Treehouse Perspectives on Carter Page….


An interesting CTH discussion on Carter Page is worth expansion.  Factually I have not spent much time thinking about Mr. Page because he always seemed irrelevant.  However, some people have put a great deal of smart thought into how Page plays into the larger SpyGate dynamic.  That analysis is interesting & the various possibilities are a good read.

From the initial CTH review of Page he always seemed to be a tool. Something akin to a disposable syringe.  The viral agent in the syringe is important; the motives of those using the syringe obviously important; but Page himself seemed disposable to the sharps bag.

Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at him.

Having not spent much time thinking about him, it’s very interesting to read Treeper comments about him and the various possibilities his appearance in 2016 might represent.  So please use this thread to discuss your own opinion(s).

What role do you think Mr. Carter Page played in the larger objectives of the coup crew?

 

Here is the link to the comments

Jobless Claims Drop – Labor Market Remains Very Strong….


The Dept. of Labor reveals [DATA HERE] initial claims for unemployment fell again last week, creating the following Reuters headline: “The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell last week in a sign of ongoing labor market strength.”   Another strong labor report, followed by another media report outlining how the results beat all economic analyst expectations; a consistent theme throughout 2019.

White House – DRIVING A RECORD-SETTING ECONOMY: The booming economy and strong labor market allow Americans of all backgrounds to find work and succeed.

♦ The current labor market revival is not a continuation of past trends, but instead a direct result of President Trump’s pro-growth policies.

  • Since President Trump was elected, more than 7 million jobs have been added to our economy – surpassing the Congressional Budget Office’s predictions by 5 million jobs.
  • This year, the unemployment rate has fallen to 3.5%, its lowest level in 50 years.
  • Unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those without a high school diploma have all reached record lows under President Trump.
  • The President’s policies are bringing people off the sidelines and into the labor force.
  • The prime age labor force has grown by 2.1 million under President Trump.
  • The surge in labor demand has resulted in 7 million job openings, which outnumber job seekers by more than 1 million.
  • Before President Trump took office, there had never been more recorded job openings than unemployed workers.

♦ LOWERING INEQUALITY: President Trump’s policies are helping forgotten Americans across the country prosper, driving down income inequality.

  • Annual nominal wages grew by 3 percent in 2019 for the first time in a decade.
  • Nominal wage growth has now been at or above 3 percent for 16 straight months.
  • Wage growth for many previously forgotten groups is now higher than wage growth for more advantaged groups.
  • This is the case for lower-income workers compared to higher-income workers, workers compared to managers, and African Americans compared to white Americans.
  • These income gains mark a fundamental change compared to before President Trump’s inauguration, contributing to reduced income inequality.
  • When measured as the share of income earned by the top 20 percent, income inequality fell in 2018 by the largest amount in over a decade.
  • The Gini coefficient, an overall measure of inequality in the population, also fell in 2018.

At 3.7 percent, November year-over-year wage growth for production and nonsupervisory workers was near a post-recession high achieved last month and again exceeded overall year-over-year wage growth.

From the start of the current expansion to the end of 2016, average wage growth for production and nonsupervisory workers lagged that of managers, the bottom 10 percent of wage earners lagged that of the top 10 percent, those without a college degree lagged that of college graduates, and African Americans lagged that of white Americans.

However, since President Trump took office, each of these trends has been reversed, contributing to lower income inequality.

♦ LIFTING UP AMERICANS: The booming economy is lifting millions of Americans out of poverty and providing all people with the opportunity for a brighter future.

  • In 2018 alone, nearly 1.4 million Americans were lifted out of poverty.
  • The poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans reached historic lows in 2018.
  • Over 600,000 children being raised by single mothers were lifted out of poverty in 2018.
  • The number of people claiming unemployment insurance as a share of the population is the lowest on record.
  • Nearly 7 million fewer people are on food stamps than at the time of the 2016 election.
  • 380,000 fewer people are on Social Security Disability insurance than before the 2016 election.

Americans in economically-distressed communities are benefiting from increased investment thanks to the Opportunity Zones included in President Trump’s historic tax reform.

