BACKSTORY:

• CFPB Financial Control Schemes
• President Trump appoints Mick Mulvaney as interim director for CFPB
• Elizabeth Warren goes bananas.
• DOJ Office of Legal Counsel agrees with President Trump
• CFPB Internal Legal Counsel Agrees with President Trump

Everything you need to know to understand the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau back-story is contrast against Mick Mulvaney and Leandra English today.   Director Mulvaney goes to the CFPB office to review the CFPB transition guidance, while Leandra English runs to a meeting on capital hill with Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Mr. Mulvaney is focused on the job and tasks at hand. Ms. English is focused on the internal politics within DC. ‘Nuf said.  Pretty obvious where each establishes their priorities.

Last night CFPB employee Leandra English (pictured above) filed a lawsuit to install herself as the acting director of the CFPB.  This action was despite the legal guidance by the department’s own top lawyer Mary McLeod who informed all CFPB employees that President Trump has the legal authority to appoint the interim director of the agency:

(LINK TO THREE-PAGE MEMO)

(Via Reuters) […]  Mulvaney and English both issued statements on Monday morning indicating they were in charge of the 1,600-employee CFPB.

English sent an email in which she welcomed staff back from the Thanksgiving holiday and signed off as “acting director,” according to a source.

But Mulvaney quickly installed himself in Cordray’s former office and stood his ground, writing an hour later:

“Please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as Acting Director,” he said in a staff memo seen by Reuters. “If you receive additional communications from her today … please inform the General Counsel.”

Mulvaney also signed off as “acting director” and invited staff to pop by his fourth-floor office to “grab a donut.”  Mulvaney’s communications director tweeted a picture of him “hard at work as acting director” with the bureau’s transition briefing handbook on his desk.

English was due to meet later on Monday with senior Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Warren, her office said.

As Mulvaney was getting settled in, the source told Reuters, CFPB general counsel Mary McLeod sent a memo to the CFPB’s legal division agreeing with the U.S. Justice Department that Trump had the power to appoint Mulvaney as temporary leader of the watchdog.  (read more)

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton reacts to Ms. English attempting to install herself as acting director for the CFPB:

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) tonight released the following statement on the recently filed lawsuit to install Leandra English as acting administrator of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a rogue, unconstitutional agency. Leandra English’s lawsuit to install herself as acting director against the president’s explicit direction is just the latest lawless action by the CFPB.

She doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on, as her own general counsel has conceded and the Department of Justice has concluded. The president should fire her immediately and anyone who disobeys Director Mulvaney’s orders should also be fired summarily. The Constitution and the law must prevail against the supposed resistance.” (link)

The Daily Caller has a great write-up on the toxic political stew that exists within the CFPB as it was constructed by Senator Warren and Leandra English.  It’s quite an eye-opener into the workplace:

EXCERPT: People know Mulvaney, but who is Leandra English?

TheDCNF spoke to current and former employees of the embattled bureau about English and the culture she had created in her various positions.

Many former and current CFPB employees told TheDCNF about their reactions to English receiving the acting director position.

“Her rapid ascension within the CFPB and the series of promotions seems consistent with the CFPB culture, which is full of cronyism,” said one long-time former CFPB employee.

“It was surprising because many hard-working employees had to file lawsuits and grievances just to get promoted one step at the CFPB,” the former official told TheDCNF in an interview.

English, along with Warren, spearheaded a culture of secrecy within the bureau that appears to permeate throughout the agency and would later infuriate Congress.

Warren and the Democratic Congress housed CFPB inside the Federal Reserve, which is independent of Congress.

The transfer of CFPB into the Fed allowed the bureau to circumvent congressional oversight. Even its annual budget is outside of the regular congressional budget authorization process.

Sources within the bureau say English actively promoted that effort of secrecy early in the bureau’s actual operations.

Emails obtained by the conservative group Judicial Watch show English established meetings without any notification to the public and meetings that specifically barred press.

The Judicial Watch emails also show English was active in arranging private meetings with special interests that were largely liberal and progressive activist groups.

English was involved, for example, in organizing an Oct. 27, 2010, meeting that was led by Warren, who is now the Democratic senator from Massachusetts.

The participants of that meeting included Consumers Union, the AFL-CIO, PIRG and the National People’s Action. It was closed to press.

On Jan. 22, 2011, English helped CFPB hold another private meeting with Americans for Financial Reform, a pro-CFPB group with participants that constituted a Who’s Who of liberal activist groups.

