President Harry Truman said if you want a friend in Washington you should get a dog.

If Donald Trump ever makes it to the White House, he will be lucky to find one that doesn’t chomp his leg. 

Can you think of anyone in the Washington establishment who would welcome The Donald to D.C.? I suppose there must be a few organizations. But not many.

Think of it. The capital teems with politicians, of course. And, their faithful staffers and assorted hangers-on. If Trump becomes president, he will have run a bulldozer over their political machines.

He will have defeated the army of consultants who advise the Republican elites. Many will have lost their jobs. All will have lost their reputations. That is because none of them saw him as a serious threat. They all advised their clients he would be gone by last Christmas.

Trump will have rolled over the elite themselves. Those who knew what was best for millions of Republican voters who thumbed their noses at them.

He will have done the same to the Democrats’ machine. Because in order to win, Donald will have had to win over many Democrats. Many pollsters are finding that Trump indeed is attracting Democrat voters.

Think of how the Democrats would feel. They have lost lots of governorships lately. Along with control of state legislatures. They have lost both houses of Congress. 

Suppose Donald muscles their heroine Hillary’s chariot off a cliff on her route to the coronation. They would not be crazy about any Republican president. They will despise a President Trump.

Meanwhile, lobbyists and special interests will fight him. Donald has taken no money from them. He has railed against them. They stuffed the pockets of his opponents.

And he will have denied them one of their favorite tools. They love to say “Ahem. Be sure to remind the President that we supported him 200 percent over the last few years.” Meaning: We gave lots of bucks to his campaign. We expect a few favors.

They are not going to like him.

A lot of civil servants would also feel uncomfy with a President Trump. When politicians promise to cut waste in government, they lie. We all know this. When a CEO pledges to trim fat in his company, he trims. It is possible a guy like Trump might actually trim when usually Washington does no trimming.

Most of the mainstream media will oppose Trump. He does not like them and says so. They don’t like him. They have had cozy connections to top politicians for decades. This might not be so easy with a Trump administration.

Trump’s opponents can use a lot of this against him. They can ask, “How would he get anything done? Nobody would owe him a thing. He would have no favors to collect. He would have no leverage, no clout. The old corrupt pols would hold their noses. And work like hell to sandbag him. To drive him out of Washington. So they could go back to their old ways.”

These are valid points. Trump would at least have his voters, yes. He could rally them to pressure pols in favor of his policies. Reagan did a lot of this. Still, this only goes so far.

Thus far, Trump has been brilliant with campaign strategies. He has out-thunk entrenched elites of both parties. To win the big prize, he will have to continue to do so. 

So maybe — if he wins — he will be just as brilliant in dealing with the establishment in Washington. He would need to be to get anything done. They are hunkered and bunkered and ready to do battle with him. Trump is an outsider now. He would be an outsider in the Oval Office. He would threaten reform. The establishment would welcome reform like farmers welcome pestilence.

He outsmarts a lot of people. Maybe he will outsmart them.

And if he is really brilliant, his choice of dogs will be an aged, sleepy Lab with arthritis. Blind and toothless. Fixed, declawed, and muzzled. Snoozing in a house way beyond the Rose Garden. And on a chain.

And every day he would remind himself to never turn his back on him.

From Tom…as in Morgan.                                       

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows. Contact him at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com

It is never too late to make a positive change. New York State government could certainly use a fresh start and be proactive. New York could and should be doing better, and that starts by taking advantage of opportunities when they are presented. I’d like 2016 to present a stark contrast to 2015 and previous years, which were full of missed opportunities. 

First and foremost, the legislature needs to earn back the trust of the people, which it lost due to numerous scandals. The corrupt behavior of a few politicians has marred the efforts of the many honorable men and women I work with on a daily basis serving the people. Now is not the time to be weak on ethics reform in the State Capitol. My Republican colleagues and I have proposed ethics legislation, the Public Officers Accountability Act and the Public Pension Forfeiture Act, which if passed, would be among the most stringent anti-corruption laws in the country. The people of this state need to know there are laws in place to ensure their elected officials will be held accountable should they violate the public trust. 

New York, our once-lauded Empire State, was the place to which people flocked seeking a more prosperous future. This, however, has not been the case in recent years. New Yorkers, especially young adults, are leaving this state because of regulations, taxes, and a lack of job opportunities. Municipalities are struggling with burdens from unfunded mandates, making it difficult for investment in the areas needed most by our communities. 

There is no time for delay; there are a number of measures we can act upon immediately that would address the underlying problems with our state’s economy and costliness. My Republican colleagues and I have proposed numerous tax relief, small-business, and unfunded-mandate relief bills. We’d be happy to have all legislators partner with us to address these pressing issues. 

It is my hope that during this year’s legislative session, the Senate, Assembly, and the governor commit to making this year a better year for the people of New York. Let’s make 2016 the year of seized opportunities and positive change.          

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us