Flotsam and Jetsam - Biden - Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!

And six more times. Apparently catching both prosecutors and the judge off guard, in the process of selecting a jury, Hunter Biden suddenly changed his tune from innocent to guilty, trying, but maybe not succeeding in constructing Alford pleas, basically stipulating the prosecution has overwhelming evidence, but not admitting guilt. Fox, Hunter Biden pleads guilty to all nine federal tax charges brought by special counsel David Weiss, three felonies and six misdemeanors. Kevin Downey at PJM, Hunter Biden Cops a Plea Deal in Federal Tax Evasion Case. "Joe Biden publicly stated he would not pardon Hunter, but if you believe that, I'd like to sell you Dottoe, my invisible unicorn." OTP, Hunter Biden Guilty On 9 Counts, Sentencing Right Before Christmas, "Hunter's Sentencing Dec. 16; Pardon TBD." Andy McCarthy at NRO, Hunter’s Inevitable Guilty Plea Spares His Father and the Harris Campaign. "“Hunter’s” business was the Biden family business in which Joe was a willing participant — the one person who was in a position to stop it instantly if he opposed it." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed comments "Yes, this definitely makes things less messy for Joe, but that's not even much of an issue any longer. Joe's pretty much retired already, and the family business will collapse because of that more than the prosecution of Hunter. Still, this allows Joe to issue a pardon before he leaves office, and maybe even before the election if Harris decides to start throwing him under the bus." At Da Caller, Jonathan Turley Says He Thinks Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Put Him In ‘Worst Possible Position’ With Plea Switch "Turley, on “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” said delaying this pivot until just before jury selection ensures he will receive minimal advantages from the plea proposal." Capt. Ed, "It's insane ... and pretty emblematic of the Biden allergy to strategic thinking. Martha MacCallum also points out that Hunter is an attorney himself, and Turley amusingly calls this a "collapsing bridge" approach. Watch the whole thing. And his final point about the pending sentencing hearing for the gun conviction is worth remembering." Ace, Hunter Biden Offers to Plead Guilty In His Tax Fraud Case -- But Only If He's Permitted to DENY All Wrongdoing, "So he'll plead guilty while simultaneously maintaining his innocence? I betcha he'll get his way."

Ace, Listen Up, Bigots: Another NeverTrumper Has Yet Another Important "Announcement" For Your Racist Ears "Hey guys -- another NeverTrumper has made yet another Huge Surprise Announcement. "Want to guess which NeverTrumper has made another repetitive announcement? I'll give you a second. Did you guess that Liz Cheney has made the stunning announcement that she's voting for Kamala Harris? If so, well-done, but also, Suck It, Deplorables!"   From OTP, Full Traitor: Liz Cheney Dumps Her Values, Vows To Vote For Kamala Harris. "Cheney Dumps Her Values, Backs Harris", Cheney Had Warned That Cities Would Burn If Kamala Harris Became President and Putin For Harris, Says Kamala’s Laughs Show She’s Soft. Matt Palumbo at Bongino,  Vladimir Putin Endorses Harris 2024. Matt Vespa at TownHall explains Why John McCain's Son Should've Kept His Mouth Shut About Trump's Arlington Visit "since his late father shot a political ad from the 2000 presidential campaign that featured him walking through the cemetery." WokeSpy, McCain Family With Egg on Face After Arlington Revelation. The Populist Times notes Vance Hits Back After Cheney Endorses Democrat Harris "“A very good thing that I could say about the next presidency of Donald J. Trump is that he’s going to make sure people like Liz Cheney are laughed out of the Oval Office instead of rewarded,” Vance told moderator Charlie Kirk." 'Bonchie' at RedState, JD Vance Stirs Controversy With Blistering Critique of Liz Cheney, but Hits on a Very Important Issue, "Kamala Harris and Liz Cheney make very, very interesting partners. They get rich when America's sons and daughters go off to die. They get rich when America loses wars instead of winning wars, and they get rich when America gets weaker in the world. We want American strength, American security, and most importantly, peace."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.06.24 (Morning Edition), Twitchy: Putin Just Threw A Big Ol’ Wrench In The Democrat Plan To Resurrect The Russia Hoax. Stephen Kruiser at PJM thinks The World's Bad Actors Do Not Want Trump to Win in November.

At Twitchy, Kamala Harris Campaign Doesn't Have Time to Think About Why Certain Things May Have Happened, like inflation, border mess etc. NewsMax wonders How Long Can Left Cover For Harris' Mangled Messaging? They can try, but it's pretty much out in the open. PJM's VodkaPundit says Click Here to Read Kamala Harris's Next Flip-Flop Before It Even Happens! "One person she spoke with wanted to go beyond simple reparations. "You should write laws for black people. Don't group us in with everybody else." 2019 Harris nodded and said, "That's right." Here's the clip:" Ace, Kamala Harris in 2019: Why Yes, I Believe There Should Be a Separate Legal Code for Black People Only. "Kamala Harris race-pandered in her usual clumsy, grasping, extremist way by agreeing with a black voter that yes, Black People Need Their Own Separate-But-Unequal Legal System." End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "You should write laws for black people. Don't group us in with everybody else." Kamala Harris, nodding: "That's right"   Ashe Schow at DaWire notes Kamala’s Tough Talk On Immigration At Odds With Previous Statements: ‘Detainers Are Not Mandatory’. TP Jeffery, Would Harris Secure the Border That Biden Did Not? Hat Hair's John Sexton reads WaPoo's Chris Cillizza so you don't have to; Does Kamala Harris Have Any Actual Beliefs? Other than endorsing whatever is current leftist orthodoxy? No. Steven Cheung@TheStevenCheung, "SCOOP: the @KamalaHarris campaign has told people at the rally they can’t leave because the busses they used to bus people in from out of state are not operational for another 30 minutes. The announcement just came over the speakers at the rally and the crowd, already waiting in line, cried, “NOOOOO!”" Bwaahaha!  NYPo's Michael Goodwin fears Feckless Biden and Kamala have thrown Israel to the wolves with their ignorance and betrayal

Nick Arama at RedState, Whoops: Report That Harris Team Regrets Not Picking Shapiro, As Nate Silver Has More Bad News for Them. Meanwhile, Tim Walz was caught in another fib, from the Free Bacon, ‘He Did Not Complete the Degree Program’: Tim Walz Repeatedly Claimed He Was ‘Nearly Finished’ With Doctorate Years After He Disappeared from University. "Walz was only enrolled at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota until 2004 but said until 2011 that he was close to getting his doctorate." If he becomes Veep, I'm sure they'll give him an honorary. Mary Chastain at LI, Walz, Sen. Tina Smith Use Bakery That Closed During His COVID Crackdown to ‘Own’ Vance. "Maybe don’t use a business that closed its storefront shop during COVID." Capt. Ed comments "There's some debate whether Daube's storefront closed (their bakery remains in operation) because of Walz' lockdown policies or whether it was just a coincidence. But this is beyond stupid, especially since there are other donut shops in the Twin Cities." Mmmm, donuts! Also at the Free Bacon, House Panel Subpoenas Gov. Walz in Investigation of 'Massive' Pandemic Fraud Scheme in Minnesota. Nick Arama, YIKES: Tim Walz's Remarks About Gaza Just Revealed Why They Don't Want Him Answering Questions. 