As further evidence of how much the labor market has improved under President Trump, other data released by BLS  show that the number of people who experienced unemployment last year declined by 2.4 million compared to 2016. This number should decline again in 2019 because, under the Trump Administration, the number of people claiming unemployment insurance as a share of the population is the lowest on record since the data began in 1967.

Conservative Judicial Legacy Will Last for Decades, Even if Trump Loses in 2020


150K subscribers

The lede spells out just why so many conservatives overlooked their concerns, and voted for Donald Trump, and why many more will do so in November 2020. “After three years in office President Donald has remade the federal judiciary, ensuring a conservative tilt for decades, and cementing his legacy no matter the outcome of November’s election.” — Colby Itkowitz, reporter, Washington Post, 12/21/2019 Our May 2020 Royal Caribbean 3-night Bahamas cruise will allow you to relax, unwind, hangout with like-minded folks, and see live productions of our shows. Book your cabin now at https://BillWhittleCruise.com Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott comes to you 20-times each month from our Members, who fund this enterprise, and run their own blog and vibrant comment sections, in addition to enjoying other Members-only features of our site. Find out more, and find your people at https://BillWhittle.com/register/ Listen to audio versions of our shows: https://Bit.ly/BWN-Podcasts

Pelosi Gone Wild: Crazy Impeachment Tactics Make No Sense


150K subscribers

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has done every crazy thing but froth at the mouth during the impeachment process. A sane person trying to understand her tactics might conclude that Pelosi has gone wild. Stephen Green leads Scott Ott and Bill Whittle in an effort to make sense of her approach. Join Bill, Scott and Steve and a lot more people like you on a Caribbean cruise in May 2020. Reserve your cabin now at https://BillWhittleCruise.com Right Angle comes to you 20-times each month thanks to our Members. Join them today: https://BillWhittle.com/register/

The Democrats’ Impeachment is Unconstitutional


To achieve this impeachment, the Democrats ORDERED all Democrats “MUST” vote for impeachment even if they disagreed. This is clearly a total denial of the democratic foundation of the United States. We have people who run for office and tell you what they personally stand for. Then they get to Washington and the Party tells them it does not matter what they were elected to do, the Party instructs them how to vote and when.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew has refused to be dictated to and has announced that he has left the Democratic Party stating publicly that the Democrats told him that: “You Have To Vote For Impeachment.” The partisanship which has dominated this impeachment has deprived citizens of the most fundamental of their constitutional rights, to be represented by elected politicians. The very right to participate equally in the political process has been denied by Nancy Pelosi ordering Democrats to vote party line. This has undermined the fundamental principle of representative government.

Politicians are not elected to advance party political beliefs, but make representations as to their policies upon which people then vote whereby they choose their political representatives. If a party can direct the votes of representatives contrary to the very policies that achieved their position is as unconstitutional as directing votes against races, creed, or gender.

If partisanship supersedes democratic principles then this has debased and dishonored our democracy, turning upside-down the core American idea that all governmental power derives from the people. These party dictates have enabled politicians to entrench themselves in office as against voters’ preferences. This has promoted partisanship above respect for the popular votes which are the cornerstone of our democratic society. This impeachment process is constitutionally invalid encouraging a politics of polarization and dysfunction. If left unchecked, the future abuse of this impeachment process will undermine society which will irreparably damage our system of government.

 

Against all Odds – Three FBI Officials Quietly Working to Reveal the Truth…


I’m not sure exactly who they are, and there’s a possibility they might just be one person; however, it appears there are three distinct FBI officials engaged in an overall investigative capacity, attempting to break the truth through the corrupt machinery.

Each individual is noted within a specific event or outcome. Hopefully AG Bill Barr has tasked his deputy James Rosen to hold an honest ‘climate assessment‘ discussion with these individuals.

♦The first honorable FBI Agent is the FBI official who enhanced the DOJ sentencing memo for James Wolfe. The DOJ prosecution, namely DC U.S. Attorney Jessie K Liu -possibly following instructions from Rod Rosenstein- was trying to cover-up the classified intelligence leak of SSCI Security Director James Wolfe in order to protect powerful Senators.

