Monday February 2nd – Open Thread

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 †

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Warner

In January of 2017 California Senator Dianne Feinstein abdicated her position as Vice-Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).  Upon the initiation of a new congress, and two weeks before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Virginia Senator Mark Warner took the SSCI Vice-Chair seat…. and that’s how things get started.

Amid a concerted effort to resist the incoming administration the Russia Collusion Conspiracy was launched.  Politicians, the U.S. intelligence apparatus and DC beltway media united in common purpose to push a Trump-Russia narrative.

Within the early days of that effort, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence initiated an investigation into Russian interference with the election.  Chairman Richard Burr and Vice-Chair Warner were toasted throughout DC as an example of bipartisan oversight against what House minority leader Nancy Pelosi called a “fraudulent president.”

Sometime in late February/early March 2017 Senator Warner requested a copy of the top secret FISA application used against Carter Page, falsely accusing him of being “an agent of a foreign power.”  Simultaneous to this the FBI was trying to track down the details of dozens of classified intelligence leaks to the media from within the DC system.   FBI Special Agent, Washington DC Field Office, Brian Dugan appears to have been tasked with tracking and identifying intelligence leakers.  Dugan saw an opportunity.

On March 17, 2017, in order to fulfill the request of SSCI Vice-Chairman Mark Warner, Agent Dugan goes to the FISA Court and picks up a copy of the FISA application.  At the time there were only two components: The original application (Oct ’16), and the first renewal (Jan ’17).   The next renewal did not come until April and then again in June.

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Sunday Talks: Deputy AG Responds to Questions About Epstein File Release – Video and Transcript

President Bill Clinton appears in multiple documents throughout the Epstein files.  President Clinton’s former White House Chief of Staff, George Stephanopoulos, questions current Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about the ongoing releases of Epstein information.

Specifically concerning to Stephanopoulos this week is the rushed nature of the 3.5 million-page document release by the DOJ, and victim information.   Last week Stephanopoulos was complaining about the lengthy delays in the release as DOJ officials worked to redact victim information.  WATCH:

[Transcript] – STEPHANOPOULOS: Thanks, Pierre Thomas, for that.  We’re joined now by the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche. Mr. Blanche, thank you for joining us this morning.

As you know, your release on Friday has already received a response from the victims, from Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. I want to show the statement right now. It says, “survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected. This is outrageous. The Justice Department cannot claim it is finishing releasing files until every legally required document is released and every abuser and enabler is fully exposed.”

Will there be more releases?

DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: I mean, look, first of all, we took great pains, as I explained on Friday, to make sure that we protected victims. This was a — we are talking about a review of 3.5 million pieces of paper that were released on Friday.

Every time we hear from a victim or their lawyer that they believe that their name was not properly redacted, we immediately rectified that. And the numbers we’re talking about, just so the American people understand, we’re talking about .001 percent of all the materials. And so — and we knew this. I said this on Friday, that — that, of course, the nature of this type of review was — the volume of materials that were reviewed, that there would be times when this happened. And so we’re working hard to make sure that we fix that. And I expect that that will continue.

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President Trump Delivers Remarks from Mar-a-Lago, Attending Dan Scavino Wedding

President Trump and other guests attend the wedding of Director of Presidential Personnel Dan Scavino to his bride Erin Elmore.  The guest list was a proverbial who’s-who of the MAGA insiders.

In addition to President Trump, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Fox News host Sean Hannity, and more attended the ceremony on a chilly day at Mar-a-Lago. Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancée, Bettina Anderson, ex-wife, Vanessa, and daughter, Kai, were also among the guests. Eric Trump’s wife, Lara, and the president’s daughter, Tiffany, her husband, Michael Boulos, also attended.

President Trump delivers remarks upon arrival (video prompted):

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Sunday Talks – Venezuela Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado Discusses Her Goals and Objectives

President Trump and Secretary Rubio are walking carefully through a process to keep Venezuela stable and authentic to the true intents of the Venezuelan people.  Toward that end, both Trump and Rubio have been very careful with Maria Corina Machado, the exiled opposition leader who claims to be the legitimate voice of the people.

Machado is loved by the United Nations, the American leftists and DC control agents. However, to avoid Machado becoming Venezuela’s Zelenskyy, President Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio are working through a three-stage process that would culminate in secure national elections to coincide with Maria Machado’s return.  If she wins the hearts and minds, she will have legitimacy.

If you listen carefully to her phrases and omissions, you can clearly see where the trepidation from Trump and Rubio comes from.  There are a lot of platitudes and pretenses within Venezuelan politics.  Video and Transcript Below:

[TRANSCRIPT] – MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined now by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, and it is amazing to see you here in person after so long.

MARÍA CORINA MACHADO: Likewise. Thank you very much.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this past week. He said the U.S. now does not intend to have any military action or presence inside Venezuela, except for maybe at a reopened embassy there. Is that a good idea to take that military pressure off when the Maduro regime is effectively still in place?

MACHADO: Well, first of all, I have to say that on behalf of the Venezuelan people, we’re very, very grateful to the American people, and the first hand- first and foremost, to President Trump, to the secretary of state, and also to your leaders in Congress. I mean, the- the degree of support and care that we’ve felt in this fight at this moment is enormous, and I think it is clear on the- on the behalf and well being of the American people, but also of the Venezuelan people, and I would say the whole hemisphere. I do not think that the pressure is being taken away. Actually, everything Delcy Rodríguez is currently doing is because she’s complying with instructions she’s getting from the United States, and important steps are being taken. So I think that the message has been delivered, and so far, we’re seeing the results in the actions taken by the regime, and also in the mood and energy that is growing within the Venezuelan population.

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Discusses Minneapolis Chaos Amid Ongoing ICE Operations

Against the backdrop of President Trump’s instructions to pull back from confrontation with leftist antagonists, Dept of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears on Fox News to discuss what that means to the ongoing immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WATCH:

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Sunday February 1st – Open Thread

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 †

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