The Foolishness of Getting into Bed with the Trumps

Senator Charles Schumer is the new Senate Minority leader. Since the election, he has had several

conversations with the president-elect. Schumer says Democrats will work with him to advance issues both may have in common: rebuilding infrastructure, tax reform and trade policy.

Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump are not unknown to each other. As powerful New Yorkers, they have known each other for years. That could bode well for working together. Hopefully it doesn't blind Schumer to the pitfalls of the path he's chosen.

What we are seeing as cabinet posts and advisors are proposed -- racists like Stephen Bannon, Mike Flynn, and Jeff Sessions and corrupt figures like Rudy Giuliani and Trump's own family -- should give Democrats plenty of pause in thinking this is an administration where progressive ideas can be nurtured. I don't buy that Trump is a progressive or the anti-Republican as many have reported. I don't buy that he has any ideological guideposts at all. Trump is all about himself and personal gain. Always has been and there's no reason to expect a pivot on that.

The man who refused to pay contractors, used his foundation to bribe officials to squelch investigations, defrauded students who signed up for his "university", made promises to lenders that he never intended to honor, hired the Mafia to build Trump Tower, and lost billions in the casino industry without putting his own money at risk -- that guy isn't someone to crawl into bed with where billions of dollars are involved.

The Washington Post today published an excellent piece on this very topic: Welcome to the Trump Kleptocracy.

Consider his campaign. His statement in 2000 that “I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it” wasn't off the mark. An analysis by Politico in September showed that his businesses had already siphoned off over $8 million in campaign donations.

Now remember that he is also the first candidate to refuse to disclose his taxes and has refused to dissociate himself from his financial empire. By putting his children in charge of his businesses, while also holding them close as official or unofficial advisors, he can easily make policy that makes profit. Everything about his history says he will.

Think about infrastructure building. It's no surprise the potential king of graft would be in favor of billions of your tax dollars going into construction. Construction is his gig -- and his son-in-law's, Jared Kushner's. With his team of corrupt cabinet officials, it would not be hard to siphon off contracts or sell them to those willing to pay up. Democrats are foolish to support any kind of infrastructure investments under Mr. Corruption. We need infrastructure, we've been begging for it, we need the jobs. All that is true. But we're going to have to wait until procedures are in place that prevent the kind of graft that is wholly predictable under the new administration.

Did any Trump voters consider that a giant cement border wall might be a tremendous boon to the New York Mafia who built Trump Tower?

We're entering the days of kickback. Democrats, please just say NO.