Drip, Drip – Catherine Herridge Drops Two More Pages of Andrew McCabe and Lisa Page Text Messages…


Not A Tick-Tock

Last week Fox News journalist Catherine Herridge announced she had received 40 pages of text messages between former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and his FBI Lawyer Lisa Page. [See Here]  These text communications have not been seen by congress, and were not released during prior requests for documents.  Herridge, released and wrote about two of the pages. [See Here]

Today, Herridge releases two more pages….  She’s awesome, and likely slow in the overall release to absorb the import; and for good reason.  Herridge’s release today highlights an important meeting as discussed within the texts:

In a Dec. 12, 2016, text reviewed by Fox News, Page wrote to McCabe: “Btw, [Director of National Intelligence James] Clapper told Pete that he was meeting with [CIA Director John] Brennan and Cohen for dinner tonight. Just FYSA [for your situational awareness].”

Herridge’s angle is questioning why Peter “Pete” Strzok would be told about a meeting between CIA Director John Brennan, ODNI James Clapper and Deputy CIA Director David Cohen.  Current officials cannot explain the context of this December 12th, 2016 meeting and why “Pete” would know about it.

However, there’s an aspect to the background of this time-frame that Catherine Herridge is overlooking…. bear with me.

This meeting takes place on December 12th, 2016.  This is in the epicenter of the time when the Obama intelligence officials, specifically Clapper and Brennan – along with DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, were hastily putting together something called the JAR “Joint Analysis Report”, on Russian activity in the 2016 election.

The Joint Analysis Report: aka “GRIZZLY STEPPE – Russian Malicious Cyber Activity”  was released on December 29th, 2016, to coincide with President Obama kicking out Russian diplomats as punishment for the content therein which outlined malicious Russian activity in the 2016 election.

[Sidenote: CTH has had to fight to keep our copy of that report accessible – long story]

We’ve been talking about the JAR from the day it was initially released.  This specific report is total garbage. [Read it Here]  The “Russian Malicious Cyber Activity – Joint Analysis Report” is pure nonsense. This is the report that generated the “17 intelligence agencies” narrative and talking points.  The JAR outlines nothing more than vague and disingenuous typical hacking activity that is no more substantive than any other hacking report on any other foreign actor.  But the “17 Intel Agencies” narrative stuck like glue.

What the report does well is using technical terminology to describe common cyber activity. Example: “ATPT29” sounds looming, but really is Olaf, the imaginary round faced chubby guy probably working from his kitchen table; and “ATPT28” is his unemployed socially isolated buddy living in Mom’s basement down the street. But when put into technical terms they sound more alarming…. more colluding or something.

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/335307016/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-qvjYK3gLD9WdgOskmgoe

All that JAR nonsense is saying is a general explanation for how hacking, any hacking, is generally carried out. This entire report is nothing more than a generalized, albeit techno-worded, explanation for how Nigerians, Indians, or in this case Russians, attempt to gain your email passwords etc., nothing more.

However, even more alarming was how far the various radical political ideologues, and the media, were willing to go to create a straw-man crisis for political benefit. Secondly, how terribly diminished the integrity of the executive office of the U.S. presidency became amid this level of ridiculous manufactured propaganda.

There’s no doubt the intended outcome was to create confusion and begin selling a narrative to undermine the incoming President-elect Trump administration. No-one expected him to win; Trump’s victory sent a shock-wave through the DC system the professional political class were reacting to it.  The emotional crisis inside DC made manipulating them, and much of the the electorate, that much easier.

Understanding the JAR was used to validate the Russian sanctions and expulsion of the 35 Russian diplomats; and understanding that some coordination and planning was needed for the report therein; and understanding that Brennan and Clapper would need someone to author the material; that’s where Peter “Pete” Strzok comes in.

