During a background call with media a Senior Administration Official gives a preview of what to expect and the five points President Trump will focus upon during his remarks to congress: (1) Blue collar boom; (2) Working families; (3) Healthcare affordability; (4) Immigration enforcement; (5) National security.

[Transcript] –  […] SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi, everyone. So, I’ll give you a topline, issues that will be talked about in the speech, a few key insights, talk about tone, and then take your questions.

I know there’s a lot going on, so I’ll try to be as brief as I can.

The topline: President Trump is looking forward to delivering his third State of the Union Address and his fourth address to a Joint Session of Congress next Tuesday.

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Appearing on Ted Cruz podcast, Senator Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz share the backroom discussions that preceded the vote for witnesses.  Interesting background information on the arguments and debates, for those who followed events closely.

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And so it begins…  Billionaire Michael Bloomberg spent tens-of-millions in 2017 and 2018 to help elect House democrat candidates.  Additionally, Bloomberg funds various political activist organizations for issue specifics like gun restrictions.   The DNC and Bloomberg are like peas and carrots.
Remember, the DNC are RNC are private clubs.  They can do anything they want, support anyone they want, and disavow anyone they want.  Nothing matters more to the Club boardroom than dollars; and specifically how they can translate those dollars into power.
A week ago DNC President Tom Perez appointed Barney Frank to the rules committee.  Frank then hired John Podesta.  Yesterday the rules committee changed the club rules allowing billionaire Michael Bloomberg to join the debates this month.   Michael Moore is going bananas about the transparently corrupt dealing with the DNC.  WATCH:

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As noted yesterday – Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders now leads most polls in the key states where the democrat primary battle will begin. With the grassroots Bernie-AOC wing carrying all the enthusiasm and momentum time is running out for the DNC club.
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The Crossfire Hurricane hand-off  to Weissmann using Mueller was the hoax known generally as Trump-Russia, or Coup 1.0.   If you stand back and look at the totality of the ‘big picture’ behind the Trump-Ukraine impeachment coup it’s clear to see a 2.0 version.
The Trump-Russia hoax (coup 1.0) was dependent on a ‘Special Counsel’ because the coup plotters held no other avenue to eliminate Donald Trump.  In 2017 and 2018 both the House and Senate were republican.  Coup 1.0 relied upon a created structure of oversight, an insurance policy of sorts, within the framework of government.

However, after the 2018 mid-terms, when Democrats won the House, impeachment was possible.  In the month following the Nov ’18 election Pelosi and the resistance group (assembled from current and former DOJ officials, ie. The Lawfare group), mapped out the impeachment plan and created new House rules to facilitate it.  Pelosi hired Doug Letter as Chief House Counsel and contracted with a host of lawyers to assist.
The Weissmann special counsel group, using Robert Mueller as a figurehead, failed to deliver because the Trump-Russia narrative was always a hoax. Without the ‘there‘ there the only damage they could deploy was political speculation, innuendo and weaponized narratives. They tried hard, but were only able to create a tenuous ‘obstruction’ case.
When Mueller eventually testified about his investigation the world saw he was merely a figurehead, a visible prop to represent a team he barely understood; and with that testimony the impeachment usefulness collapsed.  Imagine Mueller being cross examined about his two year investigation; imagine the deposition that would have been needed; yeah, the insurance policy was immediately worthless.
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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 †

HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes brings an uncomfortable dose of reality to a media discussion and he’s exactly correct.  Appearing on Tucker Carlson Mr. Nunes highlights that a vote to acquit on the impeachment articles will not be the end of this fiasco.
The Crossfire Hurricane hoax was constructed with an insurance policy to initiate the Mueller investigation, another hoax.  This same network of political operatives, all of which know each-other and work together in various government factions, then morphed the Mueller hoax into the Ukraine hoax; it’s one long continuum and it will not stop with a Senate impeachment acquittal.  WATCH:

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Additionally, on the Democrat presidential contest Nunes now predicts the movement for Bernie Sanders is going to succeed and gain the nomination.  I agree.
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There will be 24 hours of presentation by House Impeachment Managers (over 3 days); 24 hours of presentation by Defense team (over 3 days); 16 hours of Senate questioning; 4 hours of closing arguments, equally divided; open Senate deliberations/speeches; and a final vote on the articles of impeachment.
UPDATE:  After a series of defeated Democrat amendments, the Senate evening procedural session ends at 8:00pm with the following outcome:

• Monday: 11:00am closing arguments by House Managers and Defense (two hours each for a total of four hours); then the senate, regular session, floor speeches begin.
• Tuesday: 11:00am full day of floor speeches.  Each Senator limited to ten minutes.
• Wednesday: 4:00pm – A final vote on the articles of impeachment.

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Earlier today the federal Coronavirus Task Force established by President Trump held a press conference to explain the U.S. response status and answer media questions.
The task force is being led by HHS Secretary Alex Azar and includes:  Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; Ken Cuccinelli, Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security; Matthew Pottinger, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor.
[Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – SECRETARY AZAR: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I’m Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Chairman of the President’s Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus.

I’m going to start by turning things over to Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss the current situation on the novel coronavirus. Dr. Redfield.

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The Senate voted 51-49 on a motion to support prior constitutional precedent and avoid further witness testimony in the Senate.  Republican Senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voted with Democrats to break constitutional framework and support witness testimony in the Senate that did not originate from House impeachment process.

Senators are now recessed for dinner while holding meetings within their caucus to debate next steps.  A disagreement within the republican caucus seems to be framed around Senators wishing to have debate time to present their own personal positions on the Senate floor prior to a final vote to remove or acquit President Trump.
One likely scenario is a vote on a resolution tonight outlining next steps, open to amendment and voting; then recess for the evening around 9pm, and a return at 11:00am Monday.  That would position a final acquittal vote for Wednesday.

• Friday night: A Senate vote organizing a resolution for the following:
• Monday: Closing arguments by House Managers and Defense.
• Tuesday: Open deliberations. Senators speak.
• Wednesday: A vote on the articles of impeachment

The situation is fluid.