GRENCHIK:And he isn't even president yet

Well, it’s started. The blaming, the chaos, the brinksmanship. And he isn’t even president yet.

The down-to-the-last-minute ...



literally the last minute ...

compromise (actually the second compromise) was made so that the government wouldn’t come grinding to a halt, endangering crucial services like air traffic control, and endangering paychecks at Christmas for an untold number of federal workers. And he isn’t even president yet. A bi-partisan bill to fund the government, provide relief to victims of the numerous weather disasters and aid for farmers, was set to go with close to assured passage, until, you guessed it, Trump along with his .

.. what shall we call him .

.. co-president? minion-in-chief? Congress whisperer? Mar a Lago squatter? Elon Musk let it be known that the deal should not pass.

And so it was withdrawn. The bill that eventually did pass, again, within minutes of a government shutdown, had much the same as the first. But it did not have an extension of the debt ceiling, which is the finite dollar amount beyond which the government can no longer borrow to meet its obligations.

Democrats and Republicans voted for the bill in large numbers, but 34 Republicans voted “no.” And so the government shutdown crisis is now over ..

. until this coming March. So now Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s critical job is in jeopardy, largely because he negotiated with Democrats to reach a deal.

Trump/Musk didn’t like that. And now does Johnson survive? And if he doesn’t, who is up for the job? And who would want it if you’re caught between Trump and the rebellious, hard-core Republicans? And he isn’t even president yet. And what’s the deal with Elon Musk, anyway.

Head of a department that doesn’t even exist ...

the department of government efficiency. Congress creates actual agencies of the government. So, what is he? Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts For sure, he is a major financier of Trump’s election and has Trump’s ear.

And he hangs around Trump a lot. He is the richest man in the world. Other phenomenally wealthy people have backed presidents in the past, but none this wealthy, and none who owns.

and is a high-profile user of, one of the largest social media platforms on earth. It will be interesting to see how this relationship plays out. Or for how long.

Will Trump’s titanic ego tolerate someone who many have taken to calling “co-president?” Will the American public, including many of his base supporters, tolerate the world’s richest man deciding how the U.S. government should be more thrifty? I’ve heard more than a few times, the comment that nobody voted for that guy (Musk).

We’ll see. Maybe there are some hopeful signs. More than a few Republicans in the House have gone against not-even-President-yet Trump on raising the debt ceiling.

And some Republican senators have voiced severe reservations about confirming some of the more inane, dangerous of his nominees for high level positions. Also, the Republican margins in the House and Senate are very slim. We’ll see.

But now there is talk about acquiring ...

buying? trading? taking? ...

Greenland and the Panama Canal? How does that work? God save us. And he isn’t even president yet. 'Tis the Season.

.. The babe born in Bethlehem gives hope to humanity.

A new year is a new beginning. Actually, all new-borns and all the days of the year offer us hope and opportunity. We must believe in the hope and seize the opportunity.

Our troubled world needs dreamers and doers. A blessed Christmas and a hope filled new year to all. Thanks for reading.

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