OTP, Jobs Killer Kamala: Lowest Jobs Creation Since Trump Left. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "JUST IN: President Biden admits that the 'Inflation Reduction Act' was not actually about inflation after he started ranting without the teleprompter. Holy sh*t. . . ."  Mary Chastain, Biden Admits Inflation Reduction Act was a Climate Change Law. "Thanks for admitting something we all knew!" From the Western Journal, Watch: Smirking Biden Ignores Reporters Until Handler Escorts Him from Room. "Without a script, Biden is rudderless."

Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok "BREAKING: Newly obtained documents reveal city officials, the CO AG, FBI, and DHS, knew of the Venzualan gang takeover of apartment buildings in Aurora for WEEKS and did nothing. Not only did they do nothing but they actively gaslit the public that it wasn't true and there was no safety risk. The property manager himself was told not show up at the properties because it was too dangerous." Althouse finds "For some of the schools, the migrants coming here has been a godsend because we’ve lost so many other kids." ""Some schools were being threatened with whether we’re going to be able to keep the doors open. I push back on a lot of the kind of negative politics that people talk about with migrants. This is a city of immigrants. I mean, that’s the uniqueness of New York. We never make it easy for immigrants who are coming. But they find their way. And the same thing is going to happen here." Said David C. Banks, quoted in "Migrants Have Been a ‘Godsend,’ New York Schools Chief Says/In an interview, Chancellor David C. Banks said migrants had helped schools that were bleeding students. He also promised a big new role for artificial intelligence" (NYT)."

 Capt. Ed, Kamala Caves ... And Plays 'Let Me Speak' Card Anyway. Matt Margolis, Excuse Me? ABC News May Change Rules of Debate to Help Kamala Harris. "The network, according to the source familiar, has offered assurances to the Harris campaign that if there is significant cross talk between Harris and Trump, it may choose to turn on the mics so that the public can understand what is happening, the moderator would discourage either candidate from interrupting constantly and the moderator would also work to explain to viewers what is being said. Pool reporters, who can report on what they hear both sides saying, will also be in the room, the source added." Nick Arama, Hold on - Is Kamala Trying to Change Debate Rules AGAIN, Even As She's Struggling in Debate Prep. Ace, Kamala Harris Demands That ABC Un-Mute the Mics In Debate With Trump, and Gets "Assurances" from the Leftwing Propaganda Network Led by Bill Clinton's Chief Media Spinner. ""Assurances." I think this is sinister, and will tell you why in a bit." Althouse, A NYT article I'd be more interested in reading if my search of the page had turned up one name — Donna Brazile. "The article: "Trump Questions Fairness of Next Week’s Debate at a Town Hall/Former President Donald J. Trump, at a Fox News event, insisted without evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris was 'going to get the questions in advance.'"" "Of course, we all expect ABC to frame questions that will not trap or unduly challenge Kamala Harris. The only check on that behavior is that at some point, the coddling is obvious and invites mockery." Newt Gingrich writes of Tailwinds, Headwinds, and the 2024 Presidential Debate. From Da Caller, Millions Could Miss Trump, Harris Debate As ABC Feuds With Major TV Provider. DirecTV. Matt Vespa thinks There Was One Slight Problem With Fox News' Town Hall Event With Trump. Crowd was too rowdy!

At OTP, Polling Guru Nate Silver Says Trump Has 58.2% Chance Of Winning. Slightly better than a coin toss. Capt. Ed cites Emerson, National Poll Tightens After Conventions to Virtual Tie, "This is a small amount of movement in one poll, but it's still in the wrong direction for Harris. The RCP aggregate still has her up 1.8 points with the Emerson data included, but the upward momentum has halted." Matt Margolis finds  Election ‘Nostradamus’ Predicts Kamala Victory, but There’s a HUGE Problem. Prediction systems work until they don't. The Populist Times claims Donald Trump Narrowly Leads Harris in Michigan. Breitbart cites a WSJ Analysis: Kamala Harris Fails to Erase Donald Trump’s Gains Among Black, Latino, Young Voters. NewsMax, Fmr California Dem Senator Flips to Republican, Endorses Trump, Gloria Romero. Capt, Ed adds "Romero apparently came to Trump through RFK, whom Romero called her 'personal hero.' Her main issues are education and school choice, a topic that has not gotten enough attention yet from Team Trump. With Walz on the ticket, though, education reform should be a significant issue, especially in trying to woo urban voters." WpkeSpy, Barack Obama’s Brother Malik Endorses Trump 2024. Mark Lewis at TownHall says 2024 Is Beginning to Smell Like 1980. Ben Domenech, No, Republicans don’t win by losing "Without fail, in every cycle, some media commentator will pen a ludicrous piece about why Republicans should want to lose. They follow a similar, all-too-familiar script: if the Democrat wins the presidency, they will be restrained by the power of the Congress and the Courts from advancing a truly radical agenda; historically, their victory will lead to a sizable midterm backlash setting up for a better election the next time around; and the sooner the GOP rids itself of the baggage at the top of the ticket, the sooner it can elevate younger rising stars who haven’t been thoroughly villainized yet by the national media. This argument is bunk — and the author is usually not stupid enough to actually believe it themselves."  WokeSpy, Donald Trump To Create Government Efficiency Commission With Elon Musk If Elected. At NYPo, Trump rips ‘deeply sick’ Dems for sympathizing with terrorists during virtual Republican Jewish Coalition appearance. 

Da Wire reports All 15 Arizona Counties Sued For Failing To Remove Illegal Aliens From Voter Rolls. Brianna Lyman at Da Fed, Biden Admin Dismisses Noncitizen Voting Because It’s ‘Already Illegal’ (Just Like Shoplifting And Drunk Driving).

