Toronto           We all knew it was just a matter of time.  In fact, I’m surprised it didn’t happen earlier.  Put two giant egos in the same space and there was bound to be a falling out among the thieves, so now we have it.  Trump touting his “big, beautiful bill,” and Musk now calling it an “abomination.”

Don’t get me wrong.  There’s no doubt that the bill is every bit as bad as Musk says it is, just for different reasons.  Musk couldn’t manage to fire any more workers or cut any but the smallest percentage of what he promised, so he’s having a “hissy fit,” as one Congressman described it, because he didn’t get his way.  Electric car subsidies did get cut which also hurts him and his Tesla’s right to the pocketbook.  The bill’s cuts to benefit programs in food, housing, and health care along with scores of other things in order to pad the bank accounts of the wealthy, like Musk, are what the rest of Americans abhor about the bill.

All of that was predictable, but watching it all play out in real time now lays bear even more the pathetic humiliation of many elected Republican representatives and senators.  One after another are trying to pretzel themselves between their two masters, Musk and Trump, with none wanting to get sideways with either.

It used to be that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, close to the top of the line to succeed the president in a crisis, was someone with real power, not a wimpy supplicant, but here’s Speaker Johnson from Louisiana whining like a whipped pup,

Johnson insisted at a news conference on Wednesday that “policy differences are not personal,” he admitted that Mr. Musk’s hard turn against the bill had come as a surprise given the “happy texts” they had shared 24 hours earlier. Mr. Johnson said he had tried again to talk to Mr. Musk but could not get through. “I called Elon last night, and he didn’t answer, but, uh, hope to talk to him today,” he said.

I know there are few principles up there, but is there also no pride.

Focusing on the $250 million Musk gave to Trump’s campaign made it easy to forget that he also dropped a load in some down ballot races that made a difference.  These folks have something to fear when they depended on his $800,000 or $2 million contributions to win or keep their seats, especially if he does the same for an opponent next time.  Musk has claimed he will decrease his contributions in the future, but with Musk, like Trump, every day is a new day, and despite the sun rising in the identical direction, there’s no guarantee that either of them will see it that way.

From all reports, these folks are pissing on their own shoes afraid of Trump now and Musk in the future.  This kind of kowtowing is an embarrassment and makes a mockery of any claims that citizens have a louder voice in this country than money.