Operation Thor -- Nothing About The Bakken -- November 15, 2016

Updates

November 16, 2016: with a single signature, dozens of Obama's rules could fall.

... thanks to a little-used law that dates back to 1996.

And it comes with a scorched-earth kicker: If the law is used to strike down a rule, the federal agency that issued it is barred from enacting similar regulation again in the future.

The obscure law — called the Congressional Review Act — was passed 20 years ago at the behest of Newt Gingrich, then the House speaker and now a member of Mr. Trump’s transition team. It gives Congress 60 legislative days to review and override major regulations enacted by federal agencies.

In the Senate, the vote would not be subject to filibuster.

The president can veto the rejection, which usually renders the law toothless. But when one party controls both the White House and Congress, it can be a powerful legislative weapon.

Original Post

 

There is a rumor that Warren Buffett has set up an operation which insiders call Operation THOR: Trump Halts Obama's Rules.

The full name of the operation is supposedly THORREO: Trump Halts Obama's Rules, Regulations, and Executive Orders, but most insiders simply call it "Operation Thor."

According to those that should know, Warren Buffett has set up a special cell of 20 - 30 analysts and directed that they provide him and Charlie Munger with a list of investment opportunities based on the Trump election.

Had Hillary been elected, not a lot would have necessarily changed, but with a Trump election everything changes. And changes to this degree will result in investment opportunities, the likes of which only come once in a lifetime of investing.

The Operation Thor cell has been directed to find all executive orders from the White House and all regulations and rules promulgated by the various regulatory agencies under the Obama presidency that offer investment opportunities.

The cell is to provide a 1,000-word point paper on each executive order, rule, or regulation . The point paper is to be no longer than two pages (500-words/page); 12-point pitch; New York Times font. The white papers will be composed of:

• the executive order, rule, or regulation; 
• the intent of the president or the regulating agency that issued the order, rule, or regulation;  
• an analysis of the "EORorR"effect on corporate America, public or private; 
• additional analysis if indicated; and,
• recommendations of how to go forward with investment opportunities.

The 2-page analyses and recommendations are to be accompanied by a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation.

For example: back in August, 2016, the US government mandated, through the DOJ, that the U.S. will end private prisons for federal inmates. At the time, it was estimated that fourteen (14) private prisons across the US (most in Texas) housed 22,000 federal inmates. Time asked where these 22,000 federal inmates would go.

The Washinton Times has said as recently as five days ago:

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Thursday said agents are seeing a renewed surge of people attempting to sneak into the U.S. through the southwestern border over the past few months, with more than 46,000 caught in October alone.

Starting January 21, 2017, it is predicted that the federal government will begin a serious effort of vetting all aliens coming across the southern border. Housing facilities will be needed. Those fourteen private facilities are still standing but they will not be nearly enough. Even with GITMO as one suggestion, that would still fall far short.

The one thing that everyone agrees that Trump is able to do and able to do well is construct "apartment complexes."

The wall is "small potatoes" compared to the amount of money that will be needed to house the hundreds of thousands of aliens while their status is being vetted.

Donald Trump will run the $1 trillion infrastructure program like "Shark Tank." Shark Tank writ large.  Trump will make Mark Cuban look like a piper. Operation Thor will be the other side of the coin.

Again, this is simply a rumor. I won't say where I heard the rumor, but rumors need to start somewhere. Perhaps this one started at the MDW.

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In Control

The Los Angeles Times continues to spin stories that go beyond the pale. The Los Angeles continues the spin. In today's LA Times, this headline: Donald Trump's transition team loses a key figure as  he struggles to find his footing.

Talk about naïve. Slanted. Untrue. Inaccurate. Spin.
 
You have to read several paragraphs into the story to discover that the individual removed from Trump's transition team was a Chris Christie operative. Time for him to go. "You're fired." I love it: Trump is cleaning his own house.

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JFK Had RFK

Hillary Had Bill

Trump Has Three Incredibly Competent, Young, Aggressive Adult Children

Updates

Later, 8:28 a.m. Central Time: the Federal nepotism law (passed in 1967) will not allow Donald Trump's son-in-law to be on Trump's staff in a "recognized position." Security clearances go to the "position", not the "individual." Is all lost? Nope. The law could easily be changed by Congress. And the son-in-law could get an official position on the VP's staff. In fact that might be a better fit. This is not a big deal. Congress would never pass an ironclad "nepotism" law. 

Original Post

 

JFK had his brother RFK. Hillary had Bill. Trump has three incredibly bright and competent adult children.

The US has never had a multi-billionaire president-elect (as far as I know). It is being said that Trump has 22 "business" operations on five continents, or something to that effect. The specifics hardly matter.

One can only imagine his "command and control" center in Trump Tower in downtown NYC. He isn't one to spin his wheels. When faced with a decision, he will get the players involved in front of him, have them present their case, and then make a decision. As in the previous note (above) he will make his decision. And that will be it.

Twenty-five year-old reporters on the Washington, DC, beat will write stories based on their experience of watching penny-ante politicians (by comparison) manage their transitions. No one can have any idea what a multi-billionaire has at his finger-tips. I certainly can't. Trump has endured two years of being called a joke, a clown, and worse. He won't forget. When he executes his $1 trillion infrastructure program he will make Mark Cuban look like a piker.

We're going to hear a lot of drivel between now and January 20, 2017. Anyone who claims to know what Donald Trump is doing or thinking displays his own naïvety or lack of intelligence.

As one example: the best thing President Obama could do is grant a "mass" pardon to 750,000 illegal aliens as some media outlets are reporting. If he were to do that, President Trump would have overwhelming support to build his wall; build as many "apartment units" as needed to house illegal aliens until their cases were vetted; and, that would simply be a start. And those 750,000 pardons? They would never hold up in any court of law. [Update: apparently the White House has already said "no" to this insane idea -- it's "illegal."]