Remember, CIA Director John Brennan enlisted FBI Agent Peter Strzok to write much of the follow-up within the ICA report, another sketchy construct.  Paul Sperry wrote a great article about it (emphasis mine):

[…] In another departure from custom, the report is missing any dissenting views or an annex with evaluations of the conclusions from outside reviewers. “Traditionally, controversial intelligence community assessments like this include dissenting views and the views of an outside review group,” said Fred Fleitz, who worked as a CIA analyst for 19 years and helped draft national intelligence estimates at Langley. “It also should have been thoroughly vetted with all relevant IC agencies,” he added. “Why were DHS and DIA excluded?”

Fleitz suggests that the Obama administration limited the number of players involved in the analysis to skew the results. He believes the process was “manipulated” to reach a “predetermined political conclusion” that the incoming Republican president was compromised by the Russians.

“I’ve never viewed the ICA as credible,” the CIA veteran added.

A source close to the House investigation said Brennan himself selected the CIA and FBI analysts who worked on the ICA, and that they included former FBI counterespionage chief Peter Strzok.

Strzok was the intermediary between Brennan and [former FBI Director James] Comey, and he was one of the authors of the ICA,” according to the source.  (read more)

Now does the picture from within Catherine Herridge’s story make more sense?

Peter “Pete” Strzok knew about the December 12th meeting between Brennan, Clapper and Cohen, because Clapper told Strzok of the meeting.  Likely this discussion surrounded the need for Pete’s help in constructing the JAR; which would be the underlying evidence President Obama would use to expel the Russians….  Which is to say, give increased validity to the manufactured premise there was Russian interference.  There wasn’t.

Fucking Brennan!

The scale of the scam they pulled off is remarkable.  Of course none of it would have been possible without a compliant media.  If anyone in the media had been asking direct questions in December of 2016 this entire house-of-cards would have collapsed.

The outgoing administration needed to create something, some narrative, to block Trump from upending their entire political system and protect their own asses from all of the spying and surveillance operations they deployed throughout 2015 and 2016.

They sold this ridiculous Russian Narrative to a gullible U.S. left-wing electorate, because the Obama administration -writ large- knew media would help them, and millions of already shocked people would buy into these fabrications.

Consider the December 2016 example from a Yahoo News article:

[…] The US intelligence community has concluded that a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails was designed to put Trump — a political neophyte who has praised Putin — into the Oval Office. (link)

There was, and still is, absolutely no evidence the DNC was “hacked” (WikiLeaks claims the information was an inside job of “leaking”), and even John Podesta admitted himself he was a victim of an ordinary “phishing” password change scam.

The Russian Interference narrative was constructed ex post-facto to cover for a political surveillance operation that was targeting candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. The Carter Page FISA warrant (an insurance policy) was needed as cover for the investigative data trail and time spent by FBI officials enlisted in the surveillance operation.

You can watch the Herridge report inside this video at 00:39 [Prompted]

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/403241811/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-5EEcDFef40oPcybknI1p

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Senator Mike Lee Promoted to General During Great Meme War of 2019 – The Battle Against Green New Deal…


Today on the Senate floor, United States Senator Mike Lee received his first star for conspicuous pageantry, meritorious valor, and ridicule with specific consequence during the great meme battle of 2019 against the Green New DealWATCH:

Rep. Doug Collins Releases Transcript From ‘Spygate’ Target George Papadopoulos…


Earlier today House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins, released the 239-page transcript (full pdf below) from testimony delivered by George Papadopoulos.  This latest transcript release happens on the same day that Papadopoulos released his book, “Deep State Target.”

George Papadopoulos is the low-level Trump campaign advisor targeted by the CIA and FBI in early 2016.  Papadopoulos was the excuse behind the FBI conducting Operation Crossfire Hurricane that began on July 31st, 2016.

It is widely suspected, almost certain, that CIA Director John Brennan enlisted the help of U.S. and foreign intelligence assets to run operations against the Trump campaign. The objective was to give the false and manufactured appearance of compromise.  Once the CIA established the possibility of compromise that opened the door for FBI investigation.

It’s likely the operation run by Brennan targeting Papadopoulos is at the center of the two-page “EC” (electronic communication); an origination document given to FBI Director James Comey to start the counterintelligence operation (Crossfire Hurricane) against the Trump campaign.  Two of the intelligence assets Brennan organized were Joseph Misfudand Stefan Halper.

