White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer conducts the press briefing for March 29th:

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“SCIF” – Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. To understand the larger Devin Nunes briefing issues it is important to focus on the word “compartmented”.
Intelligence information is housed by compartments. Each intelligence unit holds intelligence unique to that compartment. The FBI Counter-Intelligence Unit would hold the intel information specific to their task or assignment. The CIA would hold their own compartmented intel; again, specific to their task and objectives. So too would the NSA or Pentagon.

This compartmented structure is what led to the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI. The 911 commission recommended the position to serve as a hub able to ensure intelligence sharing; that is – to ensure intelligence was not intentionally withheld from other compartments when needed.
It is doubtful the 911 commission ever gave thought to what might happen when intelligence is weaponized as a political tool. The DNI is a political appointment, a cabinet member, of the President.
Thoughtful exposition – If the executive branch, the President, wanted to weaponize intelligence as a political tool, he/she would have control over such weaponization as an outcome of their political appointees within the: CIA (Brennan), NSA (Rogers), FBI (Comey), DNI (Clapper), DoD (Ash Carter), etc.
However, understandably the key figure would be the DNI hub – James Clapper.
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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

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

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 †

It’s on!  M.E.G.A meets M.A.G.A next Monday, April 3rd:

WHITE HOUSE – President Donald J. Trump looks forward to welcoming President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt for an official visit to Washington on April 3.  President Trump and President Al Sisi will use the visit to build on the positive momentum they have built for the United States-Egypt relationship.  They will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including how to defeat ISIS and pursue peace and stability in the region. (link)

This meeting is VERY important.  The geopolitical messaging and value of this visit cannot be overstated.  Remember, President Obama never even called President al-Sisi after his election win, and never invited him to the White House.   As a result of specific Obama policy (and design) their paths only crossed once in New York at the U.N. assembly.

President Trump and Secretary Tillerson hosting Egyptian President al-Sisi and his full diplomatic entourage at the White House is a historic shift in U.S. policy and approach.

Having closely followed Egyptian politics, and accepting there are multiple similarities to our own challenges, my personal opinion of al-Sisi has been very favorable for a long time. I genuinely believe at the core of al-Sisi is a very rare leadership skill-set of a very strong and consequential leader.  President Trump and President al-Sisi should be natural allies.

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Earlier this evening President Trump and Vice-President Pence attended a reception for Senators and their spouses.

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This is stunningly interesting and hopefully will be picked up by MSM and congressional investigators.
Sometimes when a person is deep inside an echo-chamber of like-minded ideologues, they  might not realize what they’re saying is rather revealing to those on the outside. That’s the set up for former Obama administration official Evelyn Farkas (Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense) appearing on MSNBC and admitting first hand knowledge the Obama administration spied on candidate and president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to gather “intelligence” for political use.
It would appear Ms. Farkas was so caught up in the discussion, she didn’t quite realize the significant admissions she was making about the Obama administration spying on Donald Trump’s team and generating classified intelligence for Ms. Farkas (and others) to spread to Capitol Hill politicians.   MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski recognized the ‘oh-snap’ admission and tried to play it off,… but by then it was too late.

I was urging my former colleagues, and, and frankly speaking the people on the Hill [Democrat politicians], it was more actually aimed at telling the Hill people, get as much information as you can – get as much intelligence as you can – before President Obama leaves the administration.
Because I had a fear that somehow that information would disappear with the senior [Obama] people who left; so it would be hidden away in the bureaucracy, um, that the Trump folks – if they found out HOW we knew what we knew about their, the Trump staff, dealing with Russians – that they would try to compromise those sources and methods; meaning we no longer have access to that intelligence.
So I became very worried because not enough was coming out into the open and I knew that there was more.  We have very good intelligence on Russia; so then I had talked to some of my former colleagues and I knew that they were also trying to help get information to [Democrat politicians].

But wait, it didn’t just stop there. It gets worse – or better, depending on your position.
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The global religion of billionaire carbon traders takes a hit today as the Church of Climatology is diminished by executive action.  Apoplectic leftist meltdowns begin in 3,… 2,… 1….
Earlier this afternoon President Trump visited the Washington DC sanctuary of the EPA and signed an executive order reauthorizing America’s energy independence program.

[Transcript] 2:14 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  I guess they like what we’re about to sign.  I knew they were going to like this one.  Well, thank you very much.  I very much appreciate it.  And thank you to our great Vice President, Mike Pence.
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Earlier today President Trump met with leaders of the Fraternal Order of Police, the representatives of the rank-and-file officers who protect and serve, to hear their concerns and solicit feedback on the most consequential challenges they face.

[TRANSCRIPT] 11:09 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT:  The press must like you people.  Look at all the press.  Well, you’re the greatest people.  You keep us safe, right?
PARTICIPANT:  Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT:  You keep us safe.  It’s a tremendous honor to welcome the Fraternal Order of Police to the White House.  So many of you I know for so long, and you’ve been friends of mine, and you do a great job.  Nobody braver.
I want to thank your entire leadership team, including your national president, Chuck Canterbury.  I also want to thank you for your support during the election.  I guess you probably know, the numbers were extremely lopsided, right?  I’m just trying to figure out who were the few people that voted the other way.  Who are they?  (Laughter.)  Find out who they are, please, and let us know? (more…)