Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi,
By on Apr 10th, 2006 at 10:15 am
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi,
a staunch conservative and ally of President Bush, is set to lose his election today to center-left candidate Romano Prodi, according to new exit polls.
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And this is why
April 10th, 2006 at 10:21 amI wonder how long it will be before the wingnuts start calling the Italian electorate “cowards”?
April 10th, 2006 at 10:26 amBurlusconi was more interested in evading criminal procedings by changing the law (many times) than in engaging in any type of real reform. Italy has had very little growth in the last 5 years and has lots of ‘mom and pop’ operations that can’t compete.
Burlusconi is also a weird guy who happens to control most of the major television channels plus he’s a billionaire.
Prodi is sort of dull, definately doesn’t pull the stuff Burlusconi does, but has been premier once before as well as EU chief. He’s only slightly left of center though and has a pretty big coalitition party.
At least the racist Northern League will no longer have any ministries thanks to his loss.
BTW, Sicily is getting proportional voting this time instead of winner takes all. So the 66 seats will not all go to Burlusconi.
As a side note, Burlusconi is the Mafia’s preferred candidate (according the the Sicilian press and some mob mouthpieces) as he has traditional values. Whatever that mean.s
April 10th, 2006 at 10:27 amGOOD!
April 10th, 2006 at 10:31 amThe war is definately not popular in Italy, but wasn’t the major reason. Burlusconi has done *nothing* since being in office to lift people’s confidence in their future.
Debt to GDP ratio is crushing, above 100 percent, the country’s industries are not efficient enough (because, in part, of the government), and they are stuck in the euro so they can no longer devalue the lira to prop up their exporters.
This is more an economic deal, which is what prodi campaigned on. The war is good for core support, but economic uncertainty is what helped him.
Burlusconi did nothing and he was getting increasingly erratic.
He’s also had a facelift while in office. Imagine something like that happening here? Eh.
April 10th, 2006 at 10:32 amHey James– Sounds like the USA. Hopefully the rest of the world (at least) is fed up with the George W. Bush model of debt, war, torture, corporate welfare, and lying.
April 10th, 2006 at 10:42 amI don’t remember TP having an entry when Angie made in history in Germany…. or when a conservative swept to power in Canada. You people are so easily lead by the MSM. Meanwhile, the conservative blogs are making news…
Liberals are so outdated. TP is simply an echo of the out of touch MSM.
April 10th, 2006 at 10:53 am#6
Italy’s economy, like most of Europe, hasn’t grown in the last 6 years. Time for some fundamental economic and social policy changes…if Europe wants to remain competitive.
April 10th, 2006 at 11:00 amPrice of gas 2.699/gal
Price of steak 9.99/lb
Price of a home 185,000 dollars or some such incredulous number until it is out of sight.
Price of a car 15,000 to 45,000 to 150,000
Price of gas in 1970 25.9 cents/gal
Price of a decent home in 1958- 18,500
Price of a car in 1958- 1399.00 loaded
pay of a congressman in 1958 22,000 dollars
minumum wage in 1958 1.00/hour
back when US minted coin was 90 percent silver, life in these United States was purdy darn good. US minted gold and silver coin is the only legal money there is in this country. FRNs are fraudulent money designed to steal everything you have. Quit using it. It will all change in a heart beat.
Now, all you do is spend money faster than it can be earned.
The election in Italy portends what is to come this fall in November. Get ready so-called ‘Republicans,’ you’re next.
April 10th, 2006 at 11:07 amAdios asshole.
-GSD
April 10th, 2006 at 12:30 pmfinalmente!!! vaffanculo duce Benito Berscolini! SONO COGLIONE!
scary that Italy has more of a democracy thant the USA.
April 10th, 2006 at 12:33 pmComment by Unemployment Rate – 4.7% — April 10, 2006 @ 10:53 am
Yawn.
Don’t you have some Bush-balls to knead?
-GSD
By the way, how did you learn about the “conservative Harper” winning in Canada? I bet via the “MSM”.
April 10th, 2006 at 12:40 pmFind more information and photos on Italy’s election and Italian opposition to the war in Iraq and the Bush administration here:
http://www.thoughttheater.com
April 10th, 2006 at 1:24 pmI do not trust Berlusconi at all! I am praying for his loss, however, all my Italian friends and family wanted to know why Americans re-elected Bush after all he had done. If Berlusconi wins or loses by a narrow margin, I am sure my Italians will understand how Bush became elected. It is FRAUD! Something is fishy whenever polls are so different from actual results.
April 10th, 2006 at 1:43 pm#14
“Something is fishy whenever polls are so different from actual results.”
Not really when the poll themselves are many times frauds.
April 10th, 2006 at 1:50 pmWe don’t need those science guys with their “ideas” about energy policies. We can run this country on the power of prayer.
April 10th, 2006 at 1:56 pmI have family in Italy and they hate Berlusconi. He is like Itlay’s equivalent to Bush. I am so glad he lost!
April 10th, 2006 at 1:58 pmWe can be sure that Berlusconi’s center to leftist replacement, though democratically elected, will be, according to the Reich Wing, terrorist supporting anti-American enemies of freedom and righteousness. We we have to relabel all the Italian food with patriotic slogans?
Ho Hum
April 10th, 2006 at 2:32 pmUnfortunately the article has been updated since this post appeared:
“Exit polls indicated Monday that the Italian parliamentary election pitting center-left economist Romano Prodi against flamboyant billionaire Premier Silvio Berlusconi was too close to call.”