Despite his position as a central target of the FBI investigation, Papadopoulos was never questioned until January 2017; highlighting the point he was indeed simply a manufactured tool to assist the larger scheme in monitoring candidate Trump.  George Papadopoulos was never charged with any illicit criminal or spying activity.

When Robert Mueller took over the Crossfire Hurricane operation, the FBI ran an elaborate entrapment string against Papadopoulos using a CIA asset in Israel and a payment of $10,000 in cash.  FBI Agents were waiting at the airport in Washington DC for Papadopoulos to return.  However, that part of the Mueller plan failed because Papadopoulos left the money behind.  So they applied pressure another way, from his book:

Here’s the Transcript:

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/403243886/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-zaWcfaCL6kiWUVOHIqq2

.

Now, many people have asked: what could possibly put George Papadopoulos on the radar of John Brennan?  Why make him a target?

Well, remember that 2014/2015 massive natural gas reserve discovery off the coast of Israel…. long before the 2016 election?

Remember that?

Well, there was a development late in 2018:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israel, Greece and Cyprus will sign an agreement early next year to build a pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, while the United States pledged its support for the ambitious project.

The $7 billion project, expected to take six or seven years to complete, promises to reshape the region as an energy provider and dent Russia’s dominance over the European energy market. It also could curtail Iranian ambitions to use Syria as a gateway to the eastern Mediterranean.

Speaking at a summit with the Greek and Cypriot leaders in southern Israel, Netanyahu said the three nations reaffirmed their commitment to the pipeline and discussed “important aspects” of the project. Italy is also a partner in the pipeline’s planning. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said the project is waiting for a green light from the European Union to move forward.

“We’re going to sign formally, officially, this agreement in a few months,” he said.

In another boost for the project, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman hailed the pipeline as integral to the “stability and prosperity of the Middle East and Europe,” and urged all countries in the region to ensure its success.

Washington is eyeing the east Mediterranean with renewed interest. In a meeting with the Greek foreign minister earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the region “an important strategic frontier” for Washington, which is working to strengthen its relations with “democratic allies there like Greece and Cyprus and Israel.”  (read more)

Here’s the interesting aspect…. Do you know who was the original energy policy consultant; the person who wrote the obscure -at the time- policy paper; a plan to avoidputting an EU pipeline through Turkey; and the person who put all of these regional heads together; that ultimately ended with this announced deal?

That would be the little known, generally invisible young energy adviser, who would eventually become the central figure in the “spygate” targeting, George Papadopoulos.

Yes, for those following the granules as they expose, that 2014 energy extraction strategy; a plan from a little known energy consultant; would have put Papadopoulos in opposition to the interests of President Obama, candidate Clinton, Turkey, Qatar and ultimately Iran and Russia.

Huh… Funny that.

It’s almost as if…..

President Trump Delivers Pointed Remarks About Mueller Report and Obama’s Involvement During Senate Luncheon (Video and Transcript)…


Whooo doggies….  President Trump attended a working policy luncheon today with Senate Republicans.  Making brief remarks to the media, President Trump answered questions about the Mueller report and the manufactured false Russian narrative.

While avoiding the specifics, President Trump directly implied the involvement of former President Obama.  [Video and Transcript below]

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[Transcript] 1:05 P.M. EDT – Q Some Democrats, sir, are still talking about impeachment. What’s your response to that?

THE PRESIDENT: I don’t think they’re talking about impeachment. We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had. Our country is in incredible shape. They and others created a fraud on our country with this ridiculous witch hunt, where it was proven, very strongly, no collusion, no obstruction. No nothing.

We are doing so well. We’ve never probably had a time of prosperity like this. It’s been great.

Q Mr. President, you’re accusing the people who launched the investigation into your campaign of treasonous acts.

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.

Q How high up do you think it went?