Matt Margolis, We Have Explosive New Whistleblower Revelations About the Trump Assassination Attempt. 'Becca Downs at TownHall, We're Learning More About Trump's PA Rally Security...and the Revelations Are Damning. Cami Mondeaux at WaEx, House panel investigating Trump shooting presses local law enforcement for transcribed interviews. Twitchy, WHOA: Jesse Watters and Josh Hawley Reveal More SHOCKING Trump Shooting Facts From Whistleblowers. Sundance at CTH, Whistleblower Tells Senator Josh Hawley About Sketchy DHS Operations to Guard President Trump from Assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania. Ace puts it out there in the title, Josh Hawley: Most of Trump's "Secret Service Agents" Were Non-SS Homeland Security Employees Whose "Training" to Protect a President Was an Two-Hour-Long Webinar ""A two hour long Zoom "training." And get this -- the sound didn't even work for parts of this elite-level "training."" Althouse, "Former President Donald Trump’s youngest child, Barron Trump, was spotted arriving at New York University Wednesday to kick off his first day of college life." "The New York Post reports, ending the mystery of where Barron Trump would be going for college. "The towering 18-year-old was flanked by Secret Service agents as he stepped onto the downtown Manhattan campus with a black Swiss Gear backpack casually slung over his shoulder.""

Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "BREAKING: Fani Willis shows up on the side of the road with her "ex" *Nathan Wade* after her daughter was arrested for a suspended license. You literally can't make this up. New bodycam footage shows Willis with Wade, a man who she claimed she was no longer in a relationship with, on police bodycam footage. Willis' pregnant daughter Kinaya Willis was arrested in Tyrone, Georgia for driving with a suspended license last week. Willis came under fire for her improper relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Willis claimed their relationship ended years ago." NYPo, Embattled Georgia DA Fani Willis showed up to site of daughter’s arrest with prosecutor lover long after pair claimed affair ended, bodycam footage shows. At Ace's Quick Hits "Fani Willis was caught on a cop's bodycam trying to argue her daughter out of a ticket, and surprise surprise! Who was with her? None but Darrius "Sweetdick" Honeycum, the guy she claimed totally wasn't banging her any more during the hearing to determine if she should be removed from the Trump case."

Da Caller, ‘We’re In Banana Republic Land’: Alan Dershowitz Says Judge Should Delay Trump Sentencing. Bob Spencer at PJM, Secret Video: Manhattan Attorney’s Office Spokesman Says Bragg’s Case Against Trump is ‘Nonsense’ "Nicholas Biase, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office’s chief spokesman, didn’t mean to out Bragg as a corrupt, politically motivated destroyer of our legal system. He did so in a private conversation with a woman who turned out to be an undercover operative for podcaster Steven Crowder. Instead of impressing his date, Biase ended up on Crowder’s “Mug Club,” ripping into his boss in front of the whole aghast world."

From WaEx, Trump enters not guilty plea in DC 2020 election superseding indictment. OTP, J6 Judge Wants To Jumpstart Case As Election Looms "Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a string of court deadlines on Donald Trump that will occur throughout the next two months, putting a renewed focus on the former president’s election interference charges in the final weeks of his presidential campaign."Byron York@ByronYork "Thread. Lawfare goes on." Quote Zoe Tillman@ZoeTillman, "Hello on this stunning September morning from the DC federal courthouse, where Judge Tanya Chutkan is holding the first hearing in the Trump case since SCOTUS kicked it back to her. Trump won't be here. Waiting to see what kind of schedule Chutkan will set for the next round of fights over the future of the indictment https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/.

Ace, FBI Officials Questioned the Need for the Mar-a-Lago Raid, and the Political Biases of the DOJ Prosecutor So "Aggressively" Pursuing This Nothing of a "Case." "I thought maybe I could say this might be political tea leaves -- the Deep State is coming to grips with the possibility that it might not be able to rig this one, so people are starting to pipe up to say "I was against all this." Maybe they're starting to think about who will be in charge of the DOJ and FBI in January, and who won't be, and who will no longer have the power to protect them. But I think that might be a stretch. This is from NBC, so of course it's slanted to present the people questioning the Democrat Party donations of the DOJ lawyer pushing this as the unreasonable, politicized people. It's interesting, though."

Cutie Pavlich, DOJ Just Made an Announcement About Russia and the Election. Does Anyone Believe Them? Semafor, Blaze fires contributor linked to alleged Russian operation. Capt. Ed adds, "Neither of them were named in the indictment, but it did apparently reference Tenet Media's mission statement without explicitly identifying them. Tim Pool issued a statement late yesterday distancing himself from Tenet, and says that if the allegations are true, then he was victimized by the scheme." Sarah Hoyt, The Psyop Inside the Psyop.

Sundance, Known Wolf – FBI States They Were Aware of Threats from 14-Year-Old Georgia School Shooter, Colt Gray. The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee "FBI Assures Public The Next Ten Mass Shooters Are Also On Their Radar https://buff.ly/4cT1Mvk"

Misty Severt at JTN, January 6 defendant receives first reduced sentence after Supreme Court ruling, "U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper re-sentenced Thomas Robertson in his January 6 case to six years in prison, instead of just over seven years."

Althouse, I'm going to have to give my "things not believed" tag to this WaPo story about why Alexa said "I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate"... "... when it was asked "Why should I vote for Donald Trump," but, when asked "Why should I vote for Kamala Harris," said..." Ben Shapiro at Da Wire, Will Kamala Go After Elon With The Law? If she can. Stephen Miller at Spec World, Brazil is showing a Harris administration how to de-platform Twitter/X. "Harris and Walz have voiced support for such action many times." Mary Chastain at LI, 2019: Kamala Harris Promised to Weaponize DOJ Against Social Media to Fight Misinformation, “We will hold social media platforms accountable for the hate, infiltrating their platforms because they have a responsibility to help fight against this threat to our democracy.” PLM's Kevin Downey, Stand Up America! This Is What Will Happen if Kamala Harris Wins, Part 1: Free Speech Is Toast. At NewsMax, Betsey McCaughey opines Harris Wants to Take All Freedoms Away, except abortion. 

From Da Caller, old snakehead James Carville Suggests Fact-Checkers Abandon ‘Impartial’ Reporting ‘To Help Save Constitution’ From ‘Republicans’. Matt Vespa, No, Associated Press, JD Vance Didn't Say That About the Georgia School Shooting. The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Am Great, says The Media Lies Add Up. "For some nine years, the media and the left have successfully fed the country a succession of rank deceptions and conspiracies." Tim Graham, Media Bias Makes It Easier To Run a 'Flawless' Campaign, but only for Democrats. 

Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw is mortified that Zuck's Meta Decided 'From the River to the Sea' Wasn't Hate Speech. From Campus Reform, MIT anti-Israel activists spread map of Jewish orgs they want to ‘dismantle,’ provoking condemnation from MIT. From the Free Bacon, Chaos at Columbia: Pro-Hamas Students Block Entry To Campus, Vandalize Statue on First Day of Classes, "New ‘actionist’ group, Unity of Fields, vows to bring violence to America."

