This Politico headline is encouraging: "Democrats look to exploit Trump divisions with GOP Congress." But the subhead tells a less happy story: "Senate Democrats hint they're willing to play ball with the president-elect and use the filibuster sparingly."
Though incoming leader Chuck Schumer has yet to show his hand, the outline of a Democratic strategy for dealing with Donald Trump is beginning to take shape, based on interviews with several senators and aides. Their thinking: Exploit the inevitable divisions between Trump and the increasingly conservative GOP leadership over tax policy, infrastructure spending and possibly social issues. And Senate Democrats hope to use the filibuster — the only real leverage they have to stymie Trump and congressional Republicans — sparingly. […]
So even as progressives dig in to fight potential efforts to repeal Obamacare and hack away at environmental regulations, party leaders appear open to working with Trump—on their terms.
“We must hold him to his words [of promising to close] tax loopholes that only help the rich [and] unrig the system,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a close ally of Schumer who’s poised to rise in Democratic leadership. “The problem in getting infrastructure is not the Democratic caucus.”
“I think Donald Trump would be very receptive to what [moderate Democrats] have to say,” added Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
They think they can cut deals with Trump. Manchin thinks Trump is going to pay attention to him. They're deluded. When it comes to exploiting the divisions between Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the only thing Democrats should be doing is throwing fuel on the flame and letting them burn themselves down.
That means lending no one a hand in dismantling the things that this nation—the majority of this nation which voted for Hillary Clinton—holds dear. It especially means not enabling a white nationalist to govern as if he were a normal president. The starting point for every Democrat has to be Harry Reid's: "If Trump wants to roll back the tide of hate he unleashed, he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he must begin immediately." If they don't want to listen to Reid, here's Nancy Pelosi: "Democrats are committed to finding common ground for hardworking families. But we will stand our ground and strongly oppose attempts by this Administration to scapegoat and persecute Americans because of who they are, how they worship, or who they love."
Job number one for elected officials is protecting their own people. That's what we expect from the Democrats we elected.