Last week Seattle Judge Robart claimed no-one had been arrested from the seven nations that are included in President Trump’s executive order. From the hearing:

• Judge Robart: “How many arrests have there been of foreign nationals for those seven countries since 9/11?”
• DOJ Attorney Michelle Bennett: “Your Honor, I don’t have that information.”
• Judge Robart: “Let me tell you… The answer to that is none, as best I can tell. So, I mean, you’re here arguing on behalf of someone [President Trump] that says: We have to protect the United States from these individuals coming from these countries, and there’s no support for that.”

Judge Robart is just factually wrong.

Somalia – More than 20 people in Minnesota have faced federal charges related to Al Shabaab, an African terror group, with at least 10 more cases related to ISIS. Defendants have usually been detained while awaiting trial, as prosecutors have argued that they remain flight risks and threats to the community. (link)
In November 2016, 18-year-old Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a Somali refugee, plowed his car into a crowd at Ohio State University, and then stabbed people with a butcher knife. He was not arrested, but would have been if a police officer had not shot him dead.
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This is, well, sketchy – to say the least.  The Daily Caller is reporting that three House Intelligence “staffers” have been fired as part of an ongoing security probe.
Abid Awan, Imran Awan and Jamal Awan, are three brothers who worked within the IT department for members of the House Permanent Intelligence Committee.
Yes, you read that correctly.
You might remember, the House Intelligence Committee is part of the deepest oversight network with responsibility over the most sensitive and secretive government intelligence, including covert anti-terrorism activity.  The Majority Chairman (Nunes) and Minority Chair (Schiff) sit on the CIA oversight team known as the “Intelligence Gang of Eight“:

It would be imprudent of CTH not to point out the “TIMING” here.  By nature of the relationship to the G08 oversight aspect – the recently authorized Trump operation in Yemen would have been a part of the advance briefing to this very select oversight committee.  The exact same oversight committee these three brothers worked in the IT department for….

♦ Does the firing have any potential attachment to the outcome in Yemen?

♦ Exactly like Benghazi, the Washington DC cover your ass machine would never, ever allow sunlight upon such a consequential intelligence compromise.  They would never allow, nor even launch, an investigation in that regard. Too dangerous.

So you decide.
(Via Daily Caller)  Three brothers who managed office information technology for members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and other lawmakers were abruptly relieved of their duties on suspicion that they accessed congressional computer networks without permission.
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No single issue better reflects the politicized UniParty than immigration.  In all things related to legal or illegal entry into the United States the Democrats and big government Republicans are united in their efforts to create a borderless America; expect little support for President Trump from the GOPe side of the aisle.
Two federal judges, Boston (Mass) and Seattle (WA), released two completely different opinions on the legality of President Trump’s temporary halt on Visa approvals from seven identified countries of concern.  The Boston ruling by Federal Judge Gorton upholds the executive authority and supports President Trump.  The Seattle ruling by Federal Judge Robart halts the executive action.

Due to Judge Robart’s refusal to accept prior case law and supreme court rulings, and as an outcome of his inability to cite existing law to support his decision (READ HERE), it is generally believed the Seattle ruling will be “stayed”. The sum total of Robart’s ruling is merely seven pages of activist catch phrases, judicial activism, with no legal guiding citation.
Conversely, Judge Gorton firmly establishes his decision (READ HERE)  -to the benefit of the Executive Order- on prior precedent and current established judicial interpretations, and it is believed Gorton’s decision will be more in line with the final outcome of the challenges.  Gorton’s 21 page ruling contains 51 legal citations to precedent and existing case law which guides his decision.
A good summary of why President Trump will likely win is HERE.
However, in the interim, DHS is complying with the Seattle injunction. (more…)

Kjell Magne Bondevik served as prime minister of Norway two separate times, from 1997-2000 and 2001-2005. Apparently, for some reason, he still travels on a diplomatic passport.  Upon arrival at Dulles airport DHS questioned him about his travels to Iran.  He was delayed for 40 minutes; this triggered his tender sensibilities.
Bondevik immediately rushed to the U.S. media to decry the severe and emotionally destabilizing punishment, which he views as abhorrent example of Terrible Trump’s travel vetting…. except it wasn’t… but his feelings are still hurt.  Cue CNN in 3… 2… 1…

WASHINGTON DC – […] He flew into Dulles Airport from Europe Tuesday afternoon and says he was not immediately allowed to leave after customs agents saw in his passport that he had been to Iran.
[…]  Bondevik says he was placed in a room with travelers from the Middle East and Africa who were also facing extra scrutiny. He says he had to sit and wait for about 40 minutes, and then he was questioned for about 20 minutes regarding a trip to Iran in 2014.

