So Nick O’mericano isnt a candidate – and the PDL trumpet their ‘clean list’ – except that still in there are Cosentino’s men, Minzolini (ex head of RAI1 in the middle a court case for using the company credit card for personal use), and various other people with legal problems. Not to mention Berlo himself, who is head of the list for the Senate in every location in Italy
With the spaces available from the ‘unpresentable’ Berlo has lost no time paying back favours. Two of his defence witnesses from the Ruby trial are now officially candidates: one of his corps from Palazzo Chigi and the wife of his pianist who has testified that the Arcore dinners were elegant and not remotely naughty. Berlusconi bought her husband a house.
A sense of continuity is important in politics.
Silvio becomes more ridiculous every day. With his clean list he yesterday declared that Cosentino (alleged camorrista) and dell’Utri (alleged mafioso) were excluded from being candidates not by his choice, but by a politicised judiciary. Its true they are sentenced/investigated by the judiciary, but according to criminal law not on party lines. Berlo is now working on getting a hung senate where he can trade his votes for personal immunity in his legal trials (3 ongoing) – so could it possibly be that he is putting personal gain over the state of the country?
In the meantime it seems that Monti is learning how to be a politician – last evening he launched some well aimed stilettoes at his political rivals and has learned the art (unlike 99% of Italian politicians) of a well aimed SHORT epithet. He maneged to trash Vendola, Bersani, and Berlusconi in 2 sentences last night, and reduced Alfano to dust. THis is getting to be quite fun this election, if you ignore the fact that whoever wins can carry ITaly to ruin.
The GDP of Italy is to fall another percentage point in 2013. SO says Draghi, and occupation will rise a point. Grim news – so what does Channel 5 (BErlusconi’s) channel make of it all – they tell us that Barack and Michelle went to eat at an Itlaian restaurant for their anniversary which shows how much the world thinks of Italy. SO thats all alright then.