The President's Successes so far. . .

So while the Russia story churns on, while we watch the bizarre tactics and strategies of Mitch McConnell in the Senate, things are happening. the Presidents team is implementing their vision of a proper government. And I do not point to the circus in the White House. Rather, what I allude to are actual policies and government agencies that his cabinet members are responsible for. In short, some of his cabinet officials are doing what they came there to do.

The below is a short summary of such "successes", focusing here on the Department of Justice. I write this for two reasons:

• The first to just list in one place some of the actual "successes" the Trump White House could be boasting about. Notice that they do not. 
• And number two - though the investigation of the 2016 election, and all its ruminations, though an important story, is not the only story. 

Basically what follows are summations of various news articles from both major "fake news" outlets and others.

Let us start with the Justice Department:

1. "Adoptive Forfeiture,", the program gives police departments greater leeway to seize property of those suspected of a crime, even if they were never charged or convicted of a crime. This policy was previously in place and was dismantled by the Obama administration. It was basically a tool used in the war against drugs. It has in the past often been misused as it became a source of revenue for local police. The Justice Department interestingly would take a cut of any the property confiscated. Today they have put certain restrictions but its use, but basically it is back.
   
   "Jeff Sessions’s Justice Department turns a $65 million asset forfeiture spigot back on", the Washington Post, By Christopher Ingraham, July 19, 2017
   
2. On Wednesday, the Day the President tweeted that "The United States Government will not accept or allow ... Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military", Jeff Sessions' Justice Department filed court papers arguing that federal civil rights law does not protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
   
   In an unusual move the Justice Department offered a friend-of-the-court brief regarding a case happening in NY involving a dispute between a privately held firm and a former employee. In the brief, they assert, “The sole question here is whether, as a matter of law, Title VII reaches sexual orientation discrimination,”. They conclude that the law does not protect against such. “It does not, as has been settled for decades. Any efforts to amend Title VII’s scope should be directed to Congress rather than the courts.” In short, they are arguing that there is no federal protection against an employer firing someone over being being gay. lesbian or transgender.
   
   "Justice Department Says Rights Law Doesn’t Protect Gays", New York Times, Alan Feuer, July 27, 2017
   
3. The Justice Department on Tuesday again announced that it was implementing requirements for certain grants available to cities and towns. these new requirements would punish so-called "sanctuary cities". “This is what the American people should be able to expect from their cities and states,” Mr. Sessions said, adding: “These long overdue requirements will help us take down MS-13 and other violent transnational gangs, and make our country safer.”
   
   The response from sanctuary cities regarding such arguments is simply that the goals of the Justice Department do not correspond to the goals and responsibilities of local law enforcement. They suggest that immigrant populations, both legal and illegal, will no longer trust the local law enforcement, allowing crimes to go unreported and ultimately allowing their neighborhoods to be havens for criminals.
   
   Now the Justice Department did to impose a similar regime this earlier in the year, and were quickly closed down by a Federal Court in San Francisco. Sessions  and his team are again exploring other ways to force "sanctuary cities" into compliance.
   
   "Sessions Once Again Threatens Sanctuary Cities", The New York Times, Vivian Yee and Rebecca R. Ruiz, July 26, 2017
   
   Attorney General Sessions Announces Immigration Compliance Requirements for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Programs, Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, Tuesday, July 25, 2017
   
4. In the healthcare arena, one of the things one routinely hears, and this also goes to identity theft is in relation to Medicare fraud. This is two fold problem in that it an additional tax on an already challenged system and further it preys upon seniors who rely upon the system, either involving them in fraudulent services or simply stealing their identities.
   
   Yet, it was reported on July 30th by the National Law Review that he has trimmed the staff of one of the strike forces responsible for such investigations. Now interestingly this group was responsible for complex corporate health care fraud. this is opposed to fraud committed by individuals or practitioners. Insurance companies and larger corporate entities are safer or safer.
   
   "AG Sessions Sends Mixed Messages on Health Care Fraud", National Law Review, July 30, 2017
   
   "As Priorities Shift at DOJ, Health Care Corporate Fraud Strike Force Gutted", The National Law Journal, Sue Reisinger & Kristen Rasmussen, As Priorities Shift at DOJ, Health Care Corporate Fraud Strike Force Gutted, July 10, 2017
   
5. Then there are the voter ID laws, which have been in the news for the last several years. The Obama administration had asserted that such laws were not only discriminatory but being used by states to intentionally to limit access to polls by certain populations. In short, those who do not have driver licenses, do not have a US Passport, nor have served in the military, etc. Basically, older, poorer people typically black and latino.
   
   The Texas legislature had passed one of the most stringent of such laws, and it was found discriminatory. They went back to work and rewrote the law and the Obama Department of Justice took them to court again. The case continues on in 2017, however with a new President we have the Sessions Department of Justice. And with the new administration, they have flipped. The Department of Justice today supports the revised law. In a newly filed brief, they claim that the new law "eradicates any discriminatory effect or intent".
   
   "Changing Sides: Trump’s Justice Department switched sides in battle over Texas voting law", Vice News, Carter Sherman July 9, 2017
   
6. Lastly, there is pot - marijuana. There are several recent reports that the Justice Department's "Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety is expected to issue a report next week that advocates believe will link cannabis use to violent crime, and will call for tougher sentences for growers, sellers and users." (Chris Morris, Fortune Magazine, Jul 24, 2017).
   
   The article goes on to point out that Jeff Sessions has already gone before committees in Congress arguing to "rescind a Justice Department budget amendment that stops the agency from using federal funds to block states from implementing their own marijuana legalization bills, both medical and recreational. (Twenty-nine states allow medical marijuana usage, while eight, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational use.)"(Chris Morris, Fortune Magazine, Jul 24, 2017)
   
   "The Justice Department May Be Planning a Marijuana Crackdown", Fortune, Chris Morris, Fortune Magazine, Jul 24, 2017

I stop here, but I am afraid I could go on. . .