Robby Starbuck@robbystarbuck. "Big news: Last week I messaged executives from @CoorsLight @MolsonCoors to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. Today they’re preemptively making changes. Here are the changes: • Ending participation in the @HRC’s woke Corporate Equality Index social credit system.. . . " WokeSpy, Molson Coors Says “Woke No More” In DEI Policy Shift. 

From the College Fix, ‘Plagiarism is plagiarism’ says scholar whose work was lifted by critical race theorist Robin DiAngelo. Just think it as reparations. Hey, at least somebody is reading your shit. 

Tristan Justice at Da Fed warns California Law Mandating Indoctrination Of Students On Climate Change Goes Into Effect This Year. It's been unmandated for years. 

PJM's Chris Queen thinks United Methodist Church's New LGBTQ Heritage Center Reveals a Denomination That's Too Far Gone.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Is It October Yet? up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.2024-08-31/trump-court-filing-in-2020-election-indictment-preps-new-attacks?srnd=undefined

Russiagate, Rerereclaiming My Time

It's been a while, and there's been a reasonable amount of material caught in the drain. Let's check it out.

From Kash's Korner at ET, More Indictments Are Coming; Unraveling the Origins of the Russia Collusion Hoax

“When you issue an indictment for lying to the FBI, like they did [Michael] Sussmann, it’s two to five pages max. It’s unheard of to be 27 pages. So why put all that information out there?” It’s “the biggest signal that more is coming,” says Kash Patel.

I've heard that argument before. I hope it's right.  Kash Patel to Newsmax: Durham's Subpoenas Show He's Following the Money. And the money flowed from the Clinton campaign through Perkins Coie to Steel and his phony sources, Nellie Ohr and lots of other malefactors. At Da Blaze, Special Counsel John Durham investigating Pentagon cybersecurity contractors in Russiagate origins probe, and Per Paul Sperry at RCI, Durham Probes Pentagon Computer Contractors in Anti-Trump Conspiracy

Durham is investigating whether they were involved in a scheme to misuse sensitive, nonpublic Internet data, which they had access to through their government contracts, to dredge up derogatory information on Trump on behalf of the Clinton campaign in 2016 and again in 2017, sources say — political dirt that sent FBI investigators on a wild goose chase. Prosecutors are also investigating whether some of the data presented to the FBI was faked or forged.

George Perry at Am Spec speculates about  John Durham and the Mysterious DNC Email Hack "If as is likely the DNC’s server wasn’t hacked by the Russians, who was behind the inside job and why?" You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!

Why would the DNC, the purported victim of a crime, refuse to fully cooperate with law enforcement in solving that crime? Was it hiding something? Was it afraid the server’s contents would discredit the Russia-hacking story? Why, instead of full and complete cooperation with the FBI, was the DNC having CrowdStrike and Perkins Coie run the investigation and, in effect, filter and control the flow of information regarding the server’s contents to the FBI?

The answers to those questions began to emerge thanks to an article in the August 8, 2017 issue of the Nation. By no means a pro-Trump publication, the Nation published an exhaustive report about an exacting forensic investigation of the DNC hack by the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), an organization of former CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, and military intelligence officers, technical experts, and analysts.
. . .
VIPS concluded that the DNC data were not hacked by the Russians or anyone else accessing the server over the internet. Instead, the data were downloaded by means of a thumb drive or similar portable storage device physically attached to the DNC server.

How was this determined? The time stamps contained in the released computer files’ metadata established that at 6:45 P.M. on July 5, 2016, 1,976 megabytes (not megabits) of data were downloaded from the DNC’s server. This took 87 seconds, which means the transfer rate was 22.7 megabytes per second, a speed, according to VIPS, that “is much faster than what is physically possible with a hack.” Such a speed could be accomplished only by direct connection of a portable storage device to the server. Accordingly, VIPS concluded that the DNC data theft was an inside job by someone with physical access to the server.

VIPS also found that, if there had been a hack, the NSA would have a record of it that could quickly be retrieved and produced. But no such evidence has been forthcoming. Can this be because no hack occurred?

Roger L. Simon. To Save America, Durham Must Reveal The Whole Russiagate Story And Punish the Guilty. Unfortunately, I still doubt Durham's ability get get convictions in a DC or NoVa courtroom. Still, airing the facts would be helpful. Watch Merrick Garland suppress that.

HE recites the facts that show Efforts to Spread Trump Russia Hoax Went Beyond FBI, CIA to Senate. McCain and Romney were up to their necks in them. Paul Sperry at Am Great, Biden Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Tied to Alleged 2016 Clinton Scheme to Co-Opt the CIA and FBI to Tar Trump, "The ties between Joe Biden and Jake Sullivan, the White House Security Adviser now indicted by John Durham’s grand jury." I don't see where Sullivan was actually "indicted" in court. But he should be.

From NYPo, Ex-NSC official admits it unlikely Russia had blackmail info on Trump. Fiona Hill. 

Kaelen Deese at WaEx, Adam Schiff claims Robert Mueller suffering 'heartbreaking' cognitive decline. Yep, it was elder abuse to put him up on the stand in front of Congress. Not to mention the Andy Weissman and his cohorts were actually running the operation. More at the Western Journal, Schiff Knew Mueller Was Suffering from Cognitive Decline, Decided to Dumb Down Questions Instead of Dismissing Him. Even with simple questions, he didn't seem to have the answers they were looking for.

JC Adams at PJ Media, The Mob Attacking Trump's Lawyer Is More Dangerous Than Anything John Eastman Is Accused of Doing. His crime? Defending the, in their minds) indefensible. 

Russiagate Deep in the Woods File

A little cleanup in the Flynn aisle from sundance at CTH, Flynn Case Update: Defense, DOJ and Amicus Agree on Expedited Resolution Schedule…

The DOJ and Michael Flynn defense attorney Sidney Powell have filed a joint status report and motion for expedited hearing with Judge Emmet Sullivan. [pdf available here] According to the filing the DOJ and defense have conferred with the Sullivan appointed amicus (Gleeson) who will respond to the motion to dismiss by September 11th.

Following the Sept. 11th amicus briefing, the DOJ and defense will jointly respond and that should end the need for further briefings and replies. As a consequence the proposed date for court appearance, and hopeful final disposition, are: Sept: 23, 24, 28, 29.

The good news is that it's getting done, the bad news is that the "amicus", Sullivan's hand picked persecutor is still in the mix. DOJ should have the last word on whether someone should or should not be prosecuted.

Alex Nitzberg at JTN,  DNI Ratcliffe accuses Democrats of creating misleading intelligence document, "The Democrat memo 'by no means reflects the full and complete analysis of the IC," Ratcliffe explained." Now why would they do that?

Also from sundance, Expanded or Targeted Investigative Review of Special Counsel?…

Red State has a good article expanding consideration of the Sara Carter exclusive this week surrounding a recent DOJ and FBI admission to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the special counsel, Andrew Weissmann, “recreating” the original Woods File to support the June 29, 2017, Carter Page FISA application.

