While the MSM continues selling the various pitches and talking points of their DC-based deep state operations, the Trump administration continues driving forward on the primary issues that matter to ordinary Americans.
(Via Secretary Tom Price) Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., hosted a listening session with Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and medical and healthcare professionals to discuss the challenges that patients and providers face under our current healthcare system.
Secretary Price began the meeting by voicing his thoughts and prayers for Majority Whip Steve Scalise and other victims of the attack yesterday morning. He expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police and to those who protect us every day for their bravery and willingness to serve. Administrator Verma and Doctors Raymond DeCorte and Joe Uddo, two constituents of Majority Whip Scalise, echoed these thoughts.
Attendees of the listening session included doctors and medical professionals who represent many different specialties. Each shared their unique perspective on how Obamacare has adversely affected their practice and patients.
Secretary Price listened to their experiences in complying with overly burdensome Obamacare regulations and treating patients who have either lost their insurance because of Obamacare or who are enrolled in Obamacare, but can’t afford the services they so desperately need. The listening session participants told many similar stories, and each of them stated that now is the time for healthcare reform.
Secretary Price affirmed the Department and President Trump’s commitment to put in place a healthcare system that’s responsive to the needs of patients and a system where doctors, families, and patients are making medical decisions—not Washington, D.C. Secretary Price noted the Administration is committed to improving healthcare in America and to provide individuals and families the relief they so desperately need.
The following individuals participated:
Dr. Joseph Abboud – Orthopedic Surgeon, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Ralph Alvarado– Primary Care Doctor and State Senator, Winchester, KY
Dr. Robin L. Armstrong – Internist, Houston, TX
Dr. David L. Cannon – Orthopedic Surgeon, Germantown, TN
Dr. Raymond DeCorte – General Surgeon, Metairie, LA
Dr. Ada Fisher – Retired Physician, Salisbury, NC
Ms. Tonya Horton – Small Medical Business Owner, Patient, Employer, Bryant, AR
Dr. Thomas Little – Cardiologist, Cookeville, TN
Dr. Ryan Stanton – Emergency Medical Doctor, Lexington, KY
Dr. William Thornbury – Primary Care Physician, Family Practice, Glascow, KY
Dr. Joe Uddo – General Surgeon, Metairie, LA
Dr. Jill Vecchio – Radiologist, Denver, CO
Dr. Anthony Vintzileos – Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Mineola, NY
“It’s been much more difficult than people even thought at the time. It’s been — [Steve Scalise] is in some trouble, but he is a great fighter and he is going to be OK, we hope.” … “I have a feeling that Steve has made a great sacrifice, but there could be some unity being brought to our country. Let’s hope so.”
~ President Donald Trump
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise underwent a third surgery this morning following his shooting injury sustained at the Republican baseball team’s practice in Alexandria, VA. Doctors at MedStar Washington Hospital Center said the Louisiana Republican remained in critical condition, and they began a third operation.
According to medical professionals multiple surgeries in this context are not unusual. There are multiple vital organs in the pathway of the bullet and surgeons are often checking to ensure prior procedures to repair damage are holding. Rep. Scalise faces a long path of treatment and recovery ahead and remains in critical condition.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen visited the Scalise family at the hospital Thursday morning, but did not provide additional information about his condition.
(Via Politico) Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and his leadership team called an emergency conference Thursday morning to give lawmakers an update. Scalise’s Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who also has visited him in the hospital, gave a moving speech about faith in dark times — and about Scalise’s strength as an individual.
James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, is the alleged shooter who tried to kill the Republicans at a charity baseball game. This is the problem with such hate speech playing out against Trump. They fail to realize that there are people who believe every word no matter how insane such as Putin is now running the United States and Trump is his puppet. Certainly, the shooter was a zealot with an intention to kill Republicans. Bernie Sanders has come out and said on the Senate floor:
I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clear as I can be: Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held American values. I know I speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that Representative Scalise, congressional staff and Capitol Police officers who were wounded make a quick and full recovery. I also want to thank the Capitol Police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm.