One FBI agent was obviously not happy with that DOJ leadership decision and seeded the DOJ ‘sentencing memo’ with a key sentence that exposed the cover-up:

For him or her we are thankful. That sunlight, though unsuccessful in stopping the corrupt cover-up, provided just enough undeniable evidence to highlight the severity of a cover-up initiated by those running the DOJ in 2018.

We note everyone associated with that decision has since been removed.

♦The second FBI official to note, might actually be a key top-level DOJ official – though that seems less likely. The second FBI official is however high ranking. The high ranking FBI position is likely because the top level security clearance was needed for this FBI agent to travel to CIA headquarters and review the CIA operation file on Carter Page.

The CIA file on Carter Page included a copy of the return memo to the FBI outlining Mr. Page as a source for CIA information involving various Russian individuals. That CIA return memo was edited by corrupt FBI lead lawyer Kevin Clinesmith to hide Page’s action on behalf of the CIA.

The FBI Agent who saw that memo in Page’s file then compared it to the memo in the FBI operational file on Carter Page. The difference on the exact same memo between the CIA file and the FBI file led to the discovery of Clinesmith manipulating internal documents to frame Carter Page.  That Senior FBI officer is another truth-teller.

♦The third FBI agent, perhaps a career FBI administrative officer, who is clearly working to bring sunlight despite being surrounded by corruption, was involved in the actual text writing of the IG FISA abuse report itself.

Whether on assignment for the FISA review, or whether an administrative investigator attached to the Office of Inspector General, this isn’t the first time we have noticed a very specific inclusion of word choices that helped bring sunlight to an intentionally opaque report.

CTH will not identify the signs, except to say that each of them was/is irrelevant for the context of the written text. However, their inclusion was/is an obvious breadcrumb trail from inside the machine.

♦ I share this research perspective publicly, optimistically, because not everyone is corrupted. However, the non-corrupt middle-tier appear to be working to expose the truth against the efforts of the top-tier FBI offices trying to bury it.

I’m certain if the top tier was cleared out (with an aggressive posture) those middle-tier honest-brokers could greatly help AG Bill Barr…. IF, Barr is genuinely disposed therein.

However, AG Bill Barr’s continued defense and support for FBI Director Chris Wray, Deputy FBI Director David Bowditch and FBI legal counsel Dana Boente; in addition to his former -perhaps reformed- impression of U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu, runs counter to the honest administration of justice.

2020 is only five days away….

It’s time for Attorney General Bill Barr to start calling the baby ugly.

Bill Barr will either be part of the solution, or he’ll endeavor to covering up the problem out of some misguided loyalty to those corrupt officials around him… there really is no middle ground.

Truth ain’t complicated!

.

Consider, and note: Brandon Van Grack is still working for AG Bill Barr…

Full Letter:

Advertisements

Total Holiday Sales +3.4% Year-Over-Year, Biggest Holiday Sales in U.S. Retail History…


Whooo-doggies, middle-class Americans spent more this holiday shopping season than any year before it.  Despite losing a week due to the late Thanksgiving holiday, total Christmas sales growth was +3.4 percent year-over-year.

(Reuters) […] The holiday shopping season is a crucial period for retailers and can account for up to 40% of annual sales. But this year, Thanksgiving, which traditionally starts the U.S. holiday shopping period, was on Nov. 28, nearly a week later than last year’s Nov. 22, leaving retailers with six fewer days to drive sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

E-commerce sales this year made up 14.6% of total retail and rose 18.8% from the 2018 period, according to Mastercard’s data tracking retail sales from Nov. 1 through Christmas Eve. Overall holiday retail sales, excluding autos, rose 3.4%.

“E-commerce sales hit a record high this year with more people doing their holiday shopping online,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser for Mastercard.

Now watch the Reuters spin…

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose support in the polls has been buoyed by strong economic data despite his impeachment by the House of Representatives, heralded the news in a tweet in all capital letters.

