As the Special Counsel Robert Mueller indictment documents show with increasing clarity, the entire enterprise surrounding the Washington DC Russian Investigation is not about law, it’s about creating and controlling leverage.
If you review anything within the ongoing political fiasco from the perspective of laws broken or unbroken and the application of the judiciary toward the endeavor of stopping such activity we will remain oblivious to the bigger picture. EXPLAINED HERE
It’s not about the law; it’s not about the judiciary; it’s not about what’s legal, or the illegality of behavior; only politics. These are not legal issues; the entities involved are not connected to legal or illegal application of laws as they relate to the rest of American society.

You cannot view the current action through the transactional prism of modern judicial proceedings as they relate to you and me. These are political struggles taking place inside the venue of the legal system. The players use the legal system to game out the optics and narrative of political battles for ideological wins and losses.
In essence, this is about leverage for political use.
The 2016 election caused the balance of power to shift favorably toward political forces that are external to the DC machine, ie. President Trump and the deplorables.
The subsequent action by Robert Mueller, Democrats, the Media (writ large), and President Trump is a confrontation over political goals and objectives. The DC machine, the “swamp” per se’, is attempting to frame leverage against actions adverse to their political interest.
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Jay Sekulow, an attorney for President Donald Trump, appears on CNN outlining no relation between the indictment of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Richard Gates to the administration; and no connection between George Papadopolous and President Trump.

Well, well, well…. Long-time Clinton insider and the epicenter of all Clinton connected power in Washington DC, Tony Podesta, is stepping down from the super-lobbying group that bears his name.
According to a report in politico, Tony Podesta has discovered he is also in the cross hairs of the Special Prosecutor investigation by Robert Mueller.  Additionally, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort worked for the Podesta lobbying group to advance the interests of Ukraine and Russia in Washington DC.

There is some strong DC speculation that Manafort’s earlier indictment may lead to, or have been intended to, leverage cooperation with special counsel Mueller regarding the Podesta firm investigation.
Federal records show two firms doing work on behalf of Paul Manafort’s Ukraine front group beginning in April of 2012: The Podesta Group and Mercury Group.
Despite the lobbying activity neither group was disclosed as legally required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) until April of 2017. Documents: SEE HERE and SEE HERE

(Via Politico) Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group, is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after coming under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.

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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate, Rick Gates, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy against the United States and other felony charges. The indictments unsealed Monday in Washington contain 12 counts, including conspiracy to launder money, failing to register as a foreign agent, false statements, and multiple counts of failing to file reports for foreign bank accounts.
The DOJ indictment charges that former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates generated tens of millions of dollars in income as a result of their Ukraine lobbying work.
According to the indictment (pdf below): “In order to hide Ukraine payments from United States authorities, from approximately 2006 through at least 2016, Manafort and Gates laundered the money through scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships and bank accounts.”
Special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s probe focused on wire transfers Paul Manafort made from Ukraine to private accounts and whether he paid taxes on that income. Indictment:
[scribd id=363023679 key=key-tdVt4beet4y9WixlyJur mode=scroll]
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White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders provides the White House press briefing for Monday October 30th – Anticipated start time 1:00pm EST
UPDATE: Video Added

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 †

Stop me when you see the parallels:

The time was November and December 2009, right about this time of year in the larger political calendar of things…. One party was completely locked out from influence in Washington DC, as the opposing party held the White House, and majorities in both houses of congress…
The 2009 political opposition groups didn’t like what was happening.  There was very large and significant legislation being debated.  Frustrated common sense citizens stopped looking to ineffective congressional representatives to stop the daily usurpation.
Loosely connected but engaged grassroots political types were looking for routes to stop the White House and congress.
There was also a Senate seat up for grabs, and a necessary special election.  The former seat-holder was considered a stalwart by the party in power; and the seat was considered a “gimme” by the state party apparatus.  No-one was contemplating the possibility of the majority party in power ever losing that seat….. EVER.
The candidate appointed to hold the seat for the party in power was arrogant, condescending, and generally didn’t feel they needed to work for the seat.  After all, the seat was held by one party for decades and generally no-one could fathom losing it.
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Speaking on behalf of a goal for continued funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this opening statement by Frank Stephens might very well be the best testimonial made to a congressional committee since the incredible Catherine Engelbrecht speech.
“Happiness is worth something”…  Yes, Mr. Stephens, yes it is.   Please WATCH:

Saving this for reference approximately six months from now when we enter the apex phase for the 2018 primary election.
It is easily predictable, as was identically the case in 2014 – albeit with lesser documentation, there will be all manner of obfuscations and arguments about ‘motives’ and ‘intents’ of various personalities behind a litany of duplicitous candidates and their agenda-driven (self-interested) backers therein (almost always guaranteed to be financial).  Believe me, we’ll want to hold this for later reference.

It had to happen sooner or later.

I'm at my 1st ever football game!

@Redskins v. @dallascowboys

Not exactly Rugby! pic.twitter.com/O8CLDD1Kd5

— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) October 29, 2017

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Beware those who march quickly to the front of the parade; for they will often be assigned a role in choosing the destination…

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