In overall cabinet confirmation progress, today Pam Bondi was confirmed (54-46) by the full senate.  Attorney General Pam Bondi is now in place at the DOJ. [link]

Director of National Intelligence nominee, Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Service Secretary, RFK Jr have advanced by a straight party line vote in their respective committees and now head to the full senate vote as controlled by Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Tulsi Gabbard advanced from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) during a closed-door 9-8 vote, with all the committee’s Democrat members voting against her. [Source] Similarly, in a completely partisan vote, the Senate Finance Committee advanced Robert F Kennedy’s nomination 14-13 with every Democrat voting against him. [Source]

For FBI Director nominee, Kash Patel, the Senate Judiciary Committee has internal rules that permit the Democrats to delay the committee vote for a week.  Judiciary Committee Chair Senate Chuck Grassley expects Kash Patel to receive the committee vote next week.

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said in a statement Tuesday his committee plans to take a final vote on FBI director nominee Kash Patel as early as next week.

The committee has a business meeting scheduled for Thursday to consider Patel’s nomination. Under committee rules, Democrats can delay the full committee vote for one more week, at which point senators are expected to advance the nominee along party lines to the full Senate for confirmation.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio was again asked about the USAID review pause and the likely impact to the matrix of NGO’s and financial dependents, including the families of DC politicians, if funding is not quickly restarted. WATCH:

WASHINGTON DC – […] Some of these anticipated layoffs have already begun. According to an email obtained by POLITICO, early last week development group Credence Management Solutions sent formal emails to contractors in its global health bureau laying off around 400 employees.

The CEO of DT Global, one of the world’s leading development contractors, reportedly told employees last week that 2,000 to 3,000 positions would likely be eliminated in the sector the first week of February. Both Credence Management Solutions and DT Global did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Get ready for a key geopolitical battle; the fight to end the Marshall Plan.

Since the end of World War II, the USA has permitted a system of one-way trade rules that allowed Europe to rebuild on the backs of the American economy.  A series of trade tariffs against U.S. goods was imposed to raise funds for the reconstruction.  Those tariffs never ended; the Marshall Plan continues through today.

Additionally, as a measure to allow the EU to focus internally, the USA provided most of the national security protection for the entire region and the American taxpayer funded U.S. military operations throughout Europe so the EU could spend defense money on their rebuilding.   Again, that never really ended; and the USA maintains the largest majority of NATO military spending.

President Trump has stated his intention to reset both dynamics.  To lower the USA footprint within NATO, demand every NATO member meet its financial obligations, and to reset the trade and tariff system to create equity and reciprocity; thereby effectively ending the Marshall Plan.

The aggregate European Union does not like this Trump trade agenda, nor are they willing to spend more on their own defense.  Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a press briefing where she spoke about the looming negotiations with President Trump, and stated the EU will never permit financial, economic or military equity.  The EU will fight any effort to stop the Marshall Plan. WATCH:

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There are trillions at stake.

It is always, always, about the economics of the thing.

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Oh, this is rich…. “The lawsuit, which claims violations of First Amendment rights and of the federal Privacy Act, asks to bar the Justice Department from aggregating and disseminating the identities of FBI agents and employees that could tie them to the Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago cases.” [Read Full Article]

The ‘rank and vile’ FBI agents decry violations of their “Free Speech” and “Privacy” after those same FBI agents violated U.S. citizen free speech (see “Twitter files”) and privacy (see FISA-702). [Read Their Lawsuit Here]

Seriously, the arrogance, hubris and sentiment of being above all accountability is just too thick. You just cannot make this stuff up.

[Lawsuit pdf Here]

WASHINGTON DC – […] “Plaintiffs legitimately fear that the information being compiled will be accessed by persons who are not authorized to have access to it,” they argue. “Plaintiffs further assert that even if they are not targeted for termination, they may face other retaliatory acts such as demotion, denial of job opportunities or denial of promotions in the future.”

The suit was filed in federal court in Washington on Tuesday around the same time as a deadline the Justice Department set for the FBI to identify all its personnel who worked on Jan. 6-related cases or investigations. It’s unclear what DOJ officials plan to do with the names, but some prosecutors and FBI leaders deemed untrustworthy by Trump appointees have already been fired. (more)

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As noted in the visible scale of media panic, Washington DC federal officeholders (many in their pajamas as they work from home) are having fits of apoplexy as the Trump administration bears down on accountability.

As Politico puts it, “Congressional Democrats seem flummoxed by the pace, responding to crises from three news cycles ago while new ones keep arising in real time.”  Apparently, things continue to proceed according to plan, the DC system is overwhelmed by the pace of President Trump’s administrative deconstruction.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe appears on CNN to discuss the “utter disarray” as Trump administration officials enter and engage the protected silos from every vulnerable position.

“I’ve talked to more FBI people in the last 4 days than I did in the prior 4 years.” “It is a place in utter disarray right now. People are worried about how am I going to pay the bills? How am I gonna support my family?” “If you get fired, you’re done. That’s the end of your reputation, your ability to get any job, you lose your pay, you lose your chance at a pension, you lose your health insurance.” “This is a moment of terror for these people.”  WATCH:

Keep in mind, these are the people who weaponized the NSA database to conduct political surveillance.

The Dept of Justice was weaponized to target their political opposition.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was weaponized to act as the police investigative units for those targets.

The Dept of Homeland Security was weaponized to control the evidence and information about their political targeting and surveillance.

The IRS was weaponized against Obama’s political opposition.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was weaponized to allow the targeting radar to sweep internally against American citizens under the guise of national security and domestic terror threats.

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The 12 Step Program for conservative voters:

1. We admit we were unaware of our Republican abusers – Our elections became manipulated.

2. We accept that only a power greater than ourselves can restore our republic.

3. We make a decision to focus our effort and our life to the care of a loving God.

4. We have made a searching and fearless inventory of our prior beliefs.

5. We have admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human, being flawed in our political belief.

6. We are entirely ready to have God free us from defects of character, break our victim mindset and strengthen our resolve.

7. We humbly asked Him to remove our false assumptions.

8. We have made a list of all political abusers, and we commit to holding them accountable.

9. We accept the need to confront the republican abusers, even when doing so hurts their feelings.

10. We continue to take personal inventory and if we accept victimization again, we will promptly admit it.

11. We seek through prayer and deliberation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for righteous knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had an emotional, intellectual and spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we pledge to carry this message to others who are abused, and to practice these principles of awakening in all our political affairs.

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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.

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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 †

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Making good pancakes is one of the easiest processes; however, you need just the right ingredients.  Consider this recipe next time:

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling through Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic as he represents President Trump and the new administration.  He’s doing great.

Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered remarks to reporters in El Salvador discussing his role as Acting Director of USAID after President Trump and Elon Musk moved to incorporate USAID into the State Department.  Secretary Rubio repeated that USAID must align with U.S. foreign policy and the national interests of the U.S. government.

Citing the “uncooperative” nature of the USAID leadership acting as an independent entity, Secretary Rubio announced he is now Acting Director of USAID with the intention of removing all elements who operate against the direct U.S. interests he outlined.  Additionally, Secretary Rubio affirmed the positive nature of President Trump’s call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum [Details soon]. WATCH:

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WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The Trump administration over the weekend put on administrative leave dozens more staff at U.S. Agency for International Development, three sources familiar with the move said, as it moves to abolish the agency’s independence and bring it under the control of the State Department.

Nearly 30 career staff in the agency’s Legislative and Public Affairs bureau lost access overnight to their emails, the sources said, bringing the total number of senior USAID career staff who have been put on leave over the past week close to 100.

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