Congressional oversight in the matters of the DOJ and FBI political weaponization has been negligent by design.  While Special Counsel Robert Mueller creates the “ongoing investigation shield” for all who would be questioned, the republican-led congress has been weak in delivering any actionable results through oversight.
All prior witness transcripts remain concealed as the GOP turns over power to the allies of the witnesses.  Many who have followed the details are frustrated, and with little to no progress within the DOJ/FBI investigation(s) there is an understandable sentiment we have once-again been played. [Fast-n-Furious; IRS; Benghazi; Clinton Emails and now the abuses by the DOJ and FBI.  All of it covered-up by the same can-kicking process]

To rub the proverbial salt in the wound, today Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte announces his request to subpoena former FBI Director, James Comey (November 29), and former DOJ Attorney General, Loretta Lynch (Dec. 5th), in the lame-duck session prior to turning over committee power to the Democrats.
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Democrat candidate Stacey Abrams ‘conceded-not-conceded’ the Georgia governor’s race in Georgia after more than a week of vote counting and party anxiety about her inability to generate the needed post-election day ballots to overcome the voter deficit.  Republican Brian Kemp is now the Georgia Governor-elect.

In her nationally televised concession-not-concession remarks, Abrams make it clear that campaign assistance from President Obama and Oprah Winfrey should have entitled her victory.  Alas, now she threatens to sue the State of Georgia for not supporting her.

ATLANTA (AP) — Democrat Stacey Abrams ended her challenge to Republican Brian Kemp in the Georgia governor’s race on Friday, but pledged to fight the former secretary of state’s “gross mismanagement” of the elections with a federal lawsuit.
Speaking defiantly to a news conference, Abrams said her actions did not constitute a concession, but she acknowledged that she had no further recourse under the law and that Kemp would be certified the winner.

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After signing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act in the Oval Office, President Trump takes questions from reporters on issues of the day.
The first question surrounds a judge intervening to restore the press pass of Constant Narcissism News (CNN) correspondent Jim Acosta.  President Trump notes the White House is making up rules for media decorum.  If only someone had thought of that earlier… like, say, um, two years ago. Go figure:

The latest development in this ongoing saga is just stunning. Charges have been brought against a New Jersey couple and a “not-homeless man” allegedly involved in charitable scam.  Prosecutors now say it was a complete con; a manufactured story they created; they made it all up and bilked the kind hearts of people for over $400,000.  They were arrested:

(Via Associated Press) Authorities say a New Jersey couple and a homeless man made up a “feel good” story about the man helping them so they could raise money through an online fundraiser.
Burlington County prosecutors outlined the allegations against Mark D’Amico, Katelyn McClure and Johnny Bobbitt on Thursday. All three are charged with theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

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If you pause for a few minutes and look at every recent headline, and the story therein that delivers frustration;… I mean really elevate and look at the bigger issue inside each of the examples… there’s a connective thread surrounding a shift in law-and-order to focus on “criminal intent.”
“Intent”, not consequence, is now the larger shield being applied toward excusing the action of people within institutions of government and society.

Hillary Clinton was not guilty, because James Comey said they couldn’t prove intent. Recent DOJ releases highlighting: “declined to prosecute” all surround intent.  Illegal alien entry, and accountability for fraud, all downplayed because there’s no proof of intent.
In the larger picture, the focus on intent -a specific decision made within the administration of justice- has become a shield against consequence.
It was a “mistake”…. he/she/it made “a poor decision” etc.  A pattern of obfuscation downplaying consequence and allowing those decision-makers charged with delivering accountability to withdraw or apply the rules of law based on their individual overlay of ‘intent’.
That shift is factually visible everywhere now.
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Voices selling a pending conclusion to the Mueller investigation of President Trump were dealt a set-back today as Robert Mueller files a motion with the court extending the 2016 Russian interference investigation deep into 2019.
The Associated Press is citing court documents filed within the Rick Gates case where the special counsel is requesting additional time for sentencing as an outcome of ongoing cooperation that has expanded the investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Mueller isn’t done with former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates.
That’s according to a new court filing from the special counsel’s team. Prosecutors say they’re not ready for Gates to be sentenced because he is continuing to cooperate with “several ongoing investigations.” And they’re asking a federal judge to give them until mid-January before they have to give another update about his case.

