Earlier today Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appeared for an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the status of phase-one for the U.S-China trade deal, Huawei and ZTE national security concerns, and Speaker Pelosi blocking ratification of the USMCA agreement.
Secretary Ross cautions the Chinese deal is contingent on some very particular and important enforcement details. Additionally Ross discusses the potential national security issues with 5G network and AG Bill Barr having strong concerns about Huawei and ZTE.

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Representative Elise Stefanik brought to light interesting information today surrounding how the Obama administration was concerned about issues surrounding Vice-President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his connection to a corrupt Ukraine company Burisma.  This revelation directly contradicted the Yovanovitch opening statement.
During questioning Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch admitted the Obama White House spent time briefing her on how to respond to congress if questions about Hunter Biden and Burisma were raised.  This testimony highlights the concerns by the Obama administration about a clear issue with the Biden family and corrupt Ukraine interests.

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This admission by former Ambassador Yovanovitch directly contradicted her testimony that was made only minutes before the admission.  From her opening statement:

[Yovanovitch Opening Statement November 15th, Page #8]

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Following a week-long trial a federal jury in Washington, D.C., has convicted Roger Stone, 67, on five felony counts of lying to investigators, one of obstructing a congressional probe and one of witness tampering. Sentencing will be February 6th, 2020.  [Article]

Judge Berman Jackson has kept the gag order on Roger Stone barring him from discussing his conviction until he is remanded to federal prison next year.

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The preferred impeachment narrative amid Democrat party leadership surrounds creating articles of impeachment that are based on constitutional principles, not hard-line partisan politics.  However, with the latest shift by Speaker Pelosi to focus on the word “bribery” it is now discovered the reason for the impeachment change was a political focus-group:

(Washington Post Article Link)

By focus-group testing the impeachment design the Democrats are admitting the entirety of their construct is based on political motives and intents.
Focus-group polling and testing was the preeminent approach for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election campaign.  Candidate Clinton used the focus groups to test each of the talking points used by her campaign.  It would appear that same approach is now being applied to Speaker Pelosi’s impeachment effort.
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Today at 9:00am ET, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will hold the second day of open hearings for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Todays testimony will come from former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.
Marie Yovanovitch is a woman of dubious character who was removed from the administration prior to the July phone call between U.S. President Trump and Ukraine President Zelenskyy. Ms. Yovanovitch has coordinated both her deposition and public hearing comments with the Democrat staff of the committee.
Fox News Livestream Link – PBS Livestream Link – HPSCI Livestream Link

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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

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 †

Within the current claims of the Democrats there is a baseline action that needs to exist for any “bribery” or “undue influence” claim to exist. Meaning there had to be pressure by President Trump upon the government of Ukraine to initiate an investigation of Joe Biden.

The call transcript between President Trump and President Zelenskyy doesn’t show such a request.  Ukraine President Zelenskyy said there was never such a request by President Trump; and now Ukraine Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko says there was never such a request from U.S. Ambassador Sondland on behalf of President Trump:

(Via Daily Mail) The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko told Ukrainian reporters a day after the first public impeachment hearing that Ambassador Gordon Sondland did not detail any relationship between the assistance and probe, according to Interfax, a Ukrainian news agency.

‘Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and did not tell me exactly, about the relation between the [military] assistance and the investigations,’ Prystaiko told journalists in Kiev. ‘You should ask him. I do not recall any conversation with me as with foreign minister. It was not we, the Ukrainian officials (who were told this).’

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Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan discuss the testimony of State Dept. officials George Kent and Bill Taylor yesterday, as well as the upcoming testimony of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch scheduled for tomorrow.

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Not only was Marie Yovanovitch’s prior testimony carefully orchestrated with Chairman Schiff’s staff, but Ms. Yovanovitch brought three lawyers to help construct the needs of the committee and protect Yovanovitch’s legal interests.  [Transcript pdf available here]
During her deposition, when Yovanovitch was questioned about having released her opening statement to the Washington Post on behalf of the Democrats on the committee, her lawyers would not let her talk about it citing attny-client privilege.
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Leader Kevin McCarthy just put some specific dates to a sequence we anticipated several months ago.
During a Fox interview with Laura Ingraham (I’ll look for video) McCarthy predicts Speaker Pelosi will bring up the impeachment vote on/around December 16th; then follow-up the impeachment vote with USMCA ratification and the budget passage on/around December 20th allowing the Democrats to go home for the holidays with all three goals accomplished.
This prediction by Leader McCarthy is very likely. Earlier today Speaker Poli-Grip said passing the USMCA was “imminent“.  In essence, she’s holding the USMCA vote as an ace to highlight a bipartisan legislative accomplishment by her party.
We noted last month: Nancy Pelosi will bring the USMCA to a vote timed with the impeachment vote. This plan allows democrats to try and dilute the political nature of the impeachment scheme by referencing the Trump administration USMCA vote as an example of Democrats not being political. This is how they scheme.

…’See, we’re not politically motivated, we’re giving the same president we are impeaching a win; because this trade deal is in the best interest of America.  Just like the impeachment of this corrupt president is in the best interest of America’….