Italy's Berlusconi hails "suntanned" Obama

[nutshell2002]

WTF??

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/11/italys_berlusconi_hails_suntan.php

[boobooday]

1. Blech, what a jerk.

He's a real charmer when he talks about women, too.

[valerief]

2. Still scratching my head over that one.

[YOY]

3. He so cute and charming!

That man is so NOT the embodiment of Italian charm...maybe the rustic womanizing kind but no the suave cool cat that many I know have.

[AspenRose]

4. I can't stand that jerk

and can't believe Italy put him back in power

[Jackeens]

5. Berlusconi is a racist, right-wing prick, always has been

[Chulanowa]

6. Not so much racist, as just the dude is a dweeb

He's like that guy with the open-front shirt and receeding hairline that's smirking his way through the singles bar all the way to last call then going home alone.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

7. WTF is right - what a jerk.

[Alter Ego]

8. Silvio, I didn't think there was anything in this world that would

make me ashamed to have Italian blood in my veins, but you're coming damn close.

[eshfemme]

9. Italy actually has a lot of problems with diversity and this kinda reflects the problems.

The Italians seem to be well meaning but they've had a huge influx of immigration so they're suddenly dealing with a much more heterogeneous mix in their population than they're used to. That's why Obama being elected President of the US kinda helps us because frankly some of the anti-American sentiment was just allowing some Europeans to scapegoat the US for the same problems they suffer. I'm hoping that the Italians do well in dealing with their new diversity-- they have some pluses in that they don't have the scar of slavery that America had so they have a cleaner slate to deal with.

On a side note, I know that the US market meltdown was a catalyst and reason for the worldwide recession and possible depression and we rightfully are blamed but the US banks that overleveraged their capital 20 to 1 have NOTHING in comparison to some of the European banks who overleveraged their capital something like 500 to 1. So yeah, we need to work together but blaming the US is counterproductive at this point.