaign I wrote the following:

I have a sneaking suspicion the Machiavellian connections between the U.S. intelligence apparatus and multiple foreign agents/actors, including the work of Stefan Halper in the 2016 presidential election, are only a few days from fully surfacing.  There could be enough sunlight on U.K/U.S. political and intelligence officers to launch multiple investigations.

Well, buckle up, I think today we are going to see and hear much, much more.

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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

National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appeared on Fox Business earlier Thursday to talk about the ongoing U.S. China trade negotiations. Those who follow the Dragon -vs- Panda strategies of China saw earlier yesterday how Chairman Xi Jinping was positioning N-Korea as leverage for the current trade negotiations.

The DPRK dragon-play didn’t work because President Trump knows the dragon’s moves, and predicted their approach from the outset. Remember, POTUS Trump began executing a geopolitical economic strategy toward both North Korea and China well over a year ago. [During the first meeting with Chairman Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago (Feb, 2017)]

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After over a year of discussions and structured way-points, China came into the current round of U.S. trade talks with outstretched steel fists. The line-up they sent to the negotiating table are some of the most loyal and die-hard communist leadership within their economic team.

It is obvious China is in dragon-mode knowing they are dealing with an entirely different administration than they faced before.

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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 †

Gina Haspel was confirmed Thursday as CIA director, becoming the first woman to lead the agency.  The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm President Trump’s nominee, with six Democrats supporting and two Republicans defecting.  (story link)

Director Haspel, whose nomination was endorsed by the Senate Intelligence Committee a day earlier, previously was deputy director and has spent her career with the agency.