The meeting included leaders from the AFL-CIO, the SEIU (Service Employees International Union), Ralph Nader’s PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), Consumer Federation of America, Center for Responsible Lending, and Public Citizen. No press was permitted.

(Read More to include the astronomic costs)

Earlier today President Trump held a White House Event honoring Native American Code Talkers and their historic contributions to U.S. military efforts.

[TRANSCRIPT] 2:27 P.M. EST – MR. MACDONALD: Thank you, Honorable President of this great United States of America, President Trump. Thank you for inviting us, Navajo Code Talkers, to the Capitol and to the White House of this great nation we call the United States.

Today, we have with us three of the thirteen surviving Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. First, we have Fleming Begaye. Fleming Begaye is 97 years old, the oldest veteran of World War II. He survived the Battle of Tarawa. His landing craft was blown up and he literally had to swim to the beach to survive. Also, on Saipan, he also landed on Tinian where he got shot up real badly, survived one year in naval hospital.

We have Thomas Begay, also one of the Code Talkers who were on Iwo Jima, a tough battle, where Three Marine Division landed on Iwo; 5th Marine Division — he was part of the Code Talkers within the 5th Marine Division.

Also, as if Marine Corps was not enough, he enlisted to be United States Army, and served in the Korean War. Survived that awful battle at Chosin.

My name is Peter MacDonald. I’m the president of the 13 surviving Navajo Code Talkers. I went in — I’m 90 years old — I went in when I was 15 years old in 1944. I was with the 1st Marine Brigade on Guam, and then went on to North China with 6th Marine Division to get those Japanese in Northern China to surrender. They didnt want to surrender, but it took 1st Marine Division, 6th Marine Division to get them to surrender eventually. We had a separate treaty ceremony in Tsingtao, China, October 25th, 1945.

Navajo Code Talkers, in the early part of World War II, the enemy was breaking every military code that was being used in the Pacific. This created a huge problem for strategizing against the enemy. Eventually, a suggestion was made in early 1942 — February ’42, essentially — to use Navajo language as a code.

The Marine Corps recruited 29 young Navajos, not telling them what they are being recruited for, because this was a top-secret operation. They were just asked, “Do you want to join the Marines? You want to fight the enemy? Come join the Marines.” So they volunteered.

Twenty-nine young Navajos joined the Marines in 1942, after going through boot camp, passed boot camp with flying colors; combat training — the same thing. Then entered the Marine Corps Communication School — passed that. Then they were separated from all the rest of the Marines, took them to a top-secret location just east of San Diego — Camp Elliott. That’s where they created a military code to be used in the Pacific.

After creating 260 code words, the 29 young Marines — half of them were sent overseas to join the 1st Marine Division. The 1st Marine Division was getting ready to go on to the first offensive movement in the Pacific, Guadalcanal.

On August 7, 1942 — 75 years ago — 1st Marine Division hit the beaches of Guadalcanal with 15 Navajo Code Talkers. This was the first battle where the Navajo code was to be tested in actual battle to test to see how our memory would be under heavy enemy fire. Well, three weeks after the landing, General Van De Griff, Commander of the 1st Marine Division, sent word back to United States saying, this Navajo code is terrific. The enemy never understood it; he said, we don’t understand it either, but it works. Send us some more Navajos.

So that opened up the gate for United States Marine Corps, San Diego to start recruiting more and more Navajos, using the same tactics: “You want to fight? You want to join the Marines? You want to wear this beautiful blue uniform? Come join the Marines.” So we all volunteered. That’s how he went in, that’s how he went in, that’s how I went in.

Boot camp, combat training, communication schools. Then we all get separated, go to that special top-secret Navajo code school to learn to code. Initially, 260 code words, all subject to memory only. Eventually, by the time the war ended, 1945, there were 400 of us that went to war. And also, our code words grew to 600 code words, subject to memory only. In every battle two communication networks were established: Navajo communication network for all top-secret, confidential messages; the second network, English network, for all other messages.

In every battle — from the front-line, beach command post, command ship, all other ships — Code Talkers were used. On the island of Iwo, Major Connor said, the first 48 hours of battle, over 800 messages were sent by the 5th Marine Division, only. The first 48 hours, over 800 messages. Major Connor also said: Without Navajo, Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima. (Applause.)

So thank you very much. The 13 of us, we still have one mission — that mission is to build national Navajo Code Talker Museum. We want to preserve this unique World War II history for our children, grandchildren, your children, your grandchildren to go through that museum.