“2019 HOLIDAY RETAIL SALES WERE UP 3.4% FROM LAST YEAR, THE BIGGEST NUMBER IN U.S. HISTORY. CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA!,” Trump tweeted.

However, Mastercard spokesman William Tsang, citing 2018’s 5.1% growth in total sales, said this year’s holiday sales growth was not the biggest ever.

The White House had no immediate comment on the apparent discrepancy.

Despite slowing global growth, U.S. consumer spending is benefiting from wage growth and a strong labor market, retail consultants and analysts say. (link)

There is no discrepancy.  Trump’s tweet was recognizing the record-breaking total amount of U.S. sales, not simply the growth rate.   Knuckleheads.   Mamet principle on full display.

Total Holiday Sales an outcome of a very strong economy, low unemployment, low inflation, higher wages and more disposable income… MAGAnomics at work.

Keep in mind U.S. GDP growth is driven by consumer spending.  A whopping 3.4% gain year-over-year is tens of billions more in economic activity.  More WINNING !

 

 

Understanding Why There’s No FBI Whistleblowers Outlining Institutional Corruption….


To understand why there’s no-one in the administrative mid-tier of the FBI acting in a whistle-blowing capacity requires a background perspective looking at the totality of corruption.  The institutions are protecting themselves; and yes, that protection applies to the internal dynamics.

Former DAG Rod Rosenstein was dirty.  He might not have started out dirty, but his actions in office created a dirty mess.  Rosenstein facilitated the McCabe operation against Trump during the May 16th, 2017, White House FBI sting against Trump with Mueller.  Rosenstein also facilitated the special counsel (writ large), and provided three scope memos to expand the corrupt investigation of President Trump.  According to the inaction of AG Bill Barr, we’re not allowed to see those authorizing scope memos.

Additionally, despite knowing the Trump investigation held a false predicate, Rosenstein signed the 3rd renewal of a fraudulent FISA application.  Worse yet, even if Rosenstein was caught up by corruption around him, he did nothing to stop the fraud once identified.

Why is Rosenstein a key inflection point?  Because Rod Rosenstein recommended current FBI Director Christopher Wray to President Trump.  POTUS then allowed Wray, as he does all department heads, to select his deputy – Wray chose David Bowditch.

♦Keep in mind the National Security Division of the DOJ (DOJ-NSD) was/is the epicenter of many corrupt activities, including filing the fraudulent FISA application, manipulating interpretations of law for FARA (§901) violations, and doing all of this while denying any inspector general oversight. As FISA Judge Rosemary Collyer recently noted, the DOJ-NSD is positioned as a rogue legal arm of the U.S. intelligence apparatus.

FBI Director Wray selected the former head of DOJ-NSD to become the lead lawyer for the FBI, chief legal counsel Dana Boente.

So from Rosenstein we got: Chris Wray, David Bowditch, Dana Boente and another dubious DOJ recommendation, DC U.S. Attorney Jessie K Liu (ref. Awan Bros and James Wolfe).  Keep this in mind moving forward.

Another career corrupt-o-crat to come out of the DOJ-NSD, who was also involved in the fraudulent legal filings was the lead lawyer for the division, Michael Atkinson.

Atkinson was moved from DOJ-NSD to become the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG).  Yes, the same IGIC who manipulated the rules and regulations to allow the hearsay Ukraine CIA “whistleblower”, Eric Ciaramella.

What we end up with is a brutally obvious, convoluted, network of corrupt officials; each carrying an independent reason to cover their institutional asses… each individual interest forms a collective fraudulent scheme inside the machinery of the FBI apparatus.

The motive behind the DOJ/FBI effort to cover for Senate Intelligence Committee Security Director James Wolfe’s unlawful classified information leaks, is connected to this network and expands into the SSCI Chairman (Richard Burr) and Vice-Chair Mark Warner.

Security Director Wolfe was working on instructions from inside the committee itself; his leak of the FISA application to journalist Ali Watkins was in alignment with the intents/motives of the SSCI in March 2017.   Dirty politicians corrupting staff.

