First Lady Melania Trump hosted a luncheon today to celebrate international “women’s day”.  First daughter Ivanka Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, GOP Sen. Susan Collins, second lady Karen Pence and her daughter, Charlotte Pence, fashion designer Rachel Roy, along with dozens of female ambassadors and dignitaries were also present for the luncheon in the White House.

The first lady was dressed in a black sleeveless Ralph Lauren dress as she spoke in the State Dining Room.  Mrs Trump focused her luncheon remarks on atrocities women are confronted with around the world, including human trafficking.  In addition Mrs. Trump cited education as a way to prevent gender inequality, and pledged her support to help bridge the divide for women.
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Put this in the ‘things you won’t see on CNN’ file: Trying to retain their resistant bona fides Democrat Representatives Elijah Cummings and Peter Welch emerge from a meeting with, with, with the bad man, President Trump, seemingly infected with r-r-r-respect.
Aiieeeee… resist we much, and we much, about this, be committed.. Pelosi desperately shouting: “stay away from the light… don’t walk toward the light”… oh noes, the swamp, they’re, they’re walking the-wrong-way…  OMG.  “Curse You Villain !!”
Elijah Cummings obviously having a hard time shaking it off.  It took him a few minutes to gather back his oppositional composure:

If, if, if, if… only Trump had a magic wand or something… well, then the, the, the, the…. the Okie doke Trump brand would be “skyrocketing“:

WASHINGTON DC – Contrary to reports that shoppers are avoiding the first daughter’s fashion line to protest her father’s policies, the president of the company says recent sales are among the best in the brand’s history.
Abigail Klem, a former lawyer who has worked at Ivanka Trump HQ since 2013 and took over the role of company president in January, insisted that the brand has experienced a major boost.
“Since the beginning of February, they were some of the best performing weeks in the history of the brand,” explained Klem to Refinery29.com. “For several different retailers Ivanka Trump was a top performer online, and in some of the categories it was the [brand’s] best performance ever.”
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…“and we will win, and you will win, and we will keep on winning; and eventually you will say we can’t take all of this winning, …please Mr. Trump …and I will say, NO, we will win, and we will keep on winning”.
~ Donald Trump

The February jobs report was released earlier today and the results stunned the markets. Employment in the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month However, no forecaster anticipated manufacturing and construction jobs growing over 106,000 jobs.
Construction jobs swelled by 66,000 and manufacturing added another 32,000. A stunning reversal in the sectors gaining the most significant growth in the first full month of a Donald Trump presidency:

The total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP. The blockbuster report also solidified market expectations for the Fed to hike interest rates next week. Probability for an increase jumped to 91 percent after the release, according to the CME.
The report encompassed the first full month under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure system. (read more)

The results are so far beyond expectations that all current forecast models are being revised. (more…)

The spirit of America….  “Made In The USA”:

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer holds the press briefing for Wednesday March 8th 2017.  Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1 – Alternate Live Stream #2

If Monica Crowley did not know the severity of the opposition previously, she most certainly understands it now – as she explains in this interview:

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

You can follow the updates at the Official Iditarod Website HERE – The Iditarod Trail Facebook Page is HERE

Nicolas Petit first to Yukon – By Joe Runyan
In an impressive display of raw power, Nicolas Petit took command at the lead into Tanana.  Insiders viewing the GPS tracker saw Nicolas work his team to the front, edge past  Martin Buser and arrive first at the Yukon with fifteen dogs.
The sun in the horizon turned the sky pastel pink as Petit settled his team for a rest at the Tanana community center.  First he took an extra snowhook (a pronged lightweight anchor with curved hooks)  and tied the six foot line to a loop on the main towline and stretched out the towline.  That kept the team orderly.
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During an interesting Lou Dobbs interview Judge Andrew Napolitano discusses the “Deep State” and how President Trump is the first president to confront them without backing down.