Remember the conundrum of the two crooks who have been arrested and are being interrogated separately? If they both keep mum, they'll both walk free. If one squeals he'll sit for 5 years, which is unpleasant, but the other one will sit for 20, which is really tough luck for him. However, if one keeps mum but the second squeals, one sit for 20 years - uggghhh. Especially as if he'd known his buddy was such a bastard he himself would have spilled the beans first and sat only five years. But then, the entire five years he'd have been able to kick himself for not shutting up, in which case he'd now be free, and sipping herbal tea or something in this place.
It's a tough life, being a crook.
Anyway, until recently the Olmert saga has been rather like that story except there have been three crooks, not two: Olmert himself, his former law partner Uri Messer, and his extremely loyal assistant, Shula Zaken. (By the way, according to all sources, the three of them are all highly capable people. Crooks, perhaps, but intelligent ones). The trio were rock-solid in their loyalty to each other, and the poor police never had a chance.
What has now changed is that the police have caught this Talanski fellow. He's not part of the Band of Brothers and Sister. Whether he's a crook or not I can't say, but if he is, he's not a card bearing and trusted member of our gang who can be relied upon. I can't say how they did it, but the police apparently have manged to plant uncertainty in the mind of Uri Messer, who has been doing all sorts of calculations about 5-years vs. 20 and that sort of thing.
Shula, by the way, still seems rock solid.
Disclaimer: Ruminations has no information beyond what has been splashed all over the media these past 15 years. All of the above is pure speculation and bears no relation to any real characters or actual people.
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4 comments:
Nah. This scandal smells cooked up.
Start with this. Bibi chose not to join Olmert's government. And, the Likud never felt shame that Rabin was assassinated by Jewish hands. It's just politics. And, it's now, wall to wall, dirty.
The religious right in Israel wants no part of the talks that keep going round, on finding a diplomatic solution, for something that wasn't solved by war. But on the contrary. Israel ended up with more arabs, and with a reluctant Eygpt and Jordan, when it came to taking "lost territory, back."
Now, you're not a rabbi if you can't get people to give you money. Because you'd have no building fund. No salary. Nada. And, the same holds true for politicians. They run by asking strangers for money. Every single day.
To understand this, means most people aren't cut out to be successful politicians. Where an underworld figure like Gadamyak can get a stinker like Shlomi, to toss him a "piece of the knesset." If not today? Wait for t'marra.
On the other hand, in WARRIOR, Arik Sharon talks about his trips to America. And, how generous rich American Jews were, when he'd go to speak to crowds. And, he'd get lots of envelopes.
In one particular story, a "macher" from the West Coast, went over to Sharon, at one such East Coast meeting, and recommended that he come to LA. He could raise a lot of money, Arik was told.
So, that's what Arik did! He flew to the West Coast. Stayed at a fine hotel. And, put on his tuxedo. Hundreds of people were there to listen. And? He got ONE CHECK! ONE ENVELOPE. From this "macher." And, because it's not nice to open this in public, Arik slipped it into his suit's jacket pocket. Couldn't wait to get back to his hotel! Where he tore open the envelope, to find a check for $25.
No, it doesn't surprise me that Mazuz crminalizes politicians. Didn't surprise me that Mazuz, got away, without penalty, accusing Katsav of rape. By a woman who was using sex to get herself "advanced" in the work place. And, a woman who was crazy enough (Aleph), to start a fire in her apartment when she had an argument with her landlord.
Now? Shimon Peres holds the presidency instead of Katsav. "Very convenient." Excpet that Peres has taken off his pants with greater frequency than Katsav! You want a man who cheated on his wife? Well, now you've got one! A creep even more dishonest than Nixon. Go ahead. See if I care?
Like it or not, you've got to play with American presidents. Even the stinkers who hated Israel. And, who backed John Foster Dulles (Eisenhower). Who knew Nixon. And the rats he brought into government.
Same rats went to work for Bush Jr.
Bush, by the way, just BOMBED. It's possible the GOP is in more trouble than you can imagine. But at least you can see "some trouble," when you recognize that the American youth aren't enamored of arabs. And, HATE having to spend a dime on Irak.
All this "schtick" about envelopes? Morris Talansky NEVER was invited to collect money for anyone in Kadima. His days? Well, he's digging up dirt, and taxi drivers, from way back in 1996.
If the dirt sticks? It's still a shanda to think this is the way politics is supposed to work.
Meanwhile, the VEXING problem with the arabs is out there to intice IDIOTS into over-reacting! You don't like it that Israel has tourism? You'd prefer war? You think you'd solve a thing? Doubt it. (The arabs just showed ya, in Lebanon, that they just fire wildly. Oh, yeah. The "news" of victory went to Nasrallah's head. So he attacked the Druze in their mountain villages. And, he didn't even win one village.) But it goes unreported.
All you know? Jumblatt is a coward. And, somebody else gave the order to "fight" when Nasrallah went into the hills. And, lost.
Stop believing the crap that flows as news, but is nothing more than propaganda.
Ah, for Olmert? I wish him the same success that befell Bill Clinton. See? Ken Starr was sure he was going to force Bill Clinton to resign. Instead? Guess whose stock went up? Really. The Monica story did not destroy Bill's presidency. It just made him more famous. And, he also got a lot of public sympathy.
Next time the Likud decides to "sit out" an administration, chalk it up as a loser's proposition.
