The FBI is a sh!t show…. Good grief, the entire institution is now just a hot mess of incompetence, self-preservation, virtue signaling and political positioning.
Cue the audio visual:

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Despite the FBI tender sensibilities being wounded due to the shutdown; somehow the FBI found the motivation and resources to send more heavily armed agents to arrest 68-year-old Roger Stone than ever stepped foot in Benghazi, Libya.
FUBAR.
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a press conference on the crisis in Venezuela, and introduces Elliot Abrams as the primary U.S. liaison and point-of-contact for the Venezuela Democracy Initiative.

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[Transcript] SECRETARY POMPEO: Good afternoon, everyone. Today I am incredibly excited to announce that a seasoned, principled, and tough-minded foreign policy veteran is joining our State Department team. Elliott Abrams is coming aboard to lead our efforts on Venezuela.
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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

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

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 †

Libel laws in the U.K. must be much more favorable to the victim than in the United States.  The U.K. Telegraph published a retraction to a previous story written about First Lady Melania Trump that is labeled “An Apology“:

(Article Link)

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Regardless of any opinion of Roger Stone, the reality of what took place today showed the full weaponization and intent of the Robert Mueller probe.  A completely unnecessary, and profoundly aggressive, pre-dawn Bin-Laden raid with dozens of heavily armed FBI agents and SWAT members during the arrest was full Ruby Ridge…. Thankfully no-one was hurt.

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Last September 2018, HPSCI Republican Chairman Devin Nunes asked the DOJ to review, for declassification purposes, all witness transcripts and release them to the public. {link}  However, the DOJ and FBI refused to release the transcripts. Three months later, December 2018, the joint Oversight and Judiciary Committee also requested their witness transcripts from their committee be released {link}.   Both requests were denied.

Today, instead of supporting a public release, the new Democrat HPSCI Chairman, Adam Schiff, announces he will send Robert Mueller all witness transcripts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House Intelligence Committee will release all transcripts of interviews in its probe of Russian election interference to the special counsel’s office, its Democratic chairman said on Friday after Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was charged with lying to Congress.

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Taking a victory lap around the White House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hold a press conference after President Trump agreed to temporarily re-open government (three weeks), without any funding or promises toward a southern border wall.

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Additionally, it seems Speaker Pelosi is positioning herself to use the current investigative calendar, and narrative as built therein, as a rebuke for an illegitimate President Trump – keeping him from making any State of the Union speech within the House chamber.
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Here’s the remarks from earlier today when President Trump agreed to open government with a short-term continuing resolution that does not permit construction of the Southern border wall.
[NOTE: since this speech, the Senate and House quickly (less than 4 hours) passed a bill to re-open all government]

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[Transcript] Rose Garden – 2:17 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. My fellow Americans, I am very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and re-open the federal government. (Applause.) As everyone knows, I have a very powerful alternative, but I didn’t want to use it at this time. Hopefully it will be unnecessary.
I want to thank all of the incredible federal workers, and their amazing families, who have shown such extraordinary devotion in the face of this recent hardship. You are fantastic people. You are incredible patriots. Many of you have suffered far greater than anyone, but your families would know or understand. And not only did you not complain, but in many cases you encouraged me to keep going because you care so much about our country and about its border security.
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I post this presser by Roger Stone not to highlight Stone’s position (which is valid), but rather to highlight the background that few are paying attention to; and fewer still are accepting.  Here’s the presser:

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Notice the circus environment, the chants and shouting “lock him up” in the background etc.  This is *NOT* ordinary people showing up on their coffee/lunch break to engage in political theater.   This is well structured, previously planned, and coordinated ‘resistance’ activity.
Leadership of the activist-left; all of them – the entire apparatus; knew in advance that Stone was the target du jour of the day.  This is all planned out and organized; nothing is organic.  Hence, CNN was present for the live broadcast of the Osama bin-Stone raid at his some in the pre-dawn hours.  This is professionally coordinated stage setting.
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