For all the media making constant jokes and supporting this anti-Trump movement, this is the end result. They are causing irreparable harm and forget harm. It is vital that we all be cognizant that our words that have strong meaning among people who are zealots. It’s time to tone down this rhetoric and recognize that we are all of one country. Failure to respect that creates what we have been warning about – civil war.
He also belonged to many Facebook groups with names like “Terminate the Republican Party” and “Donald Trump is not my President”. When commedian, mainstream media, and politicians have turned this into a real hate-fest, we should expect violent ending
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; I read your Impeachment Report and it was a real eye opener. I was impressed with your legal expertise. For that reason, the entire Comey testimony never addressed Russia as a threat and he seemed to be saying this was all a personal matter with Trump that he was fired for. He never said Trump ordered him to end the investigation into Russia altering the election. So where exactly is the substance these people have to raise any impeachment?
Thank you for for expertise.
ANSWER: You are correct. Trump never asked to end the investigation into Russia and the proves there was no obstruction of justice. If you look closely at the transcript this is obvious:
“Did the president, in any of those interactions that you’ve shared with us today, ask you what you should be doing, or what our government should be doing, or the intelligence community, to protect America against Russian interference in our election system?”
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich asked Comey.
“I don’t recall a conversation like that.”
Comey responded
Heinrich pressed: “Never?”
“No. Not with President Trump. I attended a fair number of meetings on that with President Obama.”
Comey responded
In fact, Comey later said in his testimony that he didn’t recall ever having a conversation with Trump that suggested the president was taking the Russia threat seriously.
“I don’t remember any conversations with him at all about that,”
The risk represented by Robert Mueller is not connected to or about anything surrounding a Russian Conspiracy; the legal risk is within ‘the leaking‘ of classified intelligence information to undermine the administration, and the potentially illegal ‘unmasking‘.
If we avoid all the shiny things, ignore the shell game and reset our frame of reference to the only illegal activity currently known, the leaking; the fog lifts and the main thing visible is the illegal leaking of classified intelligence information.
Despite his earnest efforts, there is clear and mounting evidence that former FBI Director James Comey was the primary source of leaked information to the media.
THAT reality is the legal risk to former FBI Director James Comey. That current risk explains everything James Comey has recently done, said and advanced.
If the evidence of James Comey being the source of multiple FBI leaks reaches the primary artery of investigative sunlight, who inside that investigative and prosecutorial decision making process becomes the risk? Answer that question and you discover the angle Comey is playing to cut off their ability to hold him accountable.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Asst AG Rod Rosenstein et al are the people Comey needs to worry about, isolate and control. It is not coincidental that Comey is setting up the future action of these participants to be politically motivated.
Anyone who is buying into the story of James Comey leaking the memos to his friend, Daniel Richman, to get a special prosecutor appointed is falling for the shell game constructed entirely by James Comey. More than likely this is the explanation he has already given to Robert Mueller, hence his motive to state within his testimony.
It is important to remember that James Comey told congress he previously met with Robert Mueller to discuss his testimony prior to appearing before congress.
James Comey admitted to this specific “leaking”, because the ‘get a special counsel appointed‘ is the explanatory storyline James Comey wanted to present in public. The alternate reason for leaking is much more damaging to him.
James Comey benefits two ways from his explanation. First, he justifies terrible behavior through a prism of his honor could find no other way (his status remains). Secondly, he sets up special counsel Mueller as fruit of a poisoned tree leading to voices calling for Mueller’s removal. Win/Win. Comey also benefits from calls by his political opposition to eliminate Robert Mueller who is investigating the leaking.
However, if you accept the full hindsight of now identified FBI leaking, the greater likelihood is that Comey didn’t leak the memo to get Mueller appointed, he leaked the memo (May 16th) as an afterthought to cover for the leak mentioned by President Trump (May 12th), of a private conversation, that appeared in the New York Times on May 11th.
Remember, James Comey’s counter-intelligence investigation could have asked for a special counsel at any time. Asst. AG and Interim AG Sally Yates was part of that investigative leadership team. If Comey wanted a special counsel, Comey could have asked DOJ to appoint a special counsel any time he wanted.
