What’s that they say about “Apples and Trees”?   Ivanka Trump is a very sharp, classically elegant, and intensely poised person – a great representative for her family and her own values.

Yes, it’s that time of year when the “Omnibus” spending kicks into overdrive.  Washington DC loves it when the electorate are distracted with the Holiday Festivities.

This year we taxpayers get yet another round of usurpation from the Progressive Republican GOPe critters, led now by Paul Ryan, who infect the spending body.

SPEAKER Ryan and his team of spending enthusiasts is getting ready to “bail out”, meaning give, the ObamaCare health insurance carriers an influx of EVEN MORE money:

WASHINGTON DC – […]  Negotiators are not close to a deal but are looking seriously at the framework discussed by Senate Finance Committee member Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., when the latter served as Ways and Means chair, tax lobbyists and House staffers said. The two lawmakers were unable to agree on the level of funding for highway programs, and negotiations stalled.

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Okay Treepers, time to pull out those cookbooks and dust them off, flip through those well worn pages and share your family favorites with us. No matter what Zurich Mike says, bacon does not have to be an ingredient for you to share with us.

We always get some great recipes, old and new, everything from appetizers on through the main course. It’s wonderful to see such delicious recipes, shared with a memory or two of things gone by. We also get some new ideas each year as people try something different, and new traditions and favorites are discovered.  (more…)

Donald Trump 60% -vs- Ben Carson 40%
Donald Trump 57% -vs- Marco Rubio 43%
Donald Trump 57% -vs- Ted Cruz 43%

A new YouGov/Economist Poll (full pdf below) of 2000 national respondents shows Donald Trump with a commanding lead, and beating all GOP rivals in head-to-head matchups.

For the first time Pollsters asked the respondents head-to-head comparisons between Trump, Carson, Cruz and Rubio.   The results eliminate yet another promoted myth:

Head-To-Head […]  The New York billionaire would defeat Rubio and Cruz by the same margin of 57 percent to 43 percent, and would defeat Carson by a margin of 60 to 40 percent, according to the poll. 

The finding is a blow to the hopes of some Republican elites who argue that Trump’s stubborn lead in the race will dissipate once the field winnows and a more mainstream alternative rises (read more).

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Did you wonder why the MSM was pushing a meme of “net immigration zero” for the past two weeks?   Here’s why.  Statistics from last month show a MASSIVE INCREASE in illegal alien immigration.  The number of illegal minors crossing doubles; the number of illegal alien families crossing the border triples….

WASHINGTON DC – Nearly 5,000 unaccompanied immigrant children were caught illegally crossing the U.S. border with Mexico in October, almost double the number from October 2014, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Also, in the figures released Tuesday, the number of family members crossing together nearly tripled from October 2014 — from 2,162 to 6,029. (more…)

The story of CENTCOM analysts accusing commanders of manipulating intelligence reports on ISIS to appease the White House is a story that has some interest in the mainstream media – but what if it is actually connected to a larger issue?

Washington DC -Allegations are mounting that senior intelligence officials at Central Command not only skewed findings on the ISIS war to please D.C., but tried to hide what they did.

In July, a group of intelligence analysts at the U.S. military’s Central Command accused their bosses of distorting and selectively editing intelligence reports about the fight against ISIS in order to portray that campaign as more successful than it really was. As a result of those complaints, the Pentagon’s inspector general opened an investigation.

Now, the allegations of misconduct have extended to a possible cover-up, with some analysts accusing the senior intelligence officials at CENTCOM, Maj. Gen. Steven Grove and his civilian deputy, Gregory Ryckman, of deleting emails and files from computer systems before the inspector general could examine them, three individuals familiar with the investigation told The Daily Beast.

One U.S. official said the alleged activity could amount to obstruction and interference with the inspector general’s investigation, which began last summer.  (read more)

The presumption within the controversy (as it is generally discussed by the media) is that CENTCOM bosses changed the intel to give the impression of success to please the White House.  But what if that wasn’t the reason?

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There is only one acceptable candidate for what people call the “establishment republicans” (abbreviated the “GOPe”), and that candidate remains Jeb Bush.

Regardless of how low his polling goes, Jeb will remain their guy.  All other candidates, except Trump, are factored into the equation of control contained within the original construct of the GOPe road map.

Tens of millions in advanced promotional GOPe ad-buys await the new year, the latest count was somewhere North of $70 million.

The splitter Super-PACs, currently focusing on the elimination of Donald Trump, have ad buys extended through Christmas,. and a half million dollar ad buy extension through the first two weeks of January.

With the rise of candidate Donald Trump the GOPe initially moderated their plan and famously required Trump to sign a GOP Pledge.  However, they had a bigger problem.

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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 “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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 †