AP: "Berlusconi reclaims power in Italy" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

AP: "Berlusconi reclaims power in Italy" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_re_eu/italy_election

ROME - Conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi reclaimed power in key

U.S. ally Italy on Monday after clinching decisive victories in both

houses of parliament.

The 71-year-old media mogul was congratulated by his main rival,

former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, who conceded defeat even though the

vote counting was still under way.

"The election result is clear even if we wait for the final data,"

said Veltroni. "It says that the right will govern this country."

Berlusconi, who was in his villa near Milan, made no immediate

statement, just waving as he passed in his Mercedes.

In the Senate -- a race that had been expected to be close -- Berlusconi

was projected to win 163 seats compared to 141 for Veltroni. The body

has 315 seats.

In the lower house, Berlusconi's conservative bloc was leading with 46

percent of the vote to 39 percent for Veltroni's backers.

In Italy's bicameral system, premiers must have control of both houses

to govern.

The victory for Berlusconi is testament to his political longevity --

and sees him return to power after two years of center-left rule by

Premier Romano Prodi left Italy with a stagnating economy.

This was Berlusconi's fifth consecutive attempt at the premiership --

and third win -- since 1994, when he stepped into politics from his

media empire. He has fended off challenges to his leadership by his

conservative allies, survived conflict of interests accusations and

criminal trials.

"I think it was a vote against the performance of the Prodi government

in the last two years," said Franco Pavoncello, a political science

professor at Rome's John Cabot University. "Berlusconi won because he

has a strong coalition and because people feel that on the other side,

the government is going to take them nowhere."

A sense of malaise hung over the elections as Italians cast ballots

Sunday and Monday.

Many Italians are pessimistic that the ruling class -- dominated for

years by the same key figures -- can offer much chance of change. They

complain about the poor state of the economy and the fact that their

purchasing power has decreased.

Signs of decline abound, from piles of trash in Naples, to a buffalo

mozzarella heath scare that has hurt exports and hit one of the

country's culinary treasures, to the faltering sale of the state

airline Alitalia.

A movement led by comedian-turned-moralizer Beppe Grillo had invited

Italians to boycott the vote.

However, turnout was only 4 points behind the last national vote in

2006 -- 80 percent compared with 84 percent, according to data from the

Interior Ministry.

In his comeback, Berlusconi has been helped by a strong showing by the

Northern League, a key ally, which has won about 6 percent of the

vote, according to projections.

On Apr 14, 3:35 pm, PissingOffTheL...@excite.com wrote:

I'll bet he's firming up his plans to get re-involved in Iraq right

now...

Heh heh...

Rightards....

> AP: "Berlusconi reclaims power in Italy" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>

> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_re_eu/italy_election

>

> ROME - Conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi reclaimed power in key

> U.S. ally Italy on Monday after clinching decisive victories in both

> houses of parliament.

>

> The 71-year-old media mogul was congratulated by his main rival,

> former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, who conceded defeat even though the

> vote counting was still under way.

>

> "The election result is clear even if we wait for the final data,"

> said Veltroni. "It says that the right will govern this country."

>

> Berlusconi, who was in his villa near Milan, made no immediate

> statement, just waving as he passed in his Mercedes.

>

> In the Senate -- a race that had been expected to be close -- Berlusconi

> was projected to win 163 seats compared to 141 for Veltroni. The body

> has 315 seats.

>

> In the lower house, Berlusconi's conservative bloc was leading with 46

> percent of the vote to 39 percent for Veltroni's backers.

>

> In Italy's bicameral system, premiers must have control of both houses

> to govern.

>

> The victory for Berlusconi is testament to his political longevity --

> and sees him return to power after two years of center-left rule by

> Premier Romano Prodi left Italy with a stagnating economy.

>

> This was Berlusconi's fifth consecutive attempt at the premiership --

> and third win -- since 1994, when he stepped into politics from his

> media empire. He has fended off challenges to his leadership by his

> conservative allies, survived conflict of interests accusations and

> criminal trials.