THE PRESIDENT: I think it went very high up. I think what happened is a disgrace. I don’t believe our country should allow this ever to happen again. This will never happen again. We cannot let it ever happen again. It went very high up, and it started fairly low, but with instructions from the high up. This should never happen to a President again. We can’t allow that to take place.

Q Mr. President, do you think it reached the West Wing of the Obama White House?

THE PRESIDENT: I don’t want to say that, but I think you know the answer.

Q Mr. President, the report says that while you did not commit a crime —

THE PRESIDENT: Who said what?

Q The Mueller report says — according to the Barr letter — while you —

THE PRESIDENT: The Mueller report was great. It could not have been better. It said, “No obstruction. No collusion.” It could not have been better.

Q On healthcare — on healthcare: Your administration is making very clear that you think the Affordable Care Act is invalid and should be struck down. What is your message to Americans who may be concerned about their healthcare?

THE PRESIDENT: Let me tell you exactly what my message is: The Republican Party will soon be known as the Party of Healthcare. You watch.

END 1:07 P.M. EDT

Corrupt As Hell – Chicago Prosecutor Joseph Magats Drops All Charges Against Jussie Smollett….


In a stunning development Cook County Asst. State Attorney Joseph Magats decided to drop all charges against Jussie Smollett for perpetrating a hate hoax crime.

All of the investigative evidence is solid; all of the evidence that proves Jussie Smollett did perpetrate the hoax is solid; and the police are angry with State Attorney Magats.

It appears the Asst. State Attorney felt the crime was not really that big a deal. As TMZ noted: “You’ll recall State’s Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case. She reportedly had asked cops to stand down at the behest of Tina Tchen – Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff and a friend of Jussie’s family. The conflict forced Foxx to bow out. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office tells us the decision to drop all charges against Jussie was made by Asst. State Attorney Joseph Magats”.

Joseph Magats, the Asst. State’s Attorney, said he saw no problems with the police investigation or the evidence against Smollett. The charges against Smollett were simply dropped in return for his agreement to do community service, and for forfeiting his bond to the city of Chicago.

Upon making the decision to drop the charges, asst. state attorney Joseph Magats also  said: “Here’s the thing – we work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime. Public safety is our number one priority. I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.

Magats went on to say, “We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case. The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence.”

Embedded video

CBS Chicago

@cbschicago

“Do you believe that he is innocent?” CBS reporter @adrianasdiaz asks First Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Joseph Magats about dropping charges against Jussie Smollett. “I do not believe he is innocent,” Magats responds.

3,530 people are talking about this

The decision to drop charges is fully, and specifically, upon the Cook County Asst. State Attorney Joseph Magats. The reasoning is transparently political. Smollett is connected to important Democrats and people within the party apparatus.

Magats’ position is predictable; the Asst. State Attorney for Cook county will claim if he took the Smollett case to it’s conclusion the sentence would likely be community service as punishment. Well, Jussie Smollett will still do the community service, but will not have the conviction… that’s the deal. Two-tiered justice.

This decision is so corrupt and so obviously politically connected, that even Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel cannot stand behind it. WATCH:

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Matt Finn

@MattFinnFNC

12.4K people are talking about this

 

PS, In my humble opinion, the Smollett hate crime was planned as part of the Kamala Harris presidential candidacy rollout.  Jussie Smollett just did a terrible job at pulling it off and the entire operation went sideways.

Kim Foxx@KimFoxxforSA

I’m so excited that @KamalaHarris has decided to run for president. I would not be where I am today without her guidance during my first run for political office, and she has continued to mentor me as I work to reform the criminal justice system in Cook County.  —KF

6,055 people are talking about this

Facebook to Launch a Cryptocurrency & Compete Against Banks?


QUESTION: Why is Facebook going to issue a cryptocurrency? Doesn’t that confirm the evolutionary path of technology?

ND

ANSWER: The term “cryptocurrency” is being thrown around very loosely. It is true that there is increasing hype and speculation regarding a theoretical Facebook Coin. However, this is not a “cryptocurrency” it is simply a digital entry and nothing more. The proposed Facebook Coin is the polar opposite of Bitcoin. AFacebook is creating a pretend cryptocurrency for WhatsApp. This is not a real cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrency enthusiasts are only looking at the label. The Facebook Coin is nothing like Bitcoin (BTC).