[Red State Here -AND- Sara Carter Here]

In essence the questions are: why would the special counsel need to re-create a file? And if so what would be the purpose behind “losing” their original?

However, CTH would add an overlaying question: What investigative event would precipitate the DOJ approaching the FBI to inquire about investigative “files” secured and handled by the special counsel?….. Such that the SSCI would need to be brought into the information pipeline recently.

I've already linked the Sara Carter article, but the Red State article from 'shipwreckedcrew' is a doozy. Did Mueller Prosecutors Know of Problems With Carter Page FISA, Approved It Anyway, and Later “Recreated” The “Woods File” To Cover Up The Misconduct? Magic 8-Ball says likely.

What that footnote suggests but doesn’t make explicit is that the FBI agents who sought the third extension were working for the SCO when the decision was made to seek the third extension — i.e., if the SCO had not wanted the third extension, no such effort would have been made. There is NO suggestion that anyone at FBI HQ or DOJ — separate from the SCO — commanded that the third application be made to extend the FISA warrant.

And this brings us to a critical issue — did SCO review the original application and first two extensions, compare the allegations in the applications against the Woods File, and realize the scope of the problems? Were these problems known before the third extension was sought under the authority of the SCO?

How does the Woods File — stored electronically in the FBI’s Sentinel database — get “lost”? And at what point in time did the SCO decide it was necessary to “reconstruct” a replacement Woods File by reverse engineering it through analyzing the applications to determine the specific factual allegations needed source documentation — other than the Steele Memos — in order to justify their inclusion in the third application to extend.

Was the ACTUAL Woods File so lacking — or so dependent on the allegations of the Steele Memos — that someone in the SCO realized it was a “ticking time bomb” waiting to be uncovered once an authorized investigator was given the responsibility to sort things out?
. . .
To COVER ALL THIS UP after the Mueller Prosecutors had signed off on seeking the third extension, the cut loose Clinesmith in the Report because they knew by that time of his falsification of the CIA email, the Mueller Prosecutors then “reverse engineered” the Woods File so it would appear to have been much more complete than it had been when the third extension was approved by the Mueller Prosecutors. It is impossible to know now whether the “recreated” Woods File is a “fair and accurate” representation of the Woods File as it existed in June 2017 when the Mueller Prosecutors approved the third application for a FISA extension.

COVER UP.

Once again demonstrating the Mueller team was a team of failed political assassins.

Nick Arama, Red State, Peter Strzok Promotes Debunked Atlantic Story Against Trump, But Gets Dropped on His Head by the White House

Are you going to try to frame me for a crime I didn’t commit, too?

Give my best to Lisa. https://t.co/0MdKBxCDlL

— Brian Morgenstern (@BMorgenstern45) September 4, 2020

and via Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.04.20, Jeff Dunetz at da The Lid: People Must Stop Defending John McCain – He Ended His Career As A Jerk & Started Russiagate

John McCain was a war hero. But he wasn’t a senate hero. At the end of his senate career, the Senator crapped all over his conservative colleagues like Senators Paul and Cruz. He disparaged Sarah Palin in his book saying he regretted not picking Joe Lieberman instead of her. He actually said that. Despite the fact that by that time he knew that Palin destroyed her political career by becoming his running mate. In one of his last acts as a senator, he changed his vote at the last minute and blocked the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. But McCain’s worst move of all was starting the process that became the Russia hoax. . . .

Fox, Hunter Biden's deals 'served' China and its military, new documentary claims. Of Course. Whatever China does, it does for the good of the CCP and the Chinese military.

The 41-minute documentary is narrated by best-selling writer Peter Schweizer, who authored 2015’s “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich” and has previously written about Hunter’s business dealings in China.

It is being shown online by the BlazeTV network, which on Thursday finished posting it to YouTube in six segments.

Also, Republicans want AG to determine whether Pelosi committed criminal act for ripping up Trump speech

The GOP lawmakers believe Pelosi could have violated 18 U.S.C. § 2071 which deals with the mutilation of official federal records and sets a criminal penalty of destroying documents of up to three years in prison.

The allegation against Pelosi isn't new. Immediately following the State of the Union, some conservative figures charged that Pelosi may have broken the law by ripping up her copy of Trump's speech. Now, the lawmakers say they want this issue finally resolved.

OK, it's kind of silly, but it's not like they wouldn't use it to impeach Trump (again) if they could.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.

Russiagate: Ratcliffe Rules

DNI John Ratcliffe dominates this episode of Russiagate. When he was selected as the permanent replacement for Rick Grenell, I only hoped he could be half as effective. But he has exceeded beyond my expectations. Dan Payne at JTN, DNI Ratcliffe informs Congress that election security briefings will now be given in written form

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe informed senators and representatives on Friday that election security briefings, previously given to Congress in person, will between now and the November elections be delivered in written form.

The letter, which was sent on Friday and declassified on Saturday afternoon, notes that the intelligence community has given Congress dozens of briefings on election security over the past two years.

"While many of these engagements and products have been successful and productive, others have been less so," Ratcliffe wrote in the document.

"In order to ensure clarity and consistency across the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's ... engagements with Congress on elections," Ratcliffe continued, "the ODNI will primary meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products."

Ratcliffe said the move will help ensure that intelligence information is neither "misunderstood nor politicized," and that the new protocol will "protect our sources and methods and most sensitive intelligence from additional unauthorized disclosures or misuse."

Democrats on Saturday evening slammed the decision. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wrote on Twitter that the move represented "a shocking abdication of [ODNI's] responsibility to keep Congress informed."

Jordan Davis, Da Fed,  New Director Of National Intelligence: Congress Illegally Leaks Classified Intel So Much I’m Cutting Them Off

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe joined Maria Bartimoro on “Sunday Morning Futures” today to discuss new intelligence briefing procedures for Congress on security threats like China.

“We’ve had a pandemic of information being leaked out of the intelligence community and I’m going to take the measures to make sure that that stops,” Ratcliffe said.

In his first interview since he was sworn into office, Ratcliffe explained that an increasing number of leaks by Congress for “political purposes,” such as promoting Russian collusion, have motivated him to change to only giving limited or written briefings for those “who are entitled to it.”

“We’ll do what’s required by law. Those members who are entitled to the briefings and classified information will still get that information,” Ratcliffe assured. “What we won’t be doing is all-member briefings. We’ve tried that and the information hasn’t been protected.”

According to Ratcliffe, many of the politicians leaking information want to “create a narrative that simply isn’t true, that somehow Russia is a greater national security threat than China.”

“I don’t mean to minimize Russia. They are a serious national security threat, but day in, day out, the threats that we face from China are significantly greater,” Ratcliffe said. “Anyone who says otherwise is just politicizing intelligence for their own narrative.”

