Criticizing the outsized role that Donald Trump’s family is playing in his transition, and presumably in his administration, has become something of a sport this season. I would be among the first to say that the apparent control Trump’s children and his son-in-law are having of the process gives the appearance of impropriety, and the stench of nepotism and self-dealing is beginning to attach to Trump’s administration before he even takes office.

Having said that, there is no reason to be an f***ing moron who tries to act like history started two weeks ago. Case in point, a Democrat pay-so-say shill named Maria Cardona.

Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton had won and if Chelsea Clinton was with her at every single meeting that she was having as they were putting the transition in place? Oh my god, there would be hearings! There would be Fox News specials! There would be an independent prosecutor!

Stop the tape.

When the Clinton’s moved their double-wide onto the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and put their wheezing pickup on cinderblocks, in the crowd were Hugh and Tony Rodham. They were ensconced at the beginning, no one cared because Democrats are inherently honest and there was nothing to see. But the Rodham’s remained a fixture of the Clinton White House and used their access to try to make a lot of money for themselves on everything from peddling hazelnuts to presidential pardons. More to the point, when Bill Clinton set out to socialize American medicine in the 1993 (amazing how some things never change) who did he put in charge? Not a cabinet secretary. He chose to put Hillary Clinton in charge, someone who was neither elected, nor confirmed by the Senate, nor held a government office, nor who could even be disciplined much less dismissed. And, yes, there were and completely justified complaints about the blending of the personal and the public in this venture.

To continue Cardona’s train of thought further, does anyone seriously believe that Chelsea Clinton and Bill Clinton as well as the Rodham Cartel would not be playing significant roles in a Clinton transition? And we all know what the headlines would be: Great to have the steady hand of Bill Clinton; Brilliant Chelsea is being groomed for a cabinet position; the wonderful Rodham family is a model for America.

I think Trump is treading a dangerous path but until Inauguration Day he can pretty much call the shots on how he wants to use his family. None of them, at this point, are on the federal payroll. After that point, not so much. It is unfortunate that he’s engaging in very self-damaging behavior in this and creating a meme that will haunt him for his presidency, but to make this out as some completely new and unexplored factor in American political life is simply nonsense… but then again Cardona is paid by Hillary Clinton to spout just that.

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