Greek gift

No, never understand the Russian mysterious American soul. In Washington, a peaceful transition of power took place. The former president politely handed over to the new brothers of the board. He honored the inauguration. And meekly went back to sleep and live a private life. But he could, taking advantage of the difficulties that arose when counting the votes, declare himself, for example, to a lifelong president and dissolve the congress. However, then they found something to complain about. The people and the press behaved, frankly, non -intulgony. The intellectual, Chekhov taught, not the one who does not drip jam on the tablecloth, but the one who does not notice when the other dripped.

Even the veterans of public service will not be remembered. The staff of the presidential aircraft, on which the Clintons left the capital to New York in the society of numerous friends, relatives and associates, grabbed on the way back of dishes, napkins and towels. How can you notice the spots on the dining room, when you do not positively notice what these spots could be left on! Neither plates, nor glasses, nor knives with forks - friends and associates took with them to memory decisively everything that they could carry away, including rugs and pillows with a presidential stigma.

Further - more. On Monday, new White House officials came into presence and stunned. Their predecessors neatly tapped the letter W from the official cyboards and put on the hard drives of porn bombs. Piles of garbage everywhere. Stupid inscriptions on the walls. Phones either do not work or connect incorrectly. The mother of one of the newly -made employees called him to congratulate him on the first work day in a new place and heard such a boorish greeting from the answering machine that she sewed non -intelligence from her. Oh, my God, what tenderness! Others would be happy that they were generally allowed there, but these were not. Otherwise, the actions of the previous team are not called vandalism. Losses counted 200 thousand.

But this turned out to be not all. Clintons moved out of the White House with great luggage. For eight years, they have accumulated in their gifts for 190 thousand dollars - mainly furniture, porcelain, silver table, carpets, works of art and some sports equipment. Stephen Spielberg, for example, presented Clintons with a porcelain service for $ 4920, Jack Nicholson - a golf club for 350, Sylvester Stallone - boxing gloves for 300. Clintons can be understood. On the farm, said the Gogol Osip, and the rope will come in handy. For 22 years they have been clinging to state apartments, without their corner, and now they need to live at once two large houses. There are no legislative restrictions on gifts to the head of state in the United States. The inventory of property, together with the names of the donors, is published. What are the claims, gentlemen?

Claims were found. Spielberg and Nicholson from the president, of course, were not required. But the lady was discovered among the donors, whom only the president could help: her ex -husband, billionaire Mark Rich, 17 years ago, were charged with tax evasion for a record in the history of American financial crimes - $ 48 million. Rich lives in Switzerland near Lucerne, still tossing enormous capital, leads a secular lifestyle and does not fear extradition at all, since Swiss justice does not consider the deviation of taxes a criminal offense. But Richu was preferably free to travel around the world. Not an example of reckless Pavel Borodin, he was forced to make legal certificates before each trip, whether the mousetrap would slam during the visit. Now Rich is spared from this headache: on the last day of his power, Bill Clinton signed him a pardon.

Other unpleasant details became clear. The most valuable gifts were received at the very end of last year, and the first pair through intermediaries asked their benefactors to hurry with payment. The haste is simply explained: as the president and his wife, Clintons could accept as many gifts as they wanted, but the cost of each gift to Senator Clinton and her spouse is limited to $ 50. Well, isn’t there a mockery - you won’t even give a couple of boxing gloves. Hillary Clinton was assigned to the oath of January 3 - therefore, it was in a hurry with the purchase of goods. Apparently, in order not to violate the unity of the style, the choice of gifts was led by one of the friends of Hillary - the donors could only pay bills. Some newspapers claim that the situation was even funnier: a lady with 22 years of marriage, Hillary Clinton registered in her favorite store as a newlywed. American grooms and brides have such a cynical custom: before the wedding, they come to the store and choose household items that they would have to get to get, and then the guests only poke a finger on the list and pay for the purchase. No need to rack your head and original, besides, there is a guarantee that five identical dummies will not be presented. This service allegedly used Senator Clinton. The store, however, refutes this information.

There is no crime, but still unpleasant. In 1979, Jimmy Carter left the White House with two Indian pots, however, antique, barometer, hours and two books. After several days of thought, the Clintons said that they would pay for the gifts of the last year, although they did not see any guilt. But the journalists no worse than Ostap Bender tightly bent on the list and followed the trail, sensing the smell of blood. And they got to the bottom of complete indecent. Two donors, both furniture manufacturers, said that they gave property not personally to Clintons, but to the White House. As proved by the letters, one of them signed the first lady, from which things will come to the collection of the presidential residence. Letters of faxely published Washington Post.

Two different departments are engaged in personal gifts to the president and members of his family and donations in favor of the White House. How the bureaucratic mistake could happen, no one can understand. Clintons said that they respect the will of the donors and will be happy to return the furniture for its intended purpose. Two sofas, a chair and a squadman, as well as a kitchen table and four chairs with a total cost of $ 28 thousand are subject to return. They achieved their own, tiny.

Clinton, by the way, has the opportunity to quickly catch up with the lost profit: the song festival in San Remo invites him to speak for 100 thousand dollars. Why not, Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev himself spoke in San Remo, talked about globalization and a multipolar world. Clinton organizers ask to take a saxophone with them. Oh you, father! And the instrument, for an hour, not gifted? I remember that Yeltsin at one time found some kind of saxophone in the bushes at one time.