“China is the greatest threat that we face,” he added.

Sundance at CTH has the video: Sunday Talks – DNI John Ratcliffe Extensive Interview….



Jerry Dunleavy, John Ratcliffe says he has filed 'crimes reports' over leaks of classified intelligence

Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who has overseen the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies since May, also defended his decision to shift election security briefings from in-person to in writing over concerns about leaks and politicization during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News.

“There are investigations” into potentially illegal leaks and that “I know that because I’ve made a number of what are called crimes reports in connection since I’ve been the DNI," Ratcliffe said. "When I become aware of intelligence community information that is disclosed unlawfully, I do what’s called a crimes report — I’ve done that now on a number of occasions, and so those investigations are moving forward.”

The "timing of any prosecutions," he said, "would be something that the FBI would have to address, and I think that they will down the road.”

also, John Ratcliffe says he is coordinating with John Durham and plans to declassify more documents soon

“We’ve actually, for several months, been coordinating with his team of folks to make sure that he has access to all of the intelligence community documents that he needs,” Ratcliffe said of Durham. “He’s looking at the same, some of the same documents that I am, and so our work is running on parallel paths. Now, his is a criminal investigation, and he’s not sharing his findings or the work that he’s doing, but I’m coordinating with him to make sure that he has the intelligence documents that he needs to do his work, and what I don’t want to do is declassify something that might prejudice his work, so we’re going to have to coordinate as we go forward the completion of his work with my ability to declassify documents, and so we’ve communicated along those lines.”

and from Chuck Ross at Da Caller, Ratcliffe Says He Is Coordinating With John Durham, Plans To Declassify More Trump-Russia Documents. That'll piss off the Democrats, not that they need more.

“I’m coordinating with him to make sure that he has the intelligence documents that he needs to do his work, and what I don’t want to do is declassify something that might prejudice his work so we’re going to have to coordinate as we go forward,” said Ratcliffe, a former U.S. congressman from Texas.

Ric Grenell thinks Ratcliffe is hunky and dory too, Sundance, Sunday Talks – Richard “Ric” Grenell Discusses DNI Ratcliffe’s Challenges and Security Leaks…



But wait, there is other news, Rowan Scarborough at WaEx, McCain associate planned anti-Trump leaks to Washington Post columnist. McCain might have been a little shit, but he was our little shit.

And Politico worries about 5 ways Steve Bannon could beat the rap. But, he could just be innocent, and this is a set up by the SDNY persecutors to smear a Trump ally.

Russiagate: Flynn Back in Court

Well, the Flynn defense team, the DOJ and Judge Sullivan's super special off the books prosecutorial team got their day in court yesterday, arguing as to whether the appeals court should accept Flynn's Writ of Mandamus and order Sullivan to dismiss the charges against Flynn forthwith. But first, from John Solomon at JTN, In new filing, Flynn's lawyers say judge 'exceeded his power' in not dismissing case  "The judge 'has no authority to gin up his own case or controversy where none exists.' " Well, he does if there is a Republican in the White House.  "Shipwreckedcrew" from Red State has some criticisms of the original Flynn prosecutor, Van Crack: Flynn Prosecutor Van Grack’s Inexperience Showed in His Drafting of Important Case Documents "I can’t see anything in Van Grack’s career at Justice that suggests he was ever a talented — or even competent — trial lawyer." Well, he's succeeded in tying Flynn up in court for 3 years.

THREAD: W/ lots of folks tuning in tomorrow to listen to the oral argument in the Flynn case, I thought I'd give a primer for what to expect. (Turning off comments until the end to keep the thread uninterrupted.) So, remember this is not an appeal.

— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) June 11, 2020

Now, about that hearing, which you can hear here Audio of DC Circuit Court Oral Arguments – Judge Emmet Sullivan -vs- Michael Flynn, from Sundance, from Sundance

Sundance, DOJ Spokesperson Kerri Kupec Discusses DOJ Position on Flynn Case…



And how did it go? Ace, Two of the Judges in Sullivan Hearing Appear Relunctant to Stop the Rogue Judge's Calvinball Inquisition "The judges are the ones appointed by Obama (of course) and George H.W. Bush (also of course).". Sundance elaborates in Understanding Likelihood of DC Circuit Denying Petition for Writ of Mandamus….

After listening to oral arguments in the DC Circuit Court for the Flynn petition for a Writ of Mandamus (appeals court intervention); it seems very likely the panel of three judges will deny the Flynn defense and DOJ request, here’s why….

For the past decade CTH has been accurate in predicting these judicial events based on one overarching principle. The issues at hand are political arguments being made in the sphere of legal proceedings. As a consequence, all judicial proceeding continue -regardless of legal merit- until such time as they run into the final barrier of legal standing.

This same principle played out in the George Zimmerman case (Trayvon Martin). This same principle played out in the Baltimore Six case (Freddie Gray). A modified version of this principle played out in the Darren Wilson case (Michael Brown).

In the assembly of each prosecution there was no legal basis for the underlying case to proceed into the judicial branch, and yet those proceedings continued. They continued because the case travel is based on politics, not law. This is the essence of Lawfare. . . .

But "shipwreckedcrew" who in the previous piece admitted to being a former prosecutor, and I think is a better legal analyist than sundance, says not to worry about the probing questions and disagrees, Analysis of Oral Argument in the Circuit Court of Appeals in Flynn Case — Flynn Wins

Finally, I think Judge Henderson showed her cards with her very last question posed to Dep. SG Wall at the very end of the hearing. She prefaced the question by saying that she wanted to ask about something not raised in the briefing — which is unusual. She said that it seems to her that the “misconduct” by DOJ that is reflected in the motion seemed to be misconduct in the past — which I took to mean a reference to the SCO’s handling of the matter. She said that when that is the case, is there any purpose served by the Art. III judiciary standing in the way of the Art. II Executive’s effort to “self-correct” its own prior misconduct.

I tweeted that that moment “There it is. HENDERSON GETS TO IT AT THE VERY END.”