Thet Facebook Coin will be pegged to a fiat currency similar to that of Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) and it will use blockchain technology. The only real unique aspect about Facebook Coin versus a regular stablecoin is that it could be backed by a basket of fiat currencies, all held in Facebook bank accounts. This is more along the lines of the ultimate evolution of what I would expect to become the next reserve currency – a basket of currencies rather than a single currency.

If our sources are correct, this means that a Facebook Coin would easily compete with the rest of the $2-3 billion stablecoin markets where the biggest stablecoin remains Tether (USDT). Tether (USDT) has had some problems with its backing which resulted in its decline by as much as 10% below the value of a U.S. dollar.

That said, since Facebook Coin would be a stablecoin, it will not be possible to invest in it so it would not be a trading vehicle like Bitcoin. That means it would be more of a store of value which is quite different from Bitcoin (BTC) and most other cryptocurrencies where fluctuating prices really prevent them from becoming a true currency digital or otherwise. Clearly, Facebook has no intention of launching a trading cryptocurrency. If they did, it would probably blow Bitcoin out of the water. Facebook is not going this route for it is looking to get into really the digital currency world, not cryptocurrency. However, Facebook’s total stock has a market cap of $463 billion is closer to 4 times that of the entire crypto market cap of $130 billion.

If we pull back the curtain, Facebook is much more interested in a real-world market by creating its own payment network independent of Visa and PayPal. Effectively, venturing into a digital currency world backed by a basket of currencies or allowing clients to select their currency means they would compete for deposits like banks but globally. With Facebook’s immense user base, such as a payment network would be extremely competitive in the banking world. Obviously, Facebook sees that a digital payment network will be unique out of all the other big name fiat payment networks since it will use blockchain technology and its client base to launch it into the future..

 

The SEC is Trying to Remove Musk But Not the Bankers. Why?


QUESTION: Is it possible the Gov’t is going after Elon Musk for his opinion on AI. It seems as though Google CEO is working with the Gov’t to collect information against the citizens of the USA and absolutely for an unregulated AI sector. Maybe there is a battle going on between the techies and the US Govt. Wondering if you believe it is possible or I’m just paranoid..

Thank You as Always Mr. Armstrong.

JN

ANSWER: I do not believe that is the issue. Google itself is quite advanced in AI. If anything, it might be to remove a competitor. It is very strange that the SEC demanded he be removed from the board for a simply stating he might take the company back. You had Corzine and countless bankers doing major damage to the world economy and they remain in play. Something is just not right.

Keeping it Simple Keeps you Stupid


There was a 14th-century Franciscan friar by the name of William of Ockham who is credited with having formalized the principle that “simpler solutions are likely to be more correct than complex ones.” Hence, we seem to always try to reduce everything to a single cause and effect. Some have rephrased this as “keep it simple, stupid,” and it has emerged with the label “Ockham’s razor,” which is supposed to be a tool that cuts through complexity to get from point A to point B. However, is this the very problem that prevents us from seeing reality? It was, after all, this very principle that supported the flat earth theory. It prevailed and even led to the execution of people such as Giordano Bruno (1548–1600)  for daring to propose that the universe was not revolving around a flat Earth. Even Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was charged in 1633 by the Roman Inquisition and forced to sign the confession or suffer the same fate of Bruno that the Earth was flat.

In funds management, the statement that proves there is complexity is a legal requirement: Past performance is not a predictor of future success. All investing involves the risk of loss.While there is a desire to make complexity simple and understandable, this is really completely misguided. Clearly, simplicity rather than complexity is by no means the proper course of action for we then cannot see the interconnections of how everything truly functions. The greatest mistake in the analysis is always trying to reduce any effect down to a single cause. The world is a complex mechanism. It is indeed like a rainforest. There are countless species and each is interconnected. Exterminate one and you will find that it was the food source for another. That species, in turn, was the food source for yet another and so on. The world economy is equally complex. This is why I say we are ALL CONNECTED. Create a war in one region, we may not be involved with troops, but the capital flows shift. How can we forecast anything by ignoring all the interrelated influences?

