Shock appeal from Dem who flipped Senate seat: ‘We must work with President Trump’

By Tom Wrobleski | wrobleski@siadvance.comA fresh-face Democrat who flipped a red Senate seat blue is beseeching his party to work with President Donald Trump. Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-Texas) spoke on Thursday at the Democrats’ “What’s Next” conference in Denver, saying that the party must put getting things done above all other concerns.“As of yesterday, we’ve elected 55 senators in our country,” Talarico told the crowd, per Mediaite. “We are within striking distance of a super-majority. And a super-majority requires a super agenda.” Laying out a litany of objectives for the Dems, Talarico said, “Some of these reforms may not pass until 2029. But the American people cannot wait two years for change, so we must work with President Trump.”Talarico then played to Trump’s ego, pointing to a Texas legend who made big strides in the White House: President Lyndon B. Johnson, who spearheaded passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act in 1964 amid other accomplishments. “If President Trump wants the same plaques and portraits and busts as LBJ, we can help make that a reality,” Talarico said. The senator-elect continued, “We should make the final two years of his presidency the most productive of any presidency in American history. Because this moment is so much bigger and so much more important than the red team or the blue team.”The appeal is stunning given that the Democrats have pledged to investigate Trump, his administration and family members and are looking at impeaching members of the presidential Cabinet. To cheers from the crowd, Talarico said, “We must deliver immediate, bold relief during this affordability crisis. We must unrig this economic system that only benefits the top one percent. We must unrig this political system. So no billionaire, no trillionaire, can buy our elections. We must ban gerrymandering in every state in the Union, red states and blue states alike.”The senator-elect continued, “We must cut the red tape and build millions of new homes so that every American can realize the dream of homeownership. And we must regulate artificial intelligence, crack down on data centers, and pass an AI dividend so every American can have a share in this AI future.”He said, “We must end these forever wars that are driving up prices and we must champion a new values-based foreign policy.”Talarico said, “And most importantly, we must heal the deep spiritual corruption at the root of all of these crises. We must bridge the divides between us. We must repair the ties that bind us,” A 1987 graduate of Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center, Tom began working at the Staten Island Advance in 1995. The native Staten Islander started his career at the Advance as a community board...