I think she set up two moves on her part with her statements and her questions, and not wanting to be needlessly critical of Judge Sullivan. She hid her play by holding this to the very last moment. As the most senior Judge in a 2-1 decision with Rao, she will write the opinion. I think she’s going to say the standard to guide a district court’s Rule 48(a) inquiry is not defined, and Fokker Services deals directly only with Speedy Trial Act motions so it is only instructive, not binding. She’s going to then point to a lot of case law that says “In no circumstance is it appropriate for a district judge to substitute his view of the “public interest” for the view expressed by the Executive in ruling on Rule 48(a) motions. There is other case law saying that the government need not “prove” its justification to the satisfaction of the court. The limit on whatever discretion is given to a judge by the “leave of court” language is most restrictive when dealing with unopposed motions since the only two parties to the proceeding are asking for the same thing. I think she’ll say when the Exec. sets forth in the papers that the motion is intended as a form of “self-correction” for prior investigative or prosecutorial errors, there are little or no grounds for an Article III court to place any other considerations ahead of that expression of the “public interest” or “interest of justice” when set forth in that manner. I think she’s going to say that Sullivan is entitled to conduct an inquiry, but the inquiry is limited to the record as it now exists — the history of the case as reflected in the Court’s file, and the justification set forth by the government in the motion. Beyond that, he’s not allowed to inquire further and “get behind” the decision-making process in the same manner as might be justified by an allegation of a constitutional violation or other “manifest injustice,” which are the only grounds upon which a district court may deny an otherwise properly justified Rule 48(a) motion to dismiss.

With all that, and $8 dollars, you can get a Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks.

I'll buy him that macchitato if he's right.  But wait, that's not all! The WaPoo whines that Senate panel approves dozens of subpoenas targeting origins of Russia probe, a real list of dirty laundry.

Republicans on the committee approved the subpoenas over the objections of Democrats, who denounced the investigation as both a partisan affair aimed at aiding Trump’s reelection campaign and a distraction from more pressing work for the committee — such as addressing the national crisis over racism in policing sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

But Democrats launched a broader attack on the political implications of Graham’s probe. The subpoena targets dozens of officials, including several political appointees of former president Barack Obama — such as his attorney general, Loretta E. Lynch; his deputy attorney general, Sally Yates; his FBI director, James B. Comey; and his chief of staff, Denis McDonough.

Those subpoenas, they said, would do little more than offer fodder to Trump allies in the hothouse of his reelection campaign, while ignoring ample evidence of suspicious activity justifying the federal scrutiny that occurred.

Democrats even had a fit:

Democratic senators seized on the case of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. He later sought — with Trump’s support — to reverse that plea, and the Justice Department moved to drop the charged earlier this month.

Fox, Senate Judiciary authorizes subpoenas for Obama officials amid Russia probe review "McCabe...Comey...their day is coming," Graham said." Chuck Ross at Da Caller, Senate Panel Approves Dozens Of Subpoenas In Probe Of Trump Campaign Surveillance

Graham said Sunday that he plans to ask Comey and McCabe whether they were aware that the primary source for Christopher Steele disavowed allegations in the dossier during a January 2017 interview with two FBI agents and two Justice Department attorneys.

From sundance, Devin Nunes Discusses FBI Top Lawyer Dana Boente as “a Witness to FBI Corruption”…



Matt Vespa at Town Hall, So, Those are the Details the FBI Omitted in Russian Collusion Intelligence Report

The bureau’s credibility has been shot, stabbed, and set on fire post-2016 election. The counterintelligence probe they launched in 2016 to look into Russian collusion was a partisan witch hunt. I mean, if you want to talk about omissions, just look at the papers disgraced ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok signed off on to launch Crossfire Hurricane, the non-spying spying operation against the Trump campaign.

Former FBI intelligence official Kevin Brock wrote, “What this FBI document clearly establishes is that Crossfire Hurricane was an illicit, made-up investigation lacking a shred of justifying predication, sprung from the mind of someone who despised Donald Trump, and then blessed by inexperienced leadership at the highest levels who harbored their own now well-established biases.”

Ouch.

NEW: Declassified Intelligence Report Shows FBI Withheld Key Details About Steele Dossier https://t.co/cs31TlEy0G

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) June 11, 2020

More from Chuck Ross at Da Caller, Mueller Witness Said Manafort Might Have Given Russian Oligarch’s Money To Pro-McCain Group.

Rick Gates, who served as deputy chairman of the Trump campaign, told the special counsel’s team in August 2018 that his former boss, Paul Manafort, might have contributed to a pro-McCain dark money group from a shell company he controlled that was funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin.

Gates told prosecutors he believed Manafort contributed to the group Americans for Patriotism through his Cyprus-based shell company, LOAV, Ltd. He also said that Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate, funded LOAV.

“Gates stated he heard that a Paul Manafort controlled Cypriot account, LOAV, contributed money to the 501c(4), and the funds in the LOAV account were from Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch,” read the FBI notes of Gates’s Feb. 28, 2018, interview.

St. John? Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. Linked by EBL in Satyagraha 🎭, Camille and Kennerly Harp: Beneath the Midnight Sun, Akhnaten 🎭, La Forza del Destino 🎭, Scientologist Danny Materson Charged With Rape, Iphigénie en Tauride 🎭, Bourbon Babes 🥃🙋🏻‍♀️, Bloomsday Babes, Semiramide 🎭 and Armida 🎭.

Russiagate Still Rolling Along

Did you expect it to stop? At AmSpec, Jeb Babbins The FBI’s FISA Frauds, a good review of the FISA courts handling of the affairs so far. Worth burning a free view, or even opening a rarely used browser to beat the paywall. Jeff Dunetz, The Lid, is a little less polite in FISA Court Aware Of Bogus Info In Carter Page Warrants Years Before Horowitz. I get the need for a secret court to keep things on the down low, but it's past time they demonstrated that they really care about protecting American's right, or it's time to dismantle the FISA court structure. All processes can be corrupted; if they can't be fixed, they need to be stopped.

At Caught in the Crossfire, "Monsieur America" tries Pin-Pointing the Moment Carter Page Became a Crossfire Hurricane Target. In March 2016, while acting as a confidential informant against a real Russian agent, Page told the SDNY prosecutors he wouldn't mouth the lies they were serving him up to use. That appears to be the origin of stress between him and DOJ.

“In March of 2016 they called me in to come testify in the SDNY in one of the cases. There were so many falsehoods and misrepresentations in their indictment the prior year. I said, I am not going to lie in court. Similar to their false court filings which the DOJ and FBI had submitted in this case. It was a long back and forth with them. I told them I am a man of my word and I am not going to provide false testimony like they’ve done. Very similar to the false testimony which they did in that case against the Russians and the false testimony which they did a few months later in October of 2016 with the start of the FISA abuse.”

Liz Vaughn at Red State tells us that While We Were Focused on the IG Report, Rep. Ratcliffe ‘Dropped a Bomb’ at the House Hearing



and from Sundance at CTH, Atkinson’s SSCI Confirmation Transcript Shows Senator Warner Focus on Whistle-blower Controls…

You might remember recently how Burr and Warner would not support Rep. John Ratcliffe for Director of National intelligence under the auspices of Ratcliffe not having enough “experience” within intelligence operations. However, those same “experience” concerns were absent when they approved dirty ICIG nominee Michael Atkinson.