Why? Because what we did truly represents who we are as Americans. America, we know, is composed of diverse community. We have different languages, different skills, different talents, and different religion. But when our way of life is threatened, like the freedom and liberty that we all cherish, we come together as one. And when we come together as one, we are invincible. We cannot be defeated. That’s why we need this national Navajo Code Talker Museum so that our children, the future generation, can go through that museum and learn why America is so strong.

Thank you very much for listening. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: That’s fantastic, thank you. That’s fantastic. Thank you very much. Beautiful.

That was so incredible, and now I don’t have to make my speech. I had the most beautiful speech written out. I was so proud of it. Look. And I thought you would leave out Iwo Jima, but you got that in the end, too. (Laughter.)

And I want to tell you — you said you’re 90 years old? That’s great, because you have good genes. That means the press has got me to kick around for a long time. (Laughter.)

That was beautiful. I loved that and I loved your delivery. And the Code Talkers are amazing. And seriously, it is what I said. So what I’m going to do is give you my speech, and I want you to hold that. And I know you like me, so you’ll save it. But that was so well delivered, from the heart. That was from the heart.

So I want to give you this speech because I don’t want to bore them with saying the same thing you just said. And you said it better, believe me, because you said it from here. And I mean it from there too.

And you have a lot of great friends. Tom Cole is here, and you know Tom. And you know Jeff. So I want to thank you both, Jeff Denham. I want to thank you both for being here, and you too for being here.

Also, General Dunford, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Kelly. And I have to say, I said to General Kelly — I said, General, how good — here he is right there, the Chief; he’s the General and the Chief. I said, how good were these Code Talkers? What was it? He said, sir, you have no idea. You have no idea how great they were — what they’ve done for this country, and the strength and the bravery and the love that they had for the country and that you have for the country.

So that was the ultimate statement from General Kelly, the importance. And I just want to thank you because you’re very, very special people. You were here long before any of us were here, although we have a representative in Congress who, they say, was here a long time ago. They call her “Pocahontas.”

But you know what, I like you because you are special. You are special people. You are really incredible people. And from the heart, from the absolute heart, we appreciate what you’ve done, how you’ve done it, the bravery that you displayed, and the love that you have for your country.

Tom, I would say that’s as good as it gets, wouldn’t you say? That’s as good as you get.

General Kelly, just come up for one second. I want to just have you say what you told me, a little bit about the Code Talkers. Because it really has been — learning about you and learning about what you’ve done has been something that I’d like General Kelly to say to the press.

Go ahead, General.

GENERAL KELLY: Well, sir, as you know, being associated with United States Marines, it’s as much a cult as it is a service. And we never forget. Our motto, of course, is Semper Fidelis — always faithful. Whether you’re a young recruit at Parris Island or San Diego, or a middle-aged guy from out west, what these men did, the advantage they gave our Marines when they invaded Iwo Jima was really — and I think it was pointed out — was one of the very few factors that allowed us to be successful on that island.

Their ability to outwit the Japanese who were, you know, listening to this wonderful language and had no idea that a language like this existed on the Earth. What they did, very small number of men, sir, made the difference. We lost 6,000 Marines and 25,000 wounded on that island in 28 days of battle. It would have been a lot worse had we not had the Navajo Code Talkers. And I thank you.

Semper Fidelis. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: So they’re working on building a Navajo Code Talkers Museum. And we will help you. Okay? And we have some pretty good strength. We will help you, and you deserve it. And I want to thank you all for being here.

I assume you’re the young one in the group? Are you the young one in the group? Thank you so much for being here. You’re very special people. And without you, maybe the results would have been a lot different. I’ve heard that, actually, the results could have very well been different.

So, on behalf of the United States, thank you all. Very much appreciate it. (Applause.)

MR. MACDONALD: Mr. President, we know you’ll succeed. America is in good hands. You have all top Marine Corps generals as your assistants — (laughter) — so we know that we’re in good hands. (Applause).

THE PRESIDENT: What a group. This is a great group. Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Q What about the tax bill?

THE PRESIDENT: I think the tax bill is going very well. We had a meeting on it today. It’s going to be a tremendous tax cut — the biggest in the history of our country. You’ll have to pay a lot less tax. That’s okay. But we’re going to have a tremendous — I think we’re going to have great receptivity.

We’ve had great spirit. And I will tell you the Republican senators were up. If we win, we’ll get some Democratic senators joining us. If we don’t win, they won’t be joining us — you understand that. But, if we win, I think we’ll probably have a bipartisan bill, meaning a number of people are going to come over. But I’m not so interested in that. We’re really interested just in getting it passed.