Yup. To be a polician, you have to work, every single day, raising money! This Bush did it! And, Reagan excelled at it!
You want Jews to not be generous with Israeli politicians? Perhaps, you don't like tourism, either?
But if you want to play ball, your best politicians are just like Olmert.
And, men? Katsav didn't rape anyone. Nor did Bill Clinton.
It's a mockery of the legal system, here, I tell ya.
Yaacov,
Look, politics is a tough, treacherous business, and anyone who's in it to win has probably violated the spirit and sometimes the letter of the law, on more that one occasion. Since prominent politicians can't really do their own dirty deeds, loyal lieutenants are extremely valuable.
OTOH, Israeli politics is still very ideological: most people belong to a particular camp, Left or Right, and their entire support system - aids, fundraisers, sometimes personal friends and families - belong to the same camp and share the belief system.
Once you switch camps, your old support system views you as a traitor to the cause. Therefore, I won't be shocked if it turns out that Olmert's old friends - Messer, Talansky et al. - are disgusted with his newfound willingness to cede land to the Pals, and they've decided to derail his current effort vis-a-vis Abbas by hurting Olmert personally.
I guess unlike the real mob, in politics guns are made of envelopes stuffed with greenbacks.
FROM CAROL HERMAN
Sometimes I think G-d put the arabs around Israel, because otherwise? The way Jews run things would become laughingstock.
Not that it's easy to laugh at murder. Which is how Rabin got shot.
And, ya know what? When Bibi decided NOT to join Olmert's government; though fair and square Olmert's team got more votes! What Bibi thought then, and still thinks, now ... is that the police and the lawyers ... can take Olmert down! ANd, kill Kadima.
No one knows what's going to happen, here. It sure is OBVIOUS that those accusing Olmert are also men who never joined Kadima. And, who have both strong links to Likud. AS WELL AS strong links to taking out ads two years ago; telling Olmert to quit.
And, these idiots decided to take a shi'ite on Bush's parade. Why? Where's the upside? Bush? He tanks on his own. He doesn't need "halp." And, yet? It was nice of him to come. Believe it or not.
As to the "costs" to politicians? Could be, ahead, there will be fewer American Jews "stuffing envelopes." They say the same thing is true, now, for natural disasters. Instead of people being generous? They tune this stuff out.
Of course, in Israel, the "chazer" Shimon Peres got Katsav's ceremonial presidential chair. (Ezer Weitzman, who held it once, got clobbered for taking cash.)
ANd, the irony of ironies? You think Peres was faithful to his wife? Have I got news for you!
Besides, Katsav didn't rape anybody. He "schtooped" a woman crazy enough to blackmail him. And, then it backfired. From this crap, Mazuz "built his case."
Sometimes? America goes first. And, sometimes, up to bat come the Jews. In AMerica, though, Ken Starr wasn't Jewish. He was a religious nutter of another kind.
So, go ahead. Check it out. Nixon resigned. Then? Bush Junior comes along and hires all the old men from Nixon's 1972 administration. And, you want to know why Bush ran into trouble?
Well? Some people never learn.
On the other hand? Lessons get repeated.
Bill Clinton became MORE FAMOUS for dropping his pants. He's so much more famous now, he's tried to get his wife to become the democrapic nominee. No such luck? Well, you can't blame his "falling pants."
Sometimes, I wonder if Gilad Sharon won't write a book to blow the whole lid off. And, then I remember. Who reads books? Not so many, ya know.
FROM CAROL HERMAN
Is there any good that can come of this? Because, in America, when Hillary tried to have "refeshed memories" about her trip to Bosnia in 1996 ... it turned out her memories were LIES. (She did not have to run out of the helicopter because of sniper fire.)
So how come people, in Israel, are willing to trust a "gonif's" memories; when what's obvious is that this is a LIKUD attempt to unseat Olmert.
Yes, Rabin's murderer has been treated with kid gloves. Imagine, instead of hanging for his terrible deed, he's now a married man. With a kid. And, free meals. Every day.
Seems, in Israel, there's no downside.
Unless? Well, where are the crowds, now, in Rabin's Square? Where are the "multitudes" holding signs up, telling Olmert to quit?
And, how come no one notices that Mazuz used the law against Katsav, but still doesn't charge him? And, what an irony! Shimon Peres' tuchis lands in the presidential chair. (A man who screwed more women outside of his own marriage, than Katsav ever did.)
You just never get the whole story.
But, at least Olmert holds on!
Stupid attempts to un-do popular elections? Happened in America to Bill Clinton. And, it ended up just making Bill Clinton more popular.
WHich proves. A man's pants around his ankles isn't a crime when he's inside a glass house ... and religious idiots throw stones.
As to Americans "schtupping" envelopes full of money at Israeli politicians, don't call me surprised.
Bibi Netanyahu is the biggest receiver of these cash filled envelopes. And, Morris Talansky's story stinks to the high heavens.
Or? Perhaps high enough to get the IRS, here, to go in and smell around. You think America is without Money Laundering laws? You think Talansky is "home free?"
I think mixing religous nutters up, into politics, is a losing proposition.
And, treating Bush's visit to Israel like dreck, was obscene. It bothers some people that there's "talk?"
Yak. Yak. Yak. Always better than bullets. Too bad there doesn't seem to be costs attached, though, in Israel. Or Rabin's killer would have hung.
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