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Earlier today President Trump met with business executives from Harley Davidson Corp along with union leadership and representatives.   A Transcript is included below video remarks because if you review the transcript closely – you’ll see the underlying emphasis on “America First”.

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[TRANSCRIPT] THE PRESIDENT:  So it’s great to have Harley-Davidson.  What a great, great group of people and what a fantastic job you do.  And thank you for all of the votes you gave me in Wisconsin.  Some people thought that was an upset; I thought we were going to win it.  From the beginning, we thought we were going to win it.
Harley-Davidson is a true American icon, one of the greats.  Your motorcycles have carried American servicemembers in the war — in the wars.  They take care of our police officers.  And I see it so often — whenever I go — whenever there’s a motorcycle group, oftentimes it’s a Harley.  And the sound of that Harley is a little different, I have to tell you.  It’s really good. (more…)

Sorry #NeverTrumpers, but you don”t get to dismount your high horse and celebrate the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch today.  This is NOT your victory, this is ours!
There is a gobsmacking level of pontificating self-righteousness visible from the collective proletariat within your crony-conservative movement who made the decision to formulate their political argument from a position of opposition.

Perhaps it would be different if you framed your antagonism from a position of advocacy, but that wasn’t the direction you chose.  No, you chose a specific position of opposition as clearly evident within your chosen mantra “Never Trump”.
Perhaps it would be different if you ever had a come-to-Jesus moment and apologized immediately following the November election.  Then again, when your opinion of your own self-importance is this high, those humble words are just as foreign as your understanding of the movement that won.
You don’t get to frame the entire construct of your argument around opposition to a team, and then claim benefit to the outcome of victory.  Stay on your high-horse, move along and ride off into that proverbial land of irrelevance; you’re dead here.
Save your dismount for another defining “conservative” assembly where you can gather at CPAC again and give a standing ovation to House Speaker Paul Ryan a month after he eliminates the debt ceiling and passes a $2 trillion OmniBus spending bill, funding all of the progressive priorities you hypocritically claim to oppose; you’re good at that.
That particular circle of crazy just doesn’t sell here any longer.
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DHS Secretary James Kelly explains that DHS is still researching alternatives to enhance the background screening processes for “extreme vetting”, which will likely include research into foreign national applicant activity with websites, social media and phone records.
WASHINGTON DC – “We have to be convinced that people who come here, there is a reasonable expectation that we know who they are, and what they’re coming here for, and what their backgrounds are,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told reporters Tuesday. [video of press conference below]

General Kelly reiterated that Trump’s order — which suspended most travel from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen — is “not a ban on Muslims,” contrary to Democratic characterizations of the order. “Religious liberty is one of our most fundamental and treasured values,” he said. (Article from Washington Examiner)
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History repeats.  Many people will remember what happened in Wisconsin in 2011 when control of the state legislature flipped from Democrat control to Republican control and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker began initiating a series of state budget reforms.
In 2011 the fourteen defeated Wisconsin senate democrats that remained in office fled to Illinois in a failed attempt to block legislation by not providing a quorum.
The 14 state legislators became famously known as “milk carton democrats” and/or  “fleebaggers”.
Today in Washington DC Senate Committee Democrats deployed the same childish strategy to block HHS Secretary confirmation of Tom Price, and Treasury Secretary confirmation of Steve Mnuchin:
WASHINGTON DC – Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted two committee votes to delay the confirmations of President Donald Trump’s picks to head the Health and Human Services and Treasury departments.
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Was the vast Russian conspiracy really only a week ago?  In between the current refugee crisis du-jour and the notification of the next supreme court nominee, President Trump met with a group of small business leaders to hear their concerns and outline some new policy initiatives.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday morning that he said will “dramatically reduce federal regulations” on businesses.
“We’ll be reducing [regulations] big league and their damaging effects on our small businesses, our economy and our entrepreneurial spirit,” Trump said during a meeting with small business leaders. “The American dream is back, and we’re going to create an environment for small business like we haven’t had in many, many decades.”
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