ho hum. what a disappointment

We all thought Ami Ayalon was going to be the Great White Shark of Israeli politics.

He came into the Labor party and shook things up. He was a man who stood his ground and stood for his ideals. His popularity in nearly taking control of Labor leadership was based not on previous Knesset experience and what he can do, but based on a reputation he developed of being clean and idealistic.

He came in as somebody who wants to fix the system He was not going to sit in the Olmert government at any cost. If he would win he would insist on new elections right away. He was even offered a position after he lost to Barak and he refused because he would not sit in the Olmert government.

He looked like a promising future leader. A leader like the leaders of old, who had ideals and were not just interested in the perks of the office and the power.

Ami Ayalon has now agreed to Ehud Barak's offer and has been sworn in to the government as a Minister without Portfolio.

That brings the Olmert government to 26 ministers. It is the most bloated government ever and is symbolic of exactly how Olmert stays in power. They just give whoever needs it a big salary and some perks and that shuts them up.

Tzippi Livni was the big threat to Olmert. She called on him to resign as she could no longer work with him. When he said no, she did not resign herself to show that she could not work with Olmert. She simply said ok and went back to her office. She would not give up her job. That is not ideals. That is not improving government. Olmert did not fire her because that would have made trouble. He let her stay in the position of Foreign Minister because it gave him quiet.

Labor party, who claims its main issue to be that of social welfare, is partner in the government responsible for the most outrageous spending of any previous government. Not only that but they are directly responsible, not just partner to, for the needless increase of wastefulness that is happening because of the new appointment of Ayalon as a Minister with no responsibility. This whole appointment is purely a payoff. They should be embarrassed of themselves.

But Ami Ayalon's whole selling point was just lost. He was the clean guy. The throwback to the old days when politicians had ideals and stood their ground. He said he could not and would not sit in Olmert's corrupt government.

But now he is. And what is his excuse? Why did he cave?

He gives nothing more than the standard politicians excuse. And I quote Ami Ayalon, "I can influence the government better by being a member of the Cabinet."

Ho Hum. He is just like the rest of them.