The DOJ and FBI didn’t charge James Wolfe with the leaking of classified information because it would have exposed corruption within the SSCI.  Wolfe was prepared to call the senators in his defense…. this could not be allowed.  The SSCI has oversight over the intelligence community to include the FBI, DOJ, DOJ-NSD, CIA, ODNI etc.

How does all of this corruption come together?….  More importantly how does this level of institutional corruption create the inability of FBI whistle-blowers to come forward?

♦ The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is the approver for any nominations for any executive appointed position involving the intelligence community.

If the senate intel committee wants to block the nomination, likely adverse to their interests, they can… simply, they don’t take it up. (See Trump’s attempt to appoint Representative John Ratcliffe as ODNI as an example.)

However, along with approving Wray and Bowditch, the SSCI also approved former DOJ-NSD legal counsel Michael Atkinson to become Intelligence Community Inspector General.  Who would an honest intelligence whistle-blower have to go through?  Dirty Michael Atkinson.

The same dirty Michael Atkinson who was the top legal counsel to the head of the DOJ-NSD when the corrupt DOJ-NSD agency operations were ongoing. See how the whistle-blower block works?

Aligned interests – The Senate Intel Committee uses the placement of Atkinson to block any whistle-blower action that would be adverse to their interests.  Whistle-blowers ain’t stupid, they know what surrounds them.

Senator Mark Warner and Senator Richard Burr are dirty.  So too is ICIG Atkinson, FBI Director Chris Wray, FBI Deputy Director David Bowditch and FBI Legal Counsel Dana Boente.

♦ Robert Mueller was dirty.  Rod Rosenstein was dirty.  All of the special counsel lawyers including Andrew Weissmann and Brandon Van Grack (Flynn prosecutor) are dirty.  Additionally Mueller’s lead FBI Agent David Archey, who was promoted after the corrupt special counsel investigation to be the head of the Virginia FBI field office, dirty.

FBI official David Archey, like ICIG Michael Atkinson, conveniently put into a place where he can run cover for FBI operations that might expose dirty DC and Virgina-based FBI activities.  See how that works?

Try telling me with all we know about the Mueller investigation how anyone on the special counsel assignment was participating in a fraudulent investigation without knowing.

Special Agent Peter Strzok, dirty.  FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, dirty.  FBI Lawyer Lisa Page, dirty.  FBI media spox Michael Kortan, dirty.  James Comey, Andrew McCabe and James Baker, dirty-dirty-dirty.  Fortunately all of these are fired… but what about Supervisory Special Agent Joseph Pientka (SSA1)?  Pientka clearly outlined as dirty by IG Horowitz report on FISA abuse, and yet still employed; still providing cover.

So what exactly does that make Horowitz?  Perhaps lead corruption polisher who comes in willfully blind behind the Bondo application team?

That, all of that, in its brutal totality, is why we have not seen any honest FBI whistle-blowers come forward.

There’s no-one for them to blow the whistle to…

Every day we spend outraged about what the DOJ and FBI did in 2016 and 2017, is one less day that AG Bill Barr is not being held accountable for all of this current DOJ and FBI corruption that stares him in the face when he brushes his teeth each morning.

If we had a functioning Fourth Estate none of these corrupt officials could survive investigative media scrutiny.  Unfortunately the corrupt administrative state doesn’t *play* the press, it actually involves the press…. it absorbs the press… it attaches the press viability to its own position…. it makes the press part of the corrupt process.

The press cannot turn against the corrupt administrative state without exposing their own culpability, participation and lack of credibility…… It’s a protective circle.

Source Identified – IG FISA Report Identifies One Confidential Human Source Leading to Audit of FBI Activity…


Yesterday we identified one FBI Confidential Human Source who was part of the Trump campaign [SEE HERE].  Today we identify another, more interesting, one.

Throughout the 478-page IG report on FBI FISA misconduct there are several mentions of Confidential Human Sources (CHSs) who were either officially “tasked” or unofficially involved in the 2016 FBI investigation of the Trump campaign.

The inspector general review of the CHS activity is fraught with examples of the FBI denying many of the numerous “non-tasked” sources were acting in an official capacity.