He didn’t.
Comey didn’t request appointment of a special counsel because the special counsel would only prove there’s nothing there. However, fast forward to now and the real investigative risk is in being “a leaker”.
How quickly everyone forgets those admitted conversations by James Comey friend at Lawfare blog Benjamin Wittes:
“I did not know this particular fact, but it doesn’t surprise me at all. The principal source for the rest of this story is, well, me—specifically a long interview I gave to reporter Michael Schmidt on Friday about my conversations with FBI Director James Comey over the last few months, and particularly about one such conversation that took place on March 27 over lunch in Comey’s FBI office.” (link)
Benjamin Wittes admits that FBI Director James Comey specifically discussed with him the overall content of private communications with President Trump.
When you take the Wittes outline in conjuction with Comey’s admitted leaks to his other friend Daniel Richman, Comey is transparently in a position of being fingered as the source of multiple media leaks to NYT reporter Michael Schmidt.
That is the current risk for James Comey. The discovery that Comey was the leaker is the risk now represented by Robert Mueller and is inherent in Comey’s need to control the framework of his leaking activity.
James Comey was part of the political apparatus that constructed the “muh, vast Russian conspiracy” narrative and carefully nurtured it for over 8 months – even keeping congress in the dark on the entire matter. From James Comey perspective, the problem, the illegality, is now the leaking – NOT the original issue of the Russian election hacking narrative.
Remember, it was in FEBRUARY when the FBI (McCabe) went to President Trump’s Chief of Staff privately and told Reince Priebus there was no truth to media reports, based on FBI leaks, of FBI evidence showing Trump campaign officials involved with Russian officials regarding the 2016 election. It was all a complete nothingburger.
Details – On February 15th while discussing another issue FBI Assistant Director Andrew McCabe asked Reince for 5 minutes alone after the meeting. At the one-on-one meeting McCabe told Priebus the New York Times Russia and Trump campaign story was a “bunch of BS”.
Priebus asked McCabe if McCabe would be able to say that publicly and get the media off his back about a ridiculously false narrative. Asst. Director McCabe said he would check with his boss, FBI Director James Comey. Later, McCabe called back and said he couldn’t issue a statement about it.
Reince Priebus was simply asking for the FBI to give truthful information about the false reports to the public. The White House was asking Comey to deliver transparency.
Quote from the FBI to Priebus: “We’d love to help, but we can’t get into the position of making statements on every story”…
In hindsight, from current appearances, those February leaks (mentioned above) that drove the New York Times February report were actually leaks coming from James Comey.
Stop and think about it. McCabe was telling chief-of-staff Reince Priebus not to worry about a NYT report based on leaks coming (first, second or third-hand) from James Comey himself. Priebus asks McCabe for help, James Comey then tells McCabe the FBI cannot publicly refute the story which is based on Comey’s leaking.
If everyone associated with this line of inquiry can stop themselves from following the shell game constructed by Comey, and avoid the distractions he is laying down (Lynch), they’ll eventually find a way to point this out.
To deflect the Clinton’s embarrassing loss in the 2016 election, the necessary media narrative began as “Russia Hacked The Election“.
The media narrative evolved into a “Russia Trump Campaign Conspiracy”, which eventually morphed into the “Russian Trump Collusion” narrative that has now transmogrified into the “Russian Trump Obstruction Narrative“….
Senator Tom Cotton rises to reset the inquisition and point out the absurdity of it all:
.
Bipartisan absurdity. Did President Obama collude with Emmanuel Macron to win the 2017 French election? Did UK European diplomat Nigel Farage collude with Donald Trump to win the 2016 U.S. election? Oh, but “muh Russia“.
Continuing evidence continues to mount that James Comey is carefully playing an orchestrated scheme leading to counter-positioning he has constructed, and useful idiots are playing along without noticing who is baiting them. This is so typically Comey.
The latest evidence surfaces as Sara Carter writes an article, based on a leak of a discussion Comey had with lawmakers in the closed intelligence committee session last Thursday.