April 10th, 2006 at 3:12 pmThe latest exit polls,Ibelieve, give Berlusconi a chance.The news gets more deprissing every day/
April 10th, 2006 at 4:01 pm“Not really when the poll themselves are many times frauds.
Comment by Tracy ”
A fascist like you would know…
That’s why we break out ’scientific’ and ‘authenticated’ polls, from the ones that the GOP/Nazis commission…
April 10th, 2006 at 4:44 pm#21 Ryan;You might have misinterpreted #15 Tracy. I think she might have been talking about Diebold etc.If i’m right please recant ‘fascist’comment.
April 10th, 2006 at 5:02 pm#21
“That’s why we break out ’scientific’ and ‘authenticated’ polls, from the ones that the GOP/Nazis commission…”
You are too funny! You break out BS polls when it suits your position and then whine when you lose elections.
April 10th, 2006 at 5:08 pm“You are too funny! You break out BS polls when it suits your position and then whine when you lose elections. Comment by Tracy”
Funny, but your description describes republicans perfectly. Psychotic Hypocrisy is the one trait we can always count on from you Tracy.
And once again you went to ‘attack/hate entirely’ (Hypocrite?) instead of dealing with the meat of my post. There’s a difference between a ’scientific’ and ‘authenticated’ poll, versus one you guys post. Just because reichwingers are guilty of faking polls, doesn’t mean polls are ‘fake’, it just means you guys are natural crooks.
April 10th, 2006 at 5:47 pm#24
“There’s a difference between a ’scientific’ and ‘authenticated’ poll, versus one you guys post.”
Who said or what makes the polls you cite are anymore or less ’scientific’ or ‘authienticated’?
April 10th, 2006 at 5:59 pm12:06 am here in France and it looks like Berlusconi was able to use the same kind of vote counting methods used in Florida to steal this election. Very depressing, I don’t want to see no more short ego maniacal junior fascists elected any more….way too many little guys with big ideas. STOP SARKOZI!!!!!!!!
April 10th, 2006 at 6:06 pm“Who said or what makes the polls you cite are anymore or less ’scientific’ or ‘authienticated’? Comment by Tracy”
Math, science, and techniques for ‘authentication’. The three things Reichwingers never understand…
You know ’scientific polls’, use mathematics and methodologies that predict a standard of deviation which confirm their reliability. This is a SCIENTIFIC method, and is considered so reliable that our own Pentagon uses it in asserting the validity of foreign elections. For instance, the Ukraine’s election was called into question by the Pentagon because of a SCIENTIFIC exit poll.
But not understanding ’science’, ‘math’ or ‘facts’ is the basis of being an ignorant Nazi – I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.
April 10th, 2006 at 6:57 pm#27
Are you ignorantly suggesting that the polls that the GOP cites are less creditable that the ones the Democrats cite? LOL!
Post some examples.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:27 pm#24 Ryan Neat:My bad.Tracy is a riechwing sympathising fascist.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:29 pm“Are you ignorantly suggesting that the polls that the GOP cites are less creditable that the ones the Democrats cite? LOL!
Post some examples. Comment by Tracy ”
Yes, because the ones that GOP cites are usually conducted by the Heritage foundation or another HACK group that’s Anti-Science and Anti-Intellectual. Or even worse, you cite a faux news UNSCIENTIFIC poll as though it were a scientific one.
There are MANY scientific and respected polling organizations, and very quickly you can tell by looking at which organization conducted the poll, and what SCIENTIFIC methodology is used (if it was a scientific methodology).
There’s a reason polls state whether they were a SCIENTIFIC or UNSCIENTIFIC.
Being that you’re an Anti-Scientific Cowardly Retard, I’m not surprised you are unaware of, and incapable of understanding math. There’s a reason you MORONS score worse in school – you’re just plain STUPID!
April 10th, 2006 at 8:25 pm#30
Cite some creditable polls that the Democrats cite on a regular basis to advance their rhetoric.
“Heritage foundation or another HACK group that’s Anti-Science and Anti-Intellectual.”
Oh, like the Brookings Institution, the Center of American Progress (there is a contradiction in terms), or Soros’ Open Society Institute?
April 11th, 2006 at 3:47 pmAdvice for Clergy
16. For your clergy, the times require a very particular unanimity in your guidance, concern and love in admonishing and exhorting them, and extraordinary firmness in defending ecclesiastical discipline. In turn, all priests should have strong faith in their bishops, accept their directives, and support their undertakings. In their sacred duties and their pastoral work, they should always be ready and zealous, guided by love. Because, moreover, priests set an example, they should be living models of virtue and constancy. They should be cautious, however, not to get too involved in civilian or political affairs, and let them often recall this passage from St. Paul, “No one serving as God’s soldier entangles himself in worldly affairs, that he may please him whose approval he has secured.”(3)
17. To be sure, as St. Gregory the Great admonishes, it is not right to abandon foresight in external matters in one’s anxiety for spiritual matters. Explicitly, when it is a question of defending religion or promoting the common good, the latter is not to be disregarded. A priest must be cautious not to overstep his dignity and deportment lest he seem more concerned for human than heavenly affairs. Most aptly the same Gregory the Great says, “Therefore, worldly occupations are sometimes to be tolerated out of compassion, never however to be pursued out of love; lest they, by burdening the mind of the lover, overwhelm him and make him sink under their weight from heaven into the depths.”(4) We also desire that you counsel pastors to take conscientious care of church property and manage it most carefully. Where any negligence has crept in, apply the most suitable remedy.
April 20th, 2006 at 8:16 pm