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According to the progressive-left Michael Avenatti is a strong presidential candidate in their 2020 objectives.
Unfortunately, those hopes and aspirations may have encountered a set-back today as the Creepy Porn Lawyer, Avenatti, is arrested for felony domestic violence.
TMZ is reporting that CPL is in police custody after beating his estranged wife.

CALIFORNIA – […] Our law enforcement sources say Avenatti was arrested Wednesday after his estranged wife filed a felony DV report. We’re told her face was “swollen and bruised.”
Our sources say the alleged incident occurred Tuesday, but there was a confrontation Wednesday between the two at an exclusive apartment building in the Century City area of L.A.

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The GOPe big club know how to control political outcomes.  During internal party elections today current republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who failed to keep a republican majority, was approved by a vote of 159-43 to become the new 2019 minority leader.  It is likely McCarthy will be successful in retaining the GOPe minority.

California Republican Kevin McCarthy was challenged by Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, but overwhelmingly McCarthy was seen by House republicans as the more moderate, less controversial, representative.  The House is now positioned to play the preferred role of loyal opposition when the flags change color amid the spire of the UniParty House.
There’s an irony in McCarthy elevating to the Minority Leadership role within the same election cycle that sees Dave Brat defeated in Virginia and Paul Ryan retiring from congress.  Brat defeated Eric Cantor, the former GOPe Majority Leader; stunning the GOPe leadership (Boehner, Ryan, Cantor and McCarthy) and derailing Wall Street’s 2014 open-border GOPe immigration agenda. [Cantor-primaried ’14; Boehner-retired ’16; Ryan-retired ’18; and now the lone McCarthy takes control.]
Biggest Winners:  Tom Donohue, Rupert Murdoch and the Koch Brothers.
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Constant Narcissism News (CNN) has filed a lawsuit against President Trump, Sarah Sanders, John Kelly, Bill Shine and the Secret Service over the White House decision to revoke the ‘hard pass’ of Narcissist News correspondent Jim Acosta.
If rejected, Acosta will likely ride his bicycle in slow circles at the end of the White House driveway while glaring in the windows….

WASHINGTON DC – CNN has filed a lawsuit against President Trump and several of his aides, seeking the immediate restoration of chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s access to the White House.
The lawsuit is a response to the White House’s suspension of Acosta’s press pass, known as a Secret Service “hard pass,” last week. The suit alleges that Acosta and CNN’s First and Fifth Amendment rights are being violated by the ban.

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Back on July 22nd, the day after the July 21st surprise release of the Carter Page FISA Title-1 surveillance application, I wrote: “Oh My, This is Either A Sting -OR- The Most Corrupt U.S. Dept of Justice in History” (link).  The issue surrounded the seemingly transparent connection between the James Wolfe indictment and the FISA application.
Three months later, when James Wolfe accepted a single-count guilty plea offer around lying to federal investigators, the answer seemed obvious, at least to me.  Despite the evidence of leaking “top secret” classified documents within the Wolfe indictment DAG Rosenstein initially charged 3 counts of lying; and offered a lower guilty plea on one count.

Along with tenuous congressional testimony; a refusal to comply with document production; and a never-ending defense of the Mueller investigation; Rosenstein gives all appearances of an administrative state weasel.   However, there are solid and reasonable people who genuinely believe both Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller are doing a good, and fair, job for President Trump.
Jeff Carlson over at Marketswork does solid research and analysis.  His position on Rosenstein is far more favorable than mine; and in the interests of intellectual honesty, he could be correct [Here] and [here] and especially [Here], and  I could be entirely wrong.
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