Consumer Confidential: The airlines want our cash? Give us more legroom in return

"My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward. I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I'm after."

- Donald Trump, "The Art of the Deal"

The Trump administration this week called for $850 billion in taxpayer funds to boost the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

This isn't a bad idea in and of itself. There's a long history of governments worldwide responding to extraordinary times with measures to protect the overall economy and favored industries.

When it comes to handing billions of dollars to struggling airlines, however, let's stop for a moment and ask whether