Begin, with the end in mind…

President Trump and Vice-President Pence met with Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D), and Chairs of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R) and Dianne Feinstein (D) today.  These are key members of the Senate who will be at the forefront of any Supreme Court nomination.

(Clockwise from bottom left: Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Mike Pence, President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley)

The small group meeting appears to be reconnaissance and temperature gauging for the upcoming Trump Supreme Court nomination which will be challenging.
In addition to the myriad of long-term impacts, Trump’s SCOTUS nominee will be a key element to the broader immigration issue.  Referencing back to the DACA topic, it is predictable the removal of DACA will eventually end up with immigration advocates selecting a deportee for use in their deportation court challenge.
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President Trump nominee for OMB Director Mick “Cantalopes” Mulvaney Senate Confirmation hearing – Ongoing:

The Office of Management and Budgets is a key role for any administration. Mulvaney represents Paul Ryan’s favorite nominee.  Previous discussion on Mulvaney below: (more…)

Earlier today President Donald Trump signed an executive action to revive the Keystone XL pipeline, signalling his inclination to approve the project.  In 2015 President Obama rejected the pipeline, which would connect the Alberta oil sands to existing pipelines in Nebraska.

“We’re going to renegotiate some of the terms, and if they’d like, we’ll see if we can get that pipeline built.  Great construction jobs.”

WASHINGTON […]  Tuesday’s actions will not force the approval of either project, and Trump said he wanted to renegotiate terms with the pipelines’ developers. Those terms may include some way for the United States government to get a financial return from Keystone, a possibility he mentioned on the campaign trail.
The new president briefly described each action before putting his pen to paper, and then held each action in front of the cameras.
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Tuesday January 24th White House Press Secretary full briefing:

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There are multiple voices raising concern about President Trump not taking immediate Executive Action to reverse former President Obama’s DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.  To those voices this message is intended.

Now is not the time to address DACA.  The UniParty and the UniParty friendly media are trying to bait President Trump into jumping into a politically charged issue they will use to slow, if not destroy, the larger agenda.
There are two Obama executive action constructs, DACA and DAPA.

♦ Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as “The Dreamers” executive order which has been implemented and carried out deferring immigration enforcement for the children of illegal aliens.

♦ Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), was the executive action found unconstitutional by Judge Hanen (Texas), blocked by injunction, and subsequently the injunction was argued through the appellate court all the way to SCOTUS – and upheld.

The Department of Homeland Security reluctantly halted DAPA implementation after they were defeated in the court system.   However, DACA, the deferred action for “dreamers” has been ongoing.  It is the DACA program that contains the largest political issue.
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Yesterday President Trump held a day of meetings with corporate business titans, CEO’s, and also skilled labor union officials.  However, two men were transparently absent from both group meetings: U.S. CoC President Tom Donohue, and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

The reasoning for their absence is more sunlight upon the UniParty swamp.  Insofar as politics in DC is a false choice assembly of two political parties sharing the same goals and ideology, the uniparty, so too are Donohue and Trumka two sides of the same coin.
The GOPe wing of the UniParty is funded by Tom Donohue and his crony capitalistic U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbying group.  The DEM wing of the UniParty is funded by Richard Trumka and his consorts in the SEIU and AFSCME.
Both Donohue and Trumka are operational agents and groundskeepers for the Swamp.  It’s an open secret never discussed by media; however, in the era of Trump their transparent absence speaks loudly.
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I can’t speak highly enough of Judge Andrew Hanen. He stood alone in the gap, steadfast, against the entire weaponized Obama DOJ and White House apparatus…

Backstory HERE – and HERE – and HERE – and HERE

After a three-year-long Mexican standoff – today Judge Hanen rears righteously back in his chair, launches a well-chewed batch of tobaccy into the spittoon next to the swinging doors of the saloon, and deliberately says ‘git out‘….
The twitchy DOJ lawyers stumble all over themselves as they clamor desperately backwards for the exit.

[page 7] Nevertheless, two important factors have arisen since the time the Government finally chose to file the evidence long-requested by the Court. First, the country has held a national election—the result of which has caused the parties to file a motion to stay. As stated above, that issue will be addressed in a separate order. Second, and more directly related to the evaluation of the need for remedial action, the second anniversary for the three-year Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) extensions —the subject matter of the misrepresentations— has come and gone.  (ruling link)
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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 †

Washington DC is a bubble of self-centered ideological brethren.  The statistics within the DC vote speak for themselves: 91% supported Clinton, 4% supported Trump.  That’s an ideological ratio of 22:1  (link)  For every one resident within DC who identifies as a Trump supporter, there are twenty two who are opposed to President Trump policy initiatives and approach.
Each day the DC media personalities, producers, pundits and journalists interact and live within this skewed isolated bubble and outlook toward the world.  In their coffee shops, restaurants, and the schools attended by their children, that 22:1 ratio is the reality behind how their cognitive disconnect originates.

That 22:1 ratio is also the primary reason why all evidence that doesn’t align with what the bubble interests define as their world-view must be reconciled to a reality that fits their day-to-day experiences and interactions.
Data that is counter-intuitive to their echo-chambered views must be re-purposed to fit their cognitive narrative; hence “alternate fact assembly” is the outcome.
However, here’s some data gathering they just cannot reconcile to their comfort:

WASHINGTON – Though some cried while others cheered, both sides tuned into to watch President Trump’s inauguration in sizable numbers – record-breaking numbers, in fact. The event has broken new ground, becoming the largest, single live news event that content delivery network Akamai has ever hosted, the company says, following an analysis of its live video data.

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