Italian leader: Obama 'handsome and even tanned'

[Brutus]

MOSCOW (AP) — Italy's famously impolitic Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi described U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday as "young, handsome and even tanned."
Berlusconi appeared to be joking about America's first black president at a news conference following talks with Russia's president.
The Italian leader, who has a history of controversial remarks, was asked by a reporter about the prospect for U.S.-Russian relations, which have plummeted to Cold War-levels in recent months.

Berlusconi responded by saying that the relative youth of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, 43, and Obama, 47, should make it easier for Moscow and Washington to work together.

Then, smiling and speaking in Italian, he said through a translator: "I told the president that (Obama) has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he's young, handsome and even tanned."
Medvedev did not visibly react to the comment.
Italian news agencies said Berlusconi later defended the remark, calling it "a great compliment."



Gaffe-prone Silvio Berlusconi's Top 10 blunders

After putting his foot in it yet again by praising Barack Obama on his great suntan, we take a look at the 72-year-old Italian PM's best ever faux pas
1. In 2002, branded Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen “the best-looking Prime Minister in Europe” and suggested he should have an affair with his wife, the ex actress Veronica Lario.
2. On an Italian TV show, when a jobless young woman asked how she was supposed to get a mortgage or start a family, told her: "You should perhaps look to marry a millionaire, like my son, or someone who doesn't have such problems."
3. At the New York stock exchange, promoted Italy saying: "Italy is now a great country to invest in. … Today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries … superb girls."
4. At the Brussels summit in 2003, turned to married German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and said: “Let’s talk about football and women, Gerhard. Why don’t you start?”
5. At the start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003, told German MEP Martin Schulz: "I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps. I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo [guard chosen from among the prisoners]. You would be perfect.”
6. In 2005 confessed to using “playboy tactics” to enlist Finnish President Tarja Halonen’s backing of Italy as the site of the European Food Safety Authority. Unsurprisingly, Finland demanded an explanation of his comments.
7. At the launch of his election campaign in 2006 said: “I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone.”
8. At an election rally in the same year, infuriated China by saying its people “boiled babies” under the leadership of Mao Zedeng. Ever the diplomat, he then refused to withdraw his remarks, saying it was “an historical fact”.
9. There was still time to offend more people in the same campaign, though, when right-wing Silvio said of left-wing voters: “I trust the intelligence of the Italian people too much to think that there are so many pricks around who would vote against their own best interests.”
10. And finally. Told this Aids joke: “An Aids patient asks his doctor whether the sand treatment prescribed him will do any good. ‘No’, the doctor replies, ‘but you will get accustomed to living under the earth’.” And then took issue with those who said it was offensive, saying: “They have lost their minds; they really have come to the end of the line, indeed they have gone beyond it. I would advice them, too, to undergo sand treatment.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...name_page.html

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by Brutus

MOSCOW (AP) — Italy's famously impolitic Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi described U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday as "young, handsome and even tanned."
Berlusconi appeared to be joking about America's first black president at a news conference following talks with Russia's president.
The Italian leader, who has a history of controversial remarks, was asked by a reporter about the prospect for U.S.-Russian relations, which have plummeted to Cold War-levels in recent months.

Berlusconi responded by saying that the relative youth of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, 43, and Obama, 47, should make it easier for Moscow and Washington to work together.

Then, smiling and speaking in Italian, he said through a translator: "I told the president that (Obama) has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he's young, handsome and even tanned."
Medvedev did not visibly react to the comment.
Italian news agencies said Berlusconi later defended the remark, calling it "a great compliment."



Gaffe-prone Silvio Berlusconi's Top 10 blunders

After putting his foot in it yet again by praising Barack Obama on his great suntan, we take a look at the 72-year-old Italian PM's best ever faux pas
1. In 2002, branded Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen “the best-looking Prime Minister in Europe” and suggested he should have an affair with his wife, the ex actress Veronica Lario.
2. On an Italian TV show, when a jobless young woman asked how she was supposed to get a mortgage or start a family, told her: "You should perhaps look to marry a millionaire, like my son, or someone who doesn't have such problems."
3. At the New York stock exchange, promoted Italy saying: "Italy is now a great country to invest in. … Today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries … superb girls."
4. At the Brussels summit in 2003, turned to married German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and said: “Let’s talk about football and women, Gerhard. Why don’t you start?”
5. At the start of Italy's EU presidency in July 2003, told German MEP Martin Schulz: "I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps. I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo [guard chosen from among the prisoners]. You would be perfect.”
6. In 2005 confessed to using “playboy tactics” to enlist Finnish President Tarja Halonen’s backing of Italy as the site of the European Food Safety Authority. Unsurprisingly, Finland demanded an explanation of his comments.
7. At the launch of his election campaign in 2006 said: “I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone.”
8. At an election rally in the same year, infuriated China by saying its people “boiled babies” under the leadership of Mao Zedeng. Ever the diplomat, he then refused to withdraw his remarks, saying it was “an historical fact”.
9. There was still time to offend more people in the same campaign, though, when right-wing Silvio said of left-wing voters: “I trust the intelligence of the Italian people too much to think that there are so many pricks around who would vote against their own best interests.”
10. And finally. Told this Aids joke: “An Aids patient asks his doctor whether the sand treatment prescribed him will do any good. ‘No’, the doctor replies, ‘but you will get accustomed to living under the earth’.” And then took issue with those who said it was offensive, saying: “They have lost their minds; they really have come to the end of the line, indeed they have gone beyond it. I would advice them, too, to undergo sand treatment.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...name_page.html

Berlusconi is a reptilian. Here is a shot of his grounds showing a dragon eating a human. zg

[shadroch]

Whenever George S. would describe Billy Martin as '"tanned and rested", you knew whomever was currentlky managing the Yankees was in a world of trouble.