BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

from (major HAT TIP!) DEADENDERS: When you don’t listen to 75% of your state you know somethings fishy. Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), the final Democratic holdout on health care, announced to his caucus Saturday morning that he would support the Senate reform bill, clearing the way for final passage by Christmas. “We’re there,” said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), as he headed into a special meeting to outline the deal. Democratic leaders spent days trying to hammer out a deal with Nelson, and worked late Friday night with him on abortion coverage language that had proved the major stumbling block. Nelson also secured other favors for his home state. Under the new abortion provisions, states can opt out of allowing plans to cover abortion in insurance exchanges the bill would set up to serve individuals who don’t have employer coverage. Plus, enrollees in plans that do cover abortion procedures would pay for the coverage with separate checks – one for abortion, one for rest of health-care service...

Merciful Creator - Hear my Prayer For the love of all that's good and holy for Israel and its people... PLEASE HELP INDICT OLMERT. I Trust That You, Almighty Lord, Have a Hand in the Current Situation and Will Continue to do What is Necessary to Protect Israel. Amen. (and thanks in advance!) By YAAKOV LAPPIN The man at the center of a criminal investigation that could bring down Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Morris (Moshe) Talansky, is a 75-year-old millionaire financier from Long Island, New York. Talansky is an Orthodox Jew who has engaged in extensive philanthropy in Israel, and owns an apartment in Jerusalem. Both he and Olmert jointly founded the New Jerusalem Fund, a charity aimed at raising money for projects in the capital. The charity has offices both in Jerusalem and New York. The New Jerusalem Fund 's Web site has mysteriously gone off-line in recent days. In the US, Talansky has contributed funds to high-profile politicians from both the Democratic and Republican...