Streif at Red State, CIA Director Gina Haspel Is Feeling the Heat as John Durham’s Investigation Focuses on CIA Misconduct. At some point, she needs to decide whether she works for the country, or the CIA. I wonder which way she'll go.

What we can say is this. Durham is focusing on Brennan and some of his cronies. They are feeling the heat and perhaps beginning to run scared. Mike Rogers cooperating with Durham seems to have spooked them. Now they are trying to prepare the battlefield for the political/legal battle that lies on the horizon and Gina Haspel is key to how that plays out.

At AND magazine, Sam Faddis wonders Where Are The Spies? – Three Recent Intel Failures Too busy playing domestic politics.

Every day, as the fallout from the false Russian collusion narrative intensifies, we see more and more evidence of senior officials in our intelligence and law enforcement communities playing politics and angling for greater power and influence. We have, apparently, an almost infinite supply of bureaucrats, lap dogs and yes men.

Where are the men and women at the top who are focused on doing their jobs? Where are the men and women dedicated to the mission? Where are the spies?

The Market Ticker urges you to Take a Dump On McCain's Grave over his repeated attempts to flog the now thoroughly debunked Steele Dossier.

From "Tyler Durnden" at Zero Hedge, Maddow Meltdown: In Defense To OAN Lawsuit, Host Argues Her Words Are Not Facts It's not really news, but it's nice she admits it.

There’s no getting around the fact - no matter how much one wants to - that Rachel @Maddow’s performance on Russiagate was one of the most paranoid, unhinged and fact-free debacles of sustained media propaganda, fear-mongering, conspiracy-mongering and deceit in many years: https://t.co/wvXGpBOerS

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 28, 2019

On Shampeachment Sundance  tells us to Anticipate House Impeachment Articles After January 3rd, 2020 – Oral Arguments for Mueller Grand Jury Material…

Oral arguments in the DC Court of Appeals for the House Judiciary Committee to obtain Mueller’s grand jury information, are scheduled for January 3rd, 2020. The HJC is leveraging the Senate impeachment trial in their arguments to gain access to the Mueller material. This approach is by design.

With that in mind it seems likely any House impeachment articles will not be delivered to the Senate until after the DC court arguments, and likely not before the ruling . . .

Breitbart, Gaetz: I ‘Believe’ Dems When They Say They Aren’t Done Investigating Impeachment

So their strategy is to keep piling on articles of impeachment, and never send them to the Senate?  Nick Arama at Red State, ‘I Think We’ve Heard Enough’: Senate Republicans Now Coalescing Behind an Impeachment Trial Strategy. Sundance, Senate GOP Unites on Plan for Senate Impeachment Trial…

It looks like the beginning of a united plan for the Senate impeachment trial is in the works. According to a New York Post article the House impeachment managers would present their prosecution case; then President Trump’s designated lawyers will present his defense case; then the Senate will vote.

At least, that’s the plan being reported:

WASHINGTON – After weeks of behind-the-scenes debate, Senate Republicans have hit on their strategy for handling President Trump’s impeachment: a brief trial — with no witness testimony — and a fast acquittal.
“I’m ready to vote now,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) told The Hill. “I think the articles are a joke.”

Liz Vaughn at Red State quotes  Rep. Steve Scalise: ‘It’s No Longer Nancy Pelosi Calling the Shots’

Scalise said, “The AOC wing of the party changed and really started controlling her caucus. And so, it’s no longer Nancy Pelosi calling the shots — and you think about anybody who follows in the things that she’s been forced into doing, it’s been mostly the far-left socialist wing of the party and it’s not just Pelosi.

Fox News, McConnell hit for impeachment coordination with Trump – but Dems did the same with Clinton. Oh look! Hypocrisy! Whoda thunk?

Conrad Black at AmGreat warns Democrats Must Live with Consequences of Their Foolish Impeachment Farce

It’s showtime. Let the fools’ carnival of unfeasible candidates elevate the designated Democratic piñata for this successful if edgy president to hammer through the election campaign. And let the Democrats finally cease their howls of moral outrage against Trump and prepare their explanations for the indictments that are likely to emerge from the special counsel investigation of the illicit spying conducted against the Trump campaign and transition team, and the assorted legal and ethical lapses of the Obama Justice Department and the Clinton campaign. They have had their full share of public attention for their defamatory nonsense; they laid this rotten egg of impeachment and they can take full responsibility for the stench of it.

On Da Hill, Biden says he would not comply with a Senate subpoena in Trump's impeachment trial. Sundance, Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Promises to Obstruct Justice to Prove His ‘Resistance’ Bona Fides… It's a good thing we "know" that people can be impeached after their term of office. Dan Bongino outraged via Twitchy:

This dude is ON VIDEO shaking down Ukrainians & demanding they fire the prosecutor looking into the company his SON WORKED FOR. #FACT 👇🏻 https://t.co/0lux9HKjTE

— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 28, 2019

Liz Vaughn at Red State, President Trump Trolls Pelosi Over Her Son’s Business Dealings in Ukraine: ‘Wow Crazy Nancy, what’s going on? This is big stuff!’

Wow Crazy Nancy, what’s going on? This is big stuff! https://t.co/hoHSERKgh9

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2019

which is a good segue to some Ukraine/Biden/Giuliani leftovers. At Town Hall, Katie Pavlich reports that Hunter "accidentally" got left out of the Biden Family Christmas picture. Poor Hunter!

Sundance links OAN Three Part Investigative Report on Ukraine, Corruption and Biden Family – Rudy Giuliani and Chanel Rion Travel to Ukraine… Three one hour videos... Someday when I'm really bored.

And from Da Caller ‘They’re Absolutely A**Holes’: Giuliani Attacks Manhattan US Attorney’s Office Over Investigation. I'm sure when he was a prosecutor, people felt the same way about him

Giuliani remained steadfast in denying any crimes levied against him, saying that “they’re out of their minds.” He suggested that the people looking into him have lost “their integrity in their insanity over hating Trump.”

“If they think I committed a crime, they’re out of their minds,” according to Giuliani. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years. I know how not to commit crimes. And if they think I’ve lost my integrity, maybe they’ve lost theirs in their insanity over hating Trump with some of the things they did that I never would’ve tolerated when I was U.S. Attorney.”

Linked by EBL in Women of the Mandalorian, Allison Young and Postmodern Jukebox: Mr. Blue Sky, Marianne Williamson: Please do not let it be so 😿, Messiah: A Review, Vanessa Williams: What Child Is This?💫👑👑👑, Rose Parade followed by Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl 🌹🏈, Bobby Darin: Christmas Auld Lang Syne with Bonus: It's A Wonderful Life🎄🎉,  Happy New Years Eve!, Lindsey Stirling: We Three Gentlemen (Medley) 💫👑👑👑 with bonus Mr. Grinch and Destiny's Child: Eight Days of Christmas.