However, what Carter and later Sean Hannity actually end up doing, under the auspices of catching Loretta Lynch in something sketchy, is restoring the dignity, honor and moral certitude of former FBI Director James Comey – JUST LIKE COMEY PLANNED.
It is actually getting hilarious to watch play out.
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To understand the Machiavellian construct you must first READ THE SARA CARTER article and see how it favorably positions James Comey as the harbinger of all things moral and virtuous. Secondly, you must understand James Comey (See Here).
Reminder: Nothing James Comey says or does is mere happenstance, it’s all well thought out; including the statement he made behind closed doors after planting the public testimony “Matter” talking point from Loretta Lynch as the seed for the closed session follow-up.
James Comey constructed that hearing in the way James Comey wanted to construct that hearing. Comey controlled when the hearing took place; Comey controlled the hearing being in public; Comey controlled the duration of the hearing, and Comey controlled the length of time each Senator had for the questioning within the hearing.
James Comey controlled everything about that hearing and said exactly what he wanted to say within that hearing. Comey released his opening statement before the hearing, on the day prior to the hearing, because that was James Comey’s intention for the hearing.
Everything Comey said within the hearing was for a specific purpose, and with a specific audience for his message in mind. There were no discoveries from the hearing that Comey did not intend as discoveries from the hearing.
Comey was messaging to former AG Loretta Lynch, former President Obama and former candidate Hillary Clinton. There was nothing accidentally released within the hearing; everything was pre-planned, pre-staged, coordinated with like-minded travelers and well thought out. (more)
Anyone who is buying into the story of James Comey leaking the memos to his friend, Daniel Richman, to get a special prosecutor appointed is falling into the trap constructed entirely by James Comey.
James Comey admitted to the “leaking”, because that storyline is exactly what James Comey wanted to see play out in public. James Comey is setting up Special Counsel Robert Mueller as fruit of a poisoned tree Comey would have you believe he planted.
Comey wants his political opposition to eliminate Robert Mueller. Comey didn’t leak the memo to get Mueller appointed, he leaked the memo as an afterthought to cover for the leak mentioned by President Trump (May 12th), of a private conversation, that appeared in the New York Times on May 11th.
Remember, Comey controlled Asst. AG and Interim AG Sally Yates. If Comey wanted a special counsel, Comey could have asked DOJ to appoint a special counsel any time he wanted. He didn’t.
Comey didn’t, because the reality is he didn’t want a special counsel, because the reality is there’s no “there” there for the special counsel to investigate. Comey was part of the political apparatus that constructed the “muh, vast Russian conspiracy” narrative and carefully nurtured it for over 8 months – even keeping congress in the dark on the entire matter. Therefore James Comey knows there’s nothing within the narrative to substantiate the narrative.
Comey didn’t request appointment of a special counsel because the special counsel would only prove there’s nothing there.
That reality hasn’t changed just because the Russian Election Hacking Narrative (November), turned into the Russian Trump Conspiracy Narrative (December), which evolved into the Russian Trump Collusion Narrative (January), that has now become the Russian Trump Obstruction Narrative (May)… etc.
♦ Trump fired Comey on Tuesday May 9th.
♦ The New York Times wrote their “Loyalty” article on Thursday May 11th. With leaked details of the private dinner meeting between President Trump and Director Comey.
♦ President Trump tweeted about possible “Tapes” on Friday May 12th.
♦ Supposedly Comey gave his friend Richman the “loyalty memo” to leak on Tuesday May 16th. And later told congress the intent was to spur a special prosecutor. However, if you accept the probability this was a strategic justification in hindsight, things make more sense.
♦ More sense, because Asst. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller on Wednesday May 17th. Obviously there was more than a few days of internal discussion about the appointment.
♦ Friday May 19th Rod Rosenstein testifies to congress about his support for Comey’s firing.
Now, think it through. In perspective, and knowing Comey never requested a special counsel himself; and knowing there’s no “there” there amid the vast Russian conspiracy nonsense; Robert Mueller is currently more of a threat to James Comey than he is to President Trump.
