Prime Minister’s Escapades Finally Raise Eyebrows (Italy)

[struggle4progress]

By RACHEL DONADIO
Published: May 28, 2009

... In what many see as a sign of Mr. Berlusconi’s grip on the levers of power in Italy and the Vatican, the Italian Bishops Conference this week essentially gave him a pass, or at least a no comment, calling for “adult behavior,” but saying that each person’s conduct was a matter “of individual conscience.”

“Things are completely turned upside down,” said Gianluca Nicoletti, a commentator for Il Sole 24 Ore radio. “Those who always represented the family and faithful couples are happy to justify hanky-panky,” he said. While some on the left, “which always professed a belief in total sexual freedom, are now like inquisitors with their fingers wagging” ...

Yet if Mr. Berlusconi and his wife, Veronica Lario, divorce, an inheritance battle is looming between his two children from his first marriage and three from his second to Ms. Lario, all of whom have defended their father.

The “Noemi case” has both deepened and distracted from other lingering black spots on the Berlusconi government. Last week, a Milan court issued its reasoning for convicting a British lawyer, David Mills, of accepting a $600,000 bribe from associates of Mr. Berlusconi ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/world/europe/29berlusconi.html?_r=1&ref=europe

[struggle4progress]

1. Silvio Berlusconi promises to resign if caught lying over Noemi Letizia

Richard Owen Naples

... In an explosive interview, Francesca Palumbo, Ms Letizia’s aunt, contradicted Mr Berlusconi’s claim that he had known the Letizia family for a long time. As far as she was aware he only “came into the life of the family” last autumn, she said.

Mr Berlusconi and Benedetto Letizia, the father of the Naples woman, both claim that the Prime Minister is an old friend of the family and has known her since she was a small girl. Ms Letizia calls the Prime Minister “Papi” (Daddy).

Ms Palumbo’s statement supports the account of Gino Flaminio, Ms Letizia’s former boyfriend, who says that Mr Berlusconi contacted Ms Letizia on her mobile phone last autumn after she had sent modelling agency photographs of herself to Mediaset, his television company ... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6382925.ece

[smalll]

2. Those crazy Italians! They somehow think it's OK to sleep with the underage --

Us Americans know better. It's ONLY OK if you're female and hot!