When you accept how intensely sensitive a visit to Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Prime Minister is… When you pause and think about the scope of trepidation that follows such a tenuously emotional diplomatic mission… It is proper to give credit where it is deserved.

President Obama and Prime Minister Shinzu Abe together delivered a moving, historic and stunning moment of thoughtful condolence.
Speaking to the gathered audience in Pearl Harbor Hawaii, Prime Minister Shinzu Abe delivered an eloquent and honorable tribute. The first six and a half minutes of his speech below is remarkable in its historic value. (more…)

Smart pick.  Tom Bossert brings a 21st century cybersecurity profile to Trump’s inner National Security team.  Bossert has deep knowledge of cybersecurity from both a Homeland Defense (infrastructure), and a counterterrorism perspective…
(Palm Beach, FL) – President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his selection of Thomas P. Bossert to serve as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. In this position, Mr. Bossert will advise the President on issues related to homeland security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity, and coordinate the Cabinet’s process for formulating and executing policy in these matters.

The role, performed by a deputy national security advisor in the previous Administration, is being elevated and restored to its independent status alongside the National Security Advisor, a decision that reflects the unwavering commitment President-elect Trump has to the safety and security of the Nation, its people and territory.
Mr. Bossert will focus on domestic and transnational security priorities as General Michael Flynn remains steadfastly focused on international security challenges.
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Thank you to those who serve our nation and are unable to be home with family this Christmas. We appreciate you, we are thankful for you, and we send our prayers to you and your families who we recognize also sacrifice on our behalf.

We also remember those who have given the fullest measure of devotion, and those families who cope with the void in all holiday’s to come. (more…)

Media and the professional left have been jaw-agape, pearl-clutching amid their discussion of the appropriateness for Donald Trump to directly confront corporate CEO’s about their business models.
Initially their angst was simply because Donald Trump had the audacity to begin staking a pro-worker, “America First” jobs position with Carrier Inc.  The workers won.
President Trump then shifted slightly and spoke toward government contractors such as Boeing (Air Force One Contract) and Lockheed Martin… challenging their costs:

President-elect Trump took stewardship to an entire new level when tasking two competitors, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, for comparative bids and lower costs.  The approach is brilliant.
According to their own report, the F-35 program is Lockheed Martin’s largest program, generating 59% of Aeronautics’ net sales in 2015. (link) Lockheed receives 78% of their $46.1 billion in net sales from the U.S. Government.
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Ok, I admit.. this “winning” is almost way too much fun.  A few hours ago, key defense contractors and their government agency counterparts assembled for the first time with President-elect Donald Trump.
It cannot be overstated how fundamentally different this is for all parties involved. For the first time in their history, both sides are facing a President-elect without a single IOU on his desk from their large networked lobbying groups.  For them, both sides, the concept of prudent financial interest is at the forefront of the discussion.

For the first time in modern history the proverbial governmental trough has a gatekeeper…. His name is Donald J Trump.  Just pause for a moment and think about the scope of their collective new reality.
Better still, imagine yourself as a white hat inside the acquisition program and assigned to deliver the best “bidding process”,  and now you actually have Donald Trump on your side of the negotiation table.
OK, now smile, read and watch: (more…)

(Via The Daily Mail) A Chinese warship has captured an underwater US Navy drone right in front of the eyes of the crew of an American ship in the South China sea, prompting a government official to say, ‘they stole it’.

The incident has triggered a formal demarche from the United States and a demand for its return, a US defense official told Reuters on Friday.

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Against the backdrop of the last desperate gasps from a highly politicized Obama intel community (the black hats) appearing amid the media, President-elect Donald Trump continues the assembly of the white hat national security apparatus…

(New York, NY) — President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his selection of Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, USA (Ret.) as Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council and Dr. Monica Crowley as Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the National Security Council.

“The United States is an exceptional country and these are two exceptional individuals who have agreed to fulfill the President-elect’s pledge of putting America first once again,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, USA (Ret.), National Security Advisor-designate. “I am honored to have General Kellogg and Dr. Crowley on the National Security Council team.”

“General Kellogg and Dr. Crowley are two outstanding individuals whose decades of combined experience and unique skill sets will be invaluable to advance the Trump Administration’s agenda to protect our great nation and advance U.S. interests throughout the world,” said Deputy National Security Advisor-designate KT McFarland. “I am so pleased that they will be joining our growing team at the National Security Council.”

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At the end of halftime and starting the third quarter of yesterday’s Army -vs- Navy football game, President-elect Donald Trump joined the broadcast announcers for a little light-hearted interview and discussion.
Here’s the full segment as broadcast:

Now, ask yourself: …against the natural charm and charisma of President Donald Trump, and knowing the scope of the bully pulpit therein, do you really think McConnell or Ryan are going to want to take a public position against America-First policies?…
For six straight years the face of the GOPe has been the mumbling old fool (McConnell) yelling ‘get off my lawn’, and the creepy 50-year-old guy (Boehner) sitting at the end of the bar hitting on your 20-year-old daughter…
Now? MAGA Donald and Melania Trump!
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The Sunday Talk Shows are filled with various left-wing punditry using two media reports from the Washington Post and New York Times claiming anonymous, albeit transparently political, “intelligence officials” who state: the Russian government “hacked the U.S. election“.
First, the media’s choice of wording is critical within both reports.
It is impossible to “hack an election“.  What was hacked was the DNC email system, and John Podesta’s email.  WikiLeaks published the content of both “hacks”.
Additionally, WikiLeaks has denied the source of the information was a foreign government.
Both The Washington Post and New York Times, simultaneously, published articles on Friday claiming anonymous sources within the CIA (note: intensely political CIA Chief John Brennan in charge) point to the Russian government as the originators of the hacking.   However, both articles are written with very obtuse and non specific language intended to cover over the fact these reports are not actually stating the official intelligence community are making these specific claims.
All other media outlets subsequently take this illogically based presentation and spin their coverage whereby the “DNC hacked” becomes “the election hacked“.
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During a CNN interview this morning CNN Director Sean Spicer pushed back against the ridiculously politicized claims that Russia hacked the RNC.  They didn’t.  Fake News:
However, Michael Smerconish was fully engaged in selling the MSM storyline.

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