Sorry, but working with Trump on key legislation would serve two purposes

[louis c]

This may not be popular, but think of it as strategic.

If Trump, the Democrats and moderate Republicans put through legislation that advances our causes, here's my prediction of what happens.

Specifically, let's look at infrastructure. We preserve Davis-Bacon (pro-union prevailing wage policy). We vote to spend $1 trillion over 10 years. We preserve the public sector ownership of roads, bridges, tunnels, etc. We have a deal.

Then we agree on tax reform that is weighted toward the middle-class. We work together to get a public option on health care and Trump insists that the Republican Governors accept the Medicare expansion that they have refused, up to now.

What's Trump's incentive? He gets "wins", which is all he wants. We get favorable legislation, while splitting his base.

Just like when Papa Bush made the tax deal with the Democrats, he was vilified by his own and lost the next election, this is a strategy that would be a twofer.

No one hates Trump more than I do, but we could lure him into the quick sand by playing to his own ego. "You can't win legislation without us."

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Trump and the Republicans can reach out to the Democratics

In both the House and the Senate.

That's what 'leaders' do. They reach across the aisle. They have House, Senate and Executive office with majorities. Them first. Let them play nice for once.

[Demsrule86]

3. Really so we are supposed to help Trump govern after eight years of obstruction for Obama

NO....we let him fall and take back everything.

[Demsrule86]

2. He won't support good bills.

And we don't need taxcuts.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. It's Bannon's diabolical plan to get us fighting among ourselves like the GOP is.

He thinks it will deflect from Trump's travails.

Don't be a sucker.

[Demsrule86]

14. That is exactly right...if moderate supported a conservative infrastructure bill the progressive

side would have a meltdown...and I wouldn't blame them.

[Girard442]

4. Some might argue that making deals on some issues might be good, but...

...how could you make any kind of deal with a man who can't even be counted on to acknowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west?

There's only one deal I can imagine that could possibly work: Trump resigns and trusts the rest of us not to hang him.

[HopeAgain]

11. And the majority of Americans remain apathetic because nothing gets done in Washington..

Sure obstruction, obstruction and obstruction worked for the Republicans at the polls, but as we are seeing, it didn't work for having a functional party.

I am old fashion, I guess, but I believe the government's first duty is to govern. We aren't going to get universal healthcare with the current situation, but we can possibly improve on the ACA with moderate Republicans. Saying we are going to do to them what they did to us brings us into the danger of being like them. This isn't about retribution, it is about improving American lives.

I get distressed, frankly, when I see intransigent ideologues look to divide by demanding an "us against them" attitude in all cases. That is the attitude that created Trump and could just as easily backfire on us as the it did the Republican party. Trump may yet prove to be the end of the Republican party, but if we can't put people first, we could suffer the same result.

[Girard442]

13. The problem is not that it's morally wrong to make a deal with Trump.

It's that it's impossible. You could make an argument that Democrats should, say, vote to raise the debt ceiling, but if you add a quid pro quo like, for instance, massive infrastructure spending, there's no reasonable expectation he'd ever follow through or even admit a deal was even made.

[louis c]

15. It's legislation. The deal is in writing and is legally valid

he can't renege after the fact.

After it passes the House, we have even more influence in the Senate.

[Wounded Bear]

6. I'm basically with you...

as long as we act as Democrats and don't sell out. You point out several very important lines in the sand that should not be crossed and expect any Democratic support. I suspect there are others like women's healthcare and SCHIP, etc.

Perhaps we can "kill him with cooperation."

[NightWatcher]

7. Because he's proven himself to be such an honest broker...

Don't give him an inch of help. Odds are he's going down for treason or RICO violations anyway. We need to obstruct and watch him fail and his party devour itself, then we swoop in starting in 2018 and finally in 2020 and get our shit done.

We've waited this long for legislation, we can wait till 2018 & 2020.

[Peachhead22]

8. Enlighted self-interest

[democratisphere]

9. drumpfanov is a psychopath. Psychopath​s can not be trusted.

Why would you think you could work with such a creature that has a long history of failing at business and screwing the hell out of small business contractors. This guy should not be "normalized" by anyone. Attempts to normalize drumpfanov are insane.

[still_one]

10. While you supposition makes sense, the reality is that trump has NO INTENTION of working

with the Democrats, and if you believe that perhaps I can sell you some swamp land in Arizona

Perhaps you haven't been paying attention to who trump had appointed, and who are his close associates.

It isn't going to happen, it is his fantasy to motivate the republicans to come running to his beckon call. He has no intention to work with the Democrats

[louis c]

12. Even if we try this approach and he rejects it

or it fails, we have the talking point of attempting to be reasonable for the good of the country.

We call his bluff, but hold on to our agenda and principals.

[grantcart]

16. They are not going to agree on any tax reform that doesn't

reduce taxes on the rich.

Any premise that includes progressive tax reform is not realistic.

[louis c]

17. Then Trump doesn't get our support on that one

He needs us more than we need him.

That's when to make a deal. When we have the upper hand.

[grantcart]

18. They are not going to increase taxes on the rich and that means

that the infrastructure bill will add more debt weakening the government and diverting revenue for decades.

[grantcart]

19. Its a trap, and they have already begun.

Five hours after we exchanged messages the first infrastructure trial balloon went up:

https://www.axios.com/scoop-trump-wants-to-make-tax-reform-infrastructure-a-package-deal-2332543336.html

The Trump administration is looking at driving tax reform and infrastructure concurrently, according to a White House source with direct knowledge.

The plan will be to put together a terrible tax plan but with some little offering to Democrats plus a terrible infrastructure with some things that Democrats want.

Once they get it passed and have to reconcile it in the Senate they will make the tax part worse and give the Democrats a little bit more on the infrastructure. The Democrats need to be the party of fiscal responsibility because the Republicans add debt which make it impossible for us to establish programs, like universal health care because of the debt burden of the federal government. If we didn't have such a high debt payment we could afford universal health care.

When the economy is collapsing it is useful to have deficit spending to stimulate the economy and add debt. When the economy is up, like it is now, we should be reducing debt not adding another trillion for infrastructure.

If he wants infrastructure then fine, pay for it with taxes on the rich. The reality is that the infrastructure is a ruse to buy Democratic votes for more tax breaks. Some Dems will fall for it.