Again, it will be the biggest tax reduction in the history of our country. It will bring jobs, it will bring a lot of income coming into the country, buying product, et cetera. And, I think it’s doing very well.

Q Is there a worry, though, that it benefits hedge fund owners during (inaudible) —

THE PRESIDENT: No, I think we’re going to have really — I think — actually, I think it’s going to benefit everybody. It’s going to mostly benefit people looking for jobs more than anything else, because we’re giving great incentives.

And we’re going to be bringing back into this country probably an excess of $4 trillion — $4 trillion — that’s outside of the country that right now, because of our tax laws, can’t come back in. And we will be bringing back at least — I think the number will be substantially higher — but at least $4 trillion, which will immediately be put to work in this country. So I think the tax bill is doing very well and I think the Republicans are going to be very proud of it. Thank you.

Thank you.

END 2:43 P.M. EST

Earlier today Murdoch activated his Decepticon control agent Carly Fiorina to appear on Fox News Sunday, utilize a familiar passive-aggressive technique, and help shape the official Wall Street/K-Street sexism narrative via Chris Wallace. You can watch HERE.

A few hours later the second set of Decepticon billionaires surface; the Koch Brothers, who financed a $1.8 billion deal including the purchase of Time Magazine.

NEW YORK (AP) — Meredith Corp. announced Sunday that it is buying Time Inc. for about $1.8 billion, a deal CEO Stephen Lacy called “a transformative and financially compelling growth opportunity” that joins two giant magazine companies.

Meredith brings with it a magazine portfolio that includes Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, allrecipes and Shape, while Time Inc. owns properties including Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Fortune and Entertainment Weekly.

The companies said the deal was unanimously approved by their boards of directors and will close early next year. (read more)

It is being reported by ‘some’ media outlets that Democrat John Conyers has stepped down from the House Judiciary Committee, that is false.  Conyers is staying on the committee and just removing himself from the seniority position of “ranking member”.

As CTH shared when the sexual harassment charges and financial settlements surrounding John Conyers were first revealed, the institution of the Democrat apparatus will never stop supporting Conyers.  It is a cornerstone of the institutions created by progressives (Democrats) to operate their leadership hierarchy from positions of seniority.  Cue the audio visual demonstration by Nancy Pelosi:

WASHINGTON – Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) announced he is stepping aside as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee pending an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.

“After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters,” he said in a statement on Sunday. (read more)

CTH has been looking, unsuccessfully, for China SME’s who have insight on the DC lobbying angle by Chinese foreign nationals and the hidden story of how the Trump administration might be confronting that aspect.

Gordon Chang briefly touches on that note during a discussion segment on the overall outcome of President Trump’s 12-day visit to Asia.

Apparently, if Chang’s sources are accurate (likely they are), the notification by POTUS Trump toward Chairman Xi Jinping, of the lobbyist warning did take place [Video 02:25].

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The foreign influence lobbying is a critical element for us domestically in the larger geopolitical strategy.  Chinese nationals pay our congressional representatives millions of dollars to purchase U.S. foreign policy.  CTH is cautiously optimistic this is a key element of Robert Mueller.

China, Russia and the downstream North Korean enablers (Cuba, Venezuela, etc.) are the keys to stopping the DPRK. As such each national interest is being targeted and leveraged as part of the N-Korean strategy.

♦ President Trump continues to pressure Russia via energy.
♦ President Trump continues to pressure China via trade outcomes.
♦ President Trump is leveraging financial sanctions on Venezuela along with energy pressure; and simultaneously breaking away from former short-sighted benefits for Cuba delivered that were delivered by President Obama.

Hopefully CTH readers can see how comprehensive this strategy is.  Unfortunately you won’t see it outlined in U.S. media.

War is ugly.  Political war against the swamp, while accepting their one-sided rules of engagement, is exponential hell.  In order to gain victory, you have to be prepared to advance into the fire at all costs. Andrew Breitbart, Donald Trump and apparently Dinesh D’Souza understand this modern political truth.

In the final analysis this approach is the essential element of ‘Cold Anger’:

The Democrats and UniParty Republicans will cede no ground.  There is only one majority political ideology within Washington DC, and it is based on financial interest. Their rules of engagement are entirely self-serving.  They will fight against any entity, for any reason, on any issue, even reversing their own individual policy positions, if they view that entity as an existential risk to their power structure and decades-long financial constructs.

