Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has sent a letter (full pdf below) and list of questions to Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein asking about the appointment, instructions and power of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The primary question within the letter is: under what authority, and within what statute, is the AAG authorized to assign a counterintelligence investigation to a special counsel:

“More specifically, section 600.1 states the Attorney General “will appoint a Special Counsel when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted.” The omitted regulations do not authorize counterintelligence investigations.”

One of the questions within the letter is additionally interesting. SEE:

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The White House has released a “Joint Statement of the United States and China Regarding Trade Consultations“:

“At the direction of President Donald J. Trump and President Xi Jinping, on May 17 and 18, 2018, the United States and China engaged in constructive consultations regarding trade in Washington, D.C. The United States delegation included Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, and United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer. The Chinese delegation was led by State Council Vice Premier Liu He, Special Envoy of President Xi.”

“There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China. To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services. This will help support growth and employment in the United States.”

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FLASHBACK – The Dateline is March 9th, 2017: The media is interviewing former DNI James Clapper to push-back against President Trump’s recent tweets about his 2016 campaign, and campaign officials, being under surveillance from Obama intelligence officials. Here’s what Clapper said on Meet The Press:

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This week The New York Times [Here and Here] and Washington Post [Here] have reluctantly admitted the Obama intelligence apparatus: CIA, DOJ-NSD and FBI were conducting surveillance on the Trump campaign through the use of FISA Warrants, National Security Letters, and “informants” used to target the campaign.

The IC narrative has shifted from denial to justification. President Trump responds:

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With the stark, albeit predictable, reversals and unavoidable admissions regarding an orchestrated effort from the Obama DOJ and FBI to conduct opposition research on the Trump campaign –via spy networks and surveillance– the larger conspiracy is laid bare.

Unsurprisingly the professional media proletariat shift strategies from denial to justification.  All of the questions previously posed -and dismissed- about funding for the dossier, campaign surveillance, wiretaps and political spy operations are no longer conspiracy theory. That’s the pesky problem with truth; it exists regardless of media’s unidirectional opinion of it, or their efforts to hide its location.

However, with more people paying attention, perhaps now is a good time to revisit another simply set of truthful facts; something entirely forgotten amid the past six months of slowly emerging evidence.  Amid months of DOJ and FBI sunlight avoidance strategies, there was actually a time not long ago when a flood of sunlight appeared for apparently no reason whatsoever.

Those of us who have followed the internal battle amid two very obviously waring factions within the U.S. intelligence apparatus have been watching this play out so long we have forgotten the timing of a critical turning point.  Set against the backdrop of an intelligence apparatus, an administrative state per se’, desperate to retain survivability, it is worth remembering December 2nd, 2017.

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Of all the talents gifted to men, I most wish that I had some musical gift. I have always wanted to be able to sing, but sometimes I see the joy that  great musicians are capable of sharing with others.

The first time I watched this I was absorbed by the music. The second time the faces of the audience caught my attention. You can see how emotional they are, and how the music moves them. The third time I watched, I could see the expression of satisfaction on the faces of the musicians who know they have a rare and beautiful gift to share.

Finally, I think the song brings joy in all the many versions we each have heard throughout the years. Surely John Newton was gifted by the Holy Spirit with the words that would touch the hearts of millions of people, people across all religions, and yes, convert more than a few, or at least leave their hearts and minds open for the Spirit to move in them.

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 †

The New York Times has essentially outed the CIA and FBI informant as Stefan Halper tonight in yet another lengthy justification article citing the reasoning from the perspective of the corrupt intelligence officers who conducted the surveillance and spying operation against the Trump campaign.

Guess what?…. After 18 months of denials, their justification framework isn’t selling.  It isn’t selling even amid the barking moonbats who normally defend the left-wing crazy.  If you want to gauge the level of fail, just read the comments section of the New York Times justification article.   D’oh… the awakening is here like a DNC party during the ALS ice-bucket challenge.

According to The Times, the FBI and CIA were using Halper to protect candidate Trump from the Russians.  Yes, that’s their story and they’re sticking to it.  However, from that angle: Are they currently investigating candidate Trump for failing to collude in the Russian efforts they were attempting to protect him from?  {{{D’oh}}}  Yup, the special counsel is an ongoing effort to keep protecting President Trump… or something.

Wait,… what?.. Huh?

Oh, ya just gotta read the NYT snippets.

Two things to remember: First, they denied all of this for eighteen months.  Second, these are their leaks, their story, their version; delivered via their spin, from the people who were conducting the scheme against the Trump campaign:

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Hmmmm….  this is interesting.  The Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, is demanding the FBI and DOJ must keep records from congress.

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According to Mark Warner, it would be “irresponsible” and “potentially illegal” for congressional oversight to keep demanding records from the FBI and DOJ about their spying and surveillance activity against the campaign of Donald Trump… wait, what?

Hmm?… Methinks Senator Mark Warner has a conflict here.

You see, when Dianne Feinstein stepped down as Vice-Chair from the Senate Intel Committee after the 2016 election, it was Mark Warner who took her place.  This puts Warner on the Gang-of-Eight.  Coincidentally, the Gang-of-Eight conduct all oversight over DOJ and FBI covert and counterintelligence operations…. including those covert actions that took place in 2016.   But wait, it gets better….

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DAY#3 – Everyone has a role to play. While President Trump’s ‘killers’ sharpen dragon-slaying strategy, NEC Chairman Larry Kudlow rubs Big Panda’s belly and discusses the optimistic outlook toward the ongoing trade negotiations with China.

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In Part II of the interview chairman cuddle-bunny discusses the issues of intellectual property rights, patents and copyright protections.

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