James Comey’s carefully presented admissions to congress, including his leaking and his motivation therein, is Machiavellian Comey positioning to undermine the special counsel – and bait his opposition into removing it.
Secondly, in the abstract, the mention of Loretta Lynch and the “matter” comments were entirely arbitrary, out of place, and generally unneeded in the framework of Comey’s testimony.
James Comey brought up the issue of Loretta Lynch because he wanted it brought up; and he wanted it brought up in public testimony to fuel media and ensure it was present in the minds of the public. Comey also wanted to expand on the comments in the closed briefing; and he also planned on getting that closed briefing discussion into the bloodstream of his opposition (Carter/Hannity) because it benefits his intentions.
Again, think it through.
Comey briefed the same intelligence committee behind those closed doors twice, over three months, about President Trump never being under investigation. THAT never leaked. However, two leaks (so far) come out from the last closed door briefing: one about AG Sessions (Mayfair Hotel), and the second about Loretta Lynch (as Sara Carter outlines).
Those leaks are scripted. James Comey wants those leaks. James Comey is playing this.
James Comey wants the risk that is Special Counsel Robert Mueller shut down. Utilizing the bathtub principle James Comey also wants public banter, leading to another entire congressional inquiry about former Attorney General Loretta Lynch. This keeps Comey coming back to Capitol Hill; this keeps Comey in the loop; this keeps Comey….
James Comey is controlling all of this, and yet those playing along just can’t see it. Former FBI Director James Comey is steeped in the dark arts of self-serving manipulation. It is a character trait necessary for life at the top of the food chain in the deep DC swamp.
Once you see the strings on the marionettes it’s impossible to watch the performance and not see them.
It was in FEBRUARY when the FBI (McCabe) went to President Trump’s Chief of Staff privately and told Reince Priebus there was no truth to media reports, based on FBI leaks, of FBI evidence showing Trump campaign officials involved with Russian officials regarding the 2016 election. It was all a complete nothingburger.
Details – On February 15th while discussing another issue FBI Assistant Director Andrew McCabe asked Reince for 5 minutes alone after the meeting. At the one-on-one meeting McCabe told Priebus the New York Times Russia and Trump campaign story was a “bunch of BS”.
Priebus asked McCabe if McCabe would be able to say that publicly and get the media off his back about a ridiculously false narrative. Asst. Director McCabe said he would check with his boss, FBI Director James Comey. Later, McCabe called back and said he couldn’t issue a statement about it.
Reince Priebus was simply asking for the FBI to give truthful information about the false reports to the public. The White House was asking Comey to deliver transparency.
Quote from the FBI to Priebus: “We’d love to help, but we can’t get into the position of making statements on every story”…
In hindsight, from current appearances, those February leaks (mentioned above) that drove the New York Times February report were actually leaks coming from James Comey.
Stop and think about it. McCabe is telling Priebus not to worry about a NYT report based on leaks coming from Comey. James Comey then tells Priebus he cannot publicly refute the story based on his leaking.
Yea. Perhaps now you see how Machiavellian this is.
QUESTION: Marty; Fox News said it is impossible to impeach Trump. Is that true or what?
Thanks
ANSWER: This is a very complex issue. This is why I wrote this all out in a special report (priced at only $35) because it cannot be laid out properly in a blog. I pointed out that there is no rule of law. Impeaching Trump is all in the hands of the Republicans. True, all you hear is the rumbling from the Democratic activists demanding the party’s base that the leaders now press hard now to impeach President Trump. But as I have warned, the elite Democrats talk a good game, but they are NOT interested in impeachment. They just want to keep that up front so everyone keeps talking about it so they can win back the Congress in 2018.
Everything depends upon the elitist Republicans like McCain and Graham who would love to impeach Trump so they can put this issue aside and keep the Congress in 2018. So the battle is not with the Democrats. Beware of the disloyal Republicans. I have gone into great detail to demonstrates that Congress is corrupt and have NEVER followed the law even once outside of Richard Nixon. What Trump did with Comey does not come remotely close to what Nixon did.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
Centinel2012 