There are those who advocate that the best way to achieve your long-term investment objectives is to keep in simple. Yet they are looking at history and banking everything on a continuation of inflation. I have told the story at conferences how I bought a 328 Ferrari when I lived in London in 1985 when the British pound fell to $1.03. The Italians were getting $60,000 for the car in the states. It was still priced in pounds when it was $2. I bought the car for about $35,000. The Italians could no longer sell cars at that price so they doubled the price in pounds. Then the pound rallied and went to almost $2. I drove the car for 2 years, sold it used, and nearly doubled my money. Then people were buying Ferraris as an investment, thinking it was the car that appreciated when in fact it was just a currency play. If you did not look at the currency, you missed the whole point, so keeping it simple indeed made you stupid.

Rapid technological development in recent years across industries has helped to expose the fact that we live in a global economy and are all interconnected. Fund managers, because of regulation, are blinded by this interconnected world for they are not allowed to invest globally in a diversified portfolio. This is why we have so many specified funds and people claiming to “just keep it simple” with a hold policy because it always comes back.

Markets, on the one hand, appear deep and complex, rendering them impossible to understand fully when limited even by law to a purely domestic view. This has resulted in the advice of buy and hold as a strategy to fight against complexity with simplicity. Then there are investors who believe they need investment solutions that are nimble and flip positions based upon the talking heads on TV. They are brainwashed by their market myths. This has merely become grand sophistry trying to fight complexity with a simplicity that sounds logical by reducing all activity to a single cause and effect.

Asset allocation philosophies have emerged which invest other diverse market sectors knowing that they are polar opposites. They assume that the world is too complex beyond their comprehension so spread the wealth and hope for the best. These strategies have expanded as of late beyond the traditional stock/bond mix that was really exclusively domestic-oriented. In modern times post-1985, alternative strategies emerged introducing hedge funds that also incorporated foreign exchange, commodities, options, private debt, venture capital, and even real estate.

As hedge funds began to report their 2018 performance, an abyss quickly emerged between managers who outperformed the index and those who saw staggering losses with a third group landing somewhere in between. Overall, the industry saw its biggest annual loss since 2011, declining 4.1% on a fund-weighted basis, according to Hedge Fund Research Inc. Mostly, the smaller funds were able to flip portfolios quickly and that allowed them to trade around the big funds that can no longer maneuver. Most were unable to navigate the market turbulence in what became the worst year for the S&P 500 Index since the financial crisis. Most took “views” of what they thought would unfold and it cost them dearly. The funds that relied upon a personal opinion proved to be the worst for the vast majority kept viewing the stock market would crash any day, which never happened.

The illusion that simplicity provides the best long-term investment return is really predicated upon an assumption since the Great Depression that if you just held through all the 50-70% corrections you would be OK at the end of the day. The problem with this argument is that we are all human. I have never met someone who can actually do that. Then there is the problem of surviving the long-term. The city of Detroit suspended its debt payments in 1937 and resumed in 1963. If you owned such bonds for retirement, perhaps your heirs benefited, but you would have died broke and starving. It all depends where you are in the business cycle.

Donald Trump Jr. Discusses the Mueller Report, Media Lies and the Collusion Delusion…


President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., appears on Fox News with Tucker Carlson to discuss the vindication for the President within the Mueller Report, and the political intransigence of the media to admit their two-year-long delusion.

A Quick Recap of Monday’s Media Headlines Set to Music….


No collusion, no conspiracy, no obstruction…

Embedded video

Ryan Moore

@RyanMoore

WATCH THIS. Democrats if you’re still confused and delusional watch it again. @dbongino is right on with an exclamation point! There was never any evidence. It was fake news from the start. Don’t be . Get over it. @realDonaldTrump 🇺🇸

2,212 people are talking about this