For those who live within the institutions, nothing is out-of-bounds; therefore, in order to defeat the systemic and institutional rot, we must fight as an insurgent opposition.

It may be unsettling for most; after all, we-the-people have never sought confrontation for the sake of itself.  However, confrontation is an outcome of a battered electorate finally saying ‘No More’.

The political pendulum has never, in the history of humanity, stayed on one side of a swing. Likewise, the resulting backlash is always, always, directly proportionate to how far off skew it was taken before corrective action was engaged.

President Trump was/is our corrective political MOAB.  There is no longer a retreat position possible.  Those who oppose the restoration of our Republic have gone all-in.  Their terms are to remove the threat.  He and We are the threat.

Foolishness, selfishness, corruption and betrayal of our nation by its political elites have  served to reveal dangers within our republic.  Exhausted, we accepted that 2016 was the time when forceful correction needed to be applied. However, we fully understood that misplaced corrective action, regardless of intent, would be neither safe nor wise.

The media are disconnected from the reality of their landscape yet seem to find themselves opining about political violence.  Those media voices would be wise to remind themselves that candidate Donald Trump, now President Trump, was the “lesser extreme” strategy for correction.  As President Trump said during a recent rally in Iowa: “they’re lucky our side isn’t violent.”  He was entirely accurate.   President Trump was the last best option.

There’s a level of anger far deeper and more consequential than expressed rage or visible behavior.  Cold Anger does not need to go to violence.  For those who carry it, no conversation is needed.  You cannot poll or measure it; and even those who carry it avoid discussion.  And that decision has nothing whatsoever to do with any form of correctness.

Cold Anger is not hatred, it is far more purposeful.

Hatred takes energy.  Cold Anger is not willing to give energy to the opposition.

Cold Anger absorbs betrayal silently, often prudently.

Betrayal lies at the originating cellular level for Cold Anger.

We watched the shooting of cops, and the protests parades which followed, absorbing.

Cold Anger takes notice of the liars, even from a great distance – seemingly invisible to the mob.  Cold Anger will still hold open the door for the protest parade goer.  Mannerly.

Cold Anger when evidenced is more severe because it is more strategic. It is more deliberate; Cold Anger is far more purposeful.

Cold Anger does not gloat; a central tenet is to absorb consistent vilification and ridicule as fuel.

This sense of Cold Anger does not want to exist.  It is forced to exist in otherwise unwilling hosts – who would much rather be sensing something more productive, yet each person refuses to be destabilized by it.

The productive and polite life continues, but the larger notations necessarily remain. Keen awareness and acceptance of the surroundings is a trait of those carrying Cold Anger.

Deliberate intent and prudence ensures avoiding failure.  The course, is thoughtful vigilance;  a strategy essentially devoid of emotion, hence ‘Cold’.

Cold Anger is not driven to act in spite of itself; it drives a reckoning.  Patience is not acceptance; time is simply measured for optimal value.

When the well attired leave the checkout line carrying steaks and shrimp using an EBT or SNAP card, the door is still held open; yet notations necessarily embed.

When the border is left unguarded, it is accepted to be unguarded for a purpose.

When the United States flag lays undefended, perhaps gleefully unattended, it does not lay unattended and unnoticed.  It is being well noted.

When a school community cannot openly pray, it does not mean the prayerful were absent.

When a liar seems to win, it is not without observation.  Many – more than the minority would like to admit – know the difference between science, clocks and a political agenda.

Cold Anger perceives deception the way a long-term battered spouse absorbs the blow in the hours prior to the pre-planned exit; with purpose.

A shield, or cry of micro-aggression will provide no benefit, nor quarter.  Delicate sensibilities are dispatched like a feather in a hurricane.

Pushed far enough, decisions are reached.

Support Roy Moore… we can work out the details later.

There’s an extensive back story to this issue: Part I, and Part II, and Part III

(President Trump Tweet Link)

The Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray, has resigned. Senator Elizabeth Warren does not want President Trump to appoint an interim replacement.  President Trump has announced OMB Director Mick Mulvaney will be the “acting” head of the agency until he nominates a permanent replacement for senate confirmation. Senator Warren wants to take President Trump to court to stop him filling the interim position.

The U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), has provided legal guidance (full pdf outline of opinion below), and decided that President Trump clearly has the authority to appoint the acting Director.  Senator Elizabeth Warren is going bananas.

Here’s the OLC recommendation to the President:

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/365493749/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-F2UEoLtox2KsspOhGZ9E

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