I've always believed in the Constitution and our great country and courts of law. I know we have lots of mistakes and corruption, but our system was founded on ideals that most in the world look to re: the ability to confront your accuser, innocent until proven guilty, trial by jury of peers, etc.

I had become quite cynical due to what has happened with President Trump, and also due to our three-tiered system of justice: one for ruling class, one for illegals, who can do anything, including murder, and not be punished, and one for tax-paying citizens.

I was cynical until this morning. I've been listening to POTUS' defense team and their sound reasoning for why this impeachment event is a complete farce.

Deputy WH Counsel Philbin talked about how our judicial system is the crown jewel of how we govern ourselves.

And, he explained how Pelosi didn't follow the rules in beginning the impeachment proceedings; therefore, everything that followed is invalid.

If the Senate throws this thing out, the way they should, their action will go far in helping me believe that we can fix some of what's wrong in America -- starting with our government.

I just noticed the little drop down button on the left side. Finally I can access New and Rising on my mobile.

You all are doing a fantastic job. Thank you for your time and efforts. I love this community.

It was an automated call and wanted to know who I voted for in 2016 and who I would vote for in 2020.

It then asked if I knew about the infrastructure bill developed by Joe Walsh. I pressed 2 for "no." (Have no clue who Joe Walsh even is.)

Then, after it asked me if I were voting for Trump in 2020, it wanted to know who would be my second choice.

Well, I have no second choice. But, the poll bot wanted me to choose between Bill Weld and Joe Walsh.

So, I didn't press anything, because the poll bot didn't give me a third option: Neither.

The bot asked me three times to choose one, but I refused.

Finally, it hung up on me.

I need a coder to write the "cannot compute" script for me. 😂

*spez - missing word

From the book, "Inside Trump's White House," by Doug Wead, pgs. 55 - 56. All material is a quoted directly from the book.

In my [Wead's] conversations with other members of the Trump family and the Trump administration, this question kept lingering. What was behind Donald Trump's success? One could see his weaknesses. It seemed after any great success he would unnecessarily self-destruct. It was something that happens to all of us, but Donald Trump's moments were so visible. He was so transparent.

"Honest," as Ivanka Trump put it.

So what were the positives that transcended the negatives? How had he won the presidency? How had the economy turned around? How had ISIS been so easily tamed? My researchers and I tore apart his book "The Art of the Deal." We had notes and markings on every page without drawing any firm conclusions. And then finally, one day, one interview with Ivanka yielded some good answers.

"He learned from his own father," she said. "They were builders. That's one thing that some people got wrong. Dad is not primarily a marketer. He is good at that. He understands the bells and whistles. But his real skill is as a builder, which he learned from his great mentor, his father."

And yet Fred Trump, the father, had stayed in Queens, I pointed out. . . . He warned his son, Donald, to stick with what he knew, to stay in Queens, not to venture across the bridge into Manhattan, where the stakes were higher and the risks so much greater. But Donald Trump, who taught his children to think big, was not frightened by Manhattan.

"Donald Trump is a big thinker," Ivanka said. "A big dreamer. He had the vision to cross over the bridge. He came to Manhattan and then ultimately we took that vision and extended it around the globe based on the brand that became synonymous with luxury at the highest level."

. . .

"In the Trump Organization [continues Ivanka] he was always an incredible mentor. He gave a bold vision for the company. He would give people room, they would have the freedom to perform, but he would always be watching and encouraging and making sure his vision was being followed. I think he's running the country the same way, although some people in his administration are just starting to figure that out."

But what was the secret? [Wead asks] What was the common denominator? What principle did he apply to all of these ventures? To building, to television entertainment, to politics?

"There is one principle," Ivanka said, "going back to my childhood, something that he would always tell us. And it has become a quote that he quite famous for. It's no secret, really. He would say, 'If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big.'"

"That," Ivanka said, "is very much his philosophy. It was his approach in business and entertainment and finally politics. He would swing for the fences. He wouldn't try for a single. He would try for a home run."

This book by Wead is FANTASTIC. I urge everyone to buy it and read it. You'll learn the truth about a lot things, all from primary interviews with President Trump, the Trump family, and key players in the Administration.

I started reading it two hours ago and can't put it down.

edits: typos

I started reading, The Plot Against the President: The True Story of How Congressman Devin Nunes Uncovered the Biggest Political Scandal in U.S. History.

In Chapter 3, he covers how "news" is created.

One small example:

In 2014, Michael Flynn gave a public talk in England, and then attended a private dinner hosted by Richard Dearlove. Here he met a woman named Lokhova, who later was named a compromised Russian asset (a fabrication). The two talked at dinner.

A few weeks later, Flynn attended a celebration dinner for RT and was photographed sitting two seats away from Putin.

In 2016, when Flynn began advising the Trump campaign, Halper directed Christopher Andrew to host a dinner and invite Lokhova -- Halper wanted to get info from her about Flynn that he could leak to the press. He also needed material in order to write the fake backstory of the Putin-Flynn photograph. Lokhova declined the invitation.

The story Halper created, however, is that Flynn was at the RT dinner because he had been compromised by a Russian agent (Lokhova). This account surfaced in Dec. 2016.

"The photograph of him seated with Putin became the first piece of falsified evidence in the dirty tricks campaign alleging that the Trump team had been compromised by the Kremlin."

Halper and GPS then created what Lee calls "Protodossiers" with talking points (all of which were made up) about Trump's alleged Russian ties. These protodossiers where given to the media.

The journalists used these things to create their stories, often quoting things verbatim and with zero investigative journalism.

I knew things were bad, but not this bad.

If you get a chance, read the book. It's a fast read and reads like a spy novel. Very interesting!

spez: accuracy

I was out walking and came by a group of children out playing football in their front yard.

It was so nice to see a group of neighborhood kids playing, laughing and running around outdoors in the crisp fall air (jackets all in a pile, of course). It reminded me of my childhood. (Older pede here.)

Here's what I loved about it: three black kids, four white kids, and one was the baby sister. She was playing too, and the boys were gently teasing her / roughhousing.

I hate clichés, but this is the America MLK, Jr. dreamed about. It's here and it's happening every single day. Don't let the legacy media and "woke" organizations tell you otherwise.

Happy Thanksgiving.