Is Berlusconi mad?

[malaise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4900986.stm
<snip>
"Anyone with good sense should consider a government... which contains the representatives of all the Italians"
Silvio Berlusconi

Italy's centre-left opposition leader Romano Prodi has been declared official winner of the parliamentary election after an extremely close race.
But his rival, centre-right PM Silvio Berlusconi, refused to admit defeat, saying there had been irregularities.

A spokesman for Mr Prodi said the centre-left planned to govern with the coalition it had put to the voters and rejected the idea of a grand coalition "absolutely".

Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media magnate, also said it was too early for anyone to claim outright victory. He insisted the voting figures showed "many, many, many murky aspects" and needed to be checked - especially the votes cast by expatriate Italians.

Fugg you Silvio - off to prison you go.

[Tesha]

1. He's not just mad, he's f'in *PISSED OFF*!

All that money and he couldn't buy/steal this election!

Tesha

[rniel]

2. This guy owns 90% of all the media in italy

He'll definately be able to contest the election and throw out a bunch of propaganda to help him get what he wants. It's f**ing scary.

[LSK]

3. but it didnt help him win this election

Maybe the italians can see through the media BS better than Americans can.

[malaise]

4. Not this time

They are finished with him.

[cliss]

5. I wonder how he lost?

If Berluscolini rigged the votes, than maybe the margin was much greater for Mr. Prodi.


Too bad, little Danny de Vito look-alike.

[Me.]

6. He Can Refuse To Accept The Results All He Wants

But the salient point here is “Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who is the ultimate arbiter of Italian politics, has already said the election was fair and free from irregularities.”

[malaise]

7. And now to Bush and Bliar

To the Hague. One by one they fall.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. I've had on MSNBC and CNN for the better part of

the day since around 11 am. Not a peep about Berlusconi. Not a peep!

Meanwhile, the Iranians are a hairsbreath away from nukes is all over the place! Quick! Get yer gun! I've heard every 10 minutes they've enriched uranium per their President's announcement. They also never mention that in that statement he says 'for nuclear power'.

I don't know whether he's lying or not. But I'm curious...what could/would/should Iran do as they look long term for their own self interests given the population and use of natural resources? Whenever Bush hears "power", he's not considering anything but bombs and bullets. So, what could/would/should Iran do in order to have nuclear power plants (non-military power)?

[malaise]

9. This is not good news for the

Corporate media.

[NYC]

10. Hence, they don't report it.

But not reporting it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Berlusconi lost. :)

[malaise]

12. We know but

I guess they can't believe this happened after this
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13986100.htm

Of course those fake documents re Niger must be of way more concern now.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/10/30/111254/16

In February 2002, Pollari and Berlusconi resubmitted their report to Washington with some embellishments, resulting in Joe Wilson�s trip to Niger. Wilson visited Niamey in February 2002 and subsequently reported to the CIA that the information could not be confirmed.

Enter Michael Ledeen, the Office of Special Plans� man in Rome. Ledeen was paid $30,000 by the Italian Ministry of the Interior in 1978 for a report on terrorism and was well known to senior SISMI officials. Italian sources indicate that Pollari was eager to engage with the Pentagon hardliners, knowing they were at odds with the CIA and the State Department officials who had slighted him. He turned to Ledeen, who quickly established himself as the liaison between SISMI and Feith�s OSP, where he was a consultant. Ledeen, who had personal access to the National Security Council�s Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley and was also a confidant of Vice President Cheney, was well placed to circumvent the obstruction coming from the CIA and State. . . .
Edit - sp.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

11. In defenste of Italian media

including government-controlled one. I have watched many RAI newscasts here and, to be perfectly honest, they did a good job in showing both sides. Their approach to electoral campaigns is different from that of U.S. media. For one thing, Italian news show the speeches of various political party leaders for a minute or two, not snippets of it. In addition, there are no spin doctors offering their own version; basically, it's just the party leaders, in their own words.

So, while Berlusconi does indeed have control of his own channels and, by virtue of his (former) political post, of RAI, the government television company, the media are, in my opinion, not as biased or one-sided. Newspapers, which Italians still read in greater numbers than Americans, are also varied. You can find the Communist newspaper next to the Socialist one and again, you can find middle-of-the-road papers.