Sen. Chuck Schumer, incoming Senate Democratic leader, says his primary role and the primary role of his conference will be to stand against a unified Republican government.
That job, in Mr. Schumer’s view, is to serve as the bulwark against a unified Republican government led by his former campaign donor, President-elect Donald J. Trump; to use the power of the Senate minority to try to force compromise when possible; and to stand in the way of Republicans when necessary.
"We are the barrier," said Mr. Schumer, noting that the rules of the Senate—at least as they currently exist—give Democrats there much more power than their House counterparts to hold the line against Republican policies they oppose.
"If he is going to agree on issues like trade and transportation infrastructure in a very real way with us, we have an obligation to pursue it," Mr. Schumer said about Mr. Trump, who quickly reached out to Mr. Schumer by phone after his presidential victory.
"But at the same time, we have an obligation to oppose him on all the places where he tramples on our values, travels with racism or just dismantles things because the right wing tells him to do so. That is where we are at."
It's almost where we're at, so give Schumer credit for getting part of the way there on the trampling of our civil society. But working with Trump on any issue? Thinking he actually might agree with Democrats on anything? It's a trap, just like his supposed "infrastructure" plan, "a tax-cut plan for utility-industry and construction-sector investors, and a massive corporate welfare plan for contractors."
The language of "we'll work in loyal opposition" is nice enough for normal times. This isn't normal times. A racist bigot with deep white nationalist support is about the enter the White House and the neo-Nazis are triumphant, celebrating their victory.
So the notion that there will be normal governing things to negotiate over seems awfully quaint. It's not giving those of us who exist in this new reality much to grab onto for hope, either. Fight, Sen. Schumer. Fight.