The inspector general’s office knowing the FBI were lacking candor is one thing; however, proving that is another matter entirely.  The ‘having to take them at their word‘ dynamic appears throughout the chapters on the use of Confidential Human Sources.

Horowitz report shows the level of denial and justification by FBI officials in Washington DC surrounding the deployment of human sources stretches credulity. It really is quite something to take the totality of the FBI denials, for repeated and specific events, place them all together and then determine all of this is just random, happenstance activity.

Despite FBI denials, perhaps because of them; and despite the IG not being able to find specific evidence that would refute their denials; the IG found far too many coincidences for all of the activity to be coincidental.  This led to Inspector General Horowitz writing a break-out report on just the use of Confidential Human Sources [Nov. 19, 2019].

CTH has identified another key “non-tasked” (their claim) CHS that appears to have been the final straw for Horowitz amid a mountain of FBI denials.  The FBI claims around this specific person is what eventually led to the November 19th, 2019, break out report.

[NOTE: I am identifying these redacted individuals and sources because there is a bigger issue at stake.  There is growing evidence of an ongoing battle within the current FBI.  One side wants to push out the truth, the other side is intent on hiding it.]

Continuing from yesterday…. we turn to page #338.  This one is key, and please don’t skip the actual reading of the highlighted pages below (even if you have to read multiple times).

Keep in mind, the issues around this specific source was the final straw for Inspector General Horowitz to decide to do the breakout report on FBI standards and practices for the use of confidential human sources.

Footnote #476 is part of the puzzle to id this source.  Notice the handling agent was contacted in October 2016 for assistance “serving a court order”.  Notice also that footnote #476 pertains to a later contact in “March 2017”.  There’s a very specific source who has openly discussed these events in the media.

The descriptions of the “Handling Agent”, “Case Agent”, and “Co-Case Handling Agent” are specific, purposeful and useful.  However, it is the tell-word “hobby” that finally outlines the identification of this Confidential Human Source….  The CHS has self-described using this exact word in media appearances.

These senior FBI official denials are where it gets ridiculous.  These denials are the straw that led to the November 19th report.   Notice how these denials actually contradict the material in/around fn #476 where FBI main office was informed of the activity surrounding this CHS.

[Note specifics, it helps to confirm the id] James Comey, Bill Priestap and Peter Strzok all deny knowing what this confidential human source was doing….

The source is Patrick Byrne.

You might remember when CTH originally outlined the FBI methods Patrick Byrne was describing we specifically noted the form of contact and instruction was created with built-in plausible deniability.   Now we see that denial in action.

BACKGROUND Link Here

You can follow the link to watch all of Byrnes’ interviews.  There is no doubt the CHS described (starting on page #338 of the report) is him.

I believe Patrick Byrne.

I do not believe the DC-based FBI denials of knowledge.

…neither does Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

…hence Horowitz wrote the IG report on CHS issues.

.

.

♦ Final thought: To the FBI person(s) inside the machine trying to break out the truth…. just keep doing what you are doing.  CTH can see it.

The President and First Lady Christmas Message 2019…


Today President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump share their Christmas message to all Americans.

Presidential Message on Christmas

Melania and I send our warmest greetings to those celebrating Christmas in the United States and around the world. During this joyous time of year, we join a grateful Nation in thanking God for His abundant blessings and boundless love.

As families, friends, and communities come together to rejoice in the birth of Christ, we are reminded of the divine message from the first Christmas: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” While the challenges that face our country are great, the bonds that unite us as Americans are much stronger. Together, we must strive to foster a culture of deeper understanding and respect—traits that exemplify the teachings of Christ.

As we celebrate Christmas, we remember the precious religious liberties our forefathers so righteously fought to secure. We also pause to pay tribute to those courageous men and women of our Armed Forces who continue to fight for our cherished freedoms. As Commander in Chief, I salute them for their service and thank their family members for their shared sacrifice in this noble mission, especially during the holiday season.

We hope your heart is filled with the love and joy of your faith, family, and friends this Christmas. We send our best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Donald J Trump