>

> "I think it was a vote against the performance of the Prodi government

> in the last two years," said Franco Pavoncello, a political science

> professor at Rome's John Cabot University. "Berlusconi won because he

> has a strong coalition and because people feel that on the other side,

> the government is going to take them nowhere."

>

> A sense of malaise hung over the elections as Italians cast ballots

> Sunday and Monday.

>

> Many Italians are pessimistic that the ruling class -- dominated for

> years by the same key figures -- can offer much chance of change. They

> complain about the poor state of the economy and the fact that their

> purchasing power has decreased.

>

> Signs of decline abound, from piles of trash in Naples, to a buffalo

> mozzarella heath scare that has hurt exports and hit one of the

> country's culinary treasures, to the faltering sale of the state

> airline Alitalia.

>

> A movement led by comedian-turned-moralizer Beppe Grillo had invited

> Italians to boycott the vote.

>

> However, turnout was only 4 points behind the last national vote in

> 2006 -- 80 percent compared with 84 percent, according to data from the

> Interior Ministry.

>

> In his comeback, Berlusconi has been helped by a strong showing by the

> Northern League, a key ally, which has won about 6 percent of the

> vote, according to projections.

With Italy's political record, being a rightard in Italy is like being a

communist in America.

On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:01:46 -0700 (PDT), SilentOtto <silentotto@hotmail.com>

wrote:

>On Apr 14, 3:35 pm, PissingOffTheL...@excite.com wrote:

>

>I'll bet he's firming up his plans to get re-involved in Iraq right

>now...

>

>Heh heh...

>

>Rightards....

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>> AP: "Berlusconi reclaims power in Italy" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>> HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

>>

>> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_re_eu/italy_election

>>

>> ROME - Conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi reclaimed power in key

>> U.S. ally Italy on Monday after clinching decisive victories in both

>> houses of parliament.

>>

>> The 71-year-old media mogul was congratulated by his main rival,

>> former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, who conceded defeat even though the

>> vote counting was still under way.

>>

>> "The election result is clear even if we wait for the final data,"

>> said Veltroni. "It says that the right will govern this country."

>>

>> Berlusconi, who was in his villa near Milan, made no immediate

>> statement, just waving as he passed in his Mercedes.

>>

>> In the Senate -- a race that had been expected to be close -- Berlusconi

>> was projected to win 163 seats compared to 141 for Veltroni. The body

>> has 315 seats.

>>

>> In the lower house, Berlusconi's conservative bloc was leading with 46

>> percent of the vote to 39 percent for Veltroni's backers.

>>

>> In Italy's bicameral system, premiers must have control of both houses

>> to govern.

>>

>> The victory for Berlusconi is testament to his political longevity --

>> and sees him return to power after two years of center-left rule by

>> Premier Romano Prodi left Italy with a stagnating economy.

>>

>> This was Berlusconi's fifth consecutive attempt at the premiership --

>> and third win -- since 1994, when he stepped into politics from his

>> media empire. He has fended off challenges to his leadership by his

>> conservative allies, survived conflict of interests accusations and

>> criminal trials.

>>

>> "I think it was a vote against the performance of the Prodi government

>> in the last two years," said Franco Pavoncello, a political science

>> professor at Rome's John Cabot University. "Berlusconi won because he

>> has a strong coalition and because people feel that on the other side,

>> the government is going to take them nowhere."

>>

>> A sense of malaise hung over the elections as Italians cast ballots

>> Sunday and Monday.

>>

>> Many Italians are pessimistic that the ruling class -- dominated for

>> years by the same key figures -- can offer much chance of change. They

>> complain about the poor state of the economy and the fact that their

>> purchasing power has decreased.

>>

>> Signs of decline abound, from piles of trash in Naples, to a buffalo

>> mozzarella heath scare that has hurt exports and hit one of the

>> country's culinary treasures, to the faltering sale of the state

>> airline Alitalia.

>>

>> A movement led by comedian-turned-moralizer Beppe Grillo had invited

>> Italians to boycott the vote.

>>

>> However, turnout was only 4 points behind the last national vote in

>> 2006 -- 80 percent compared with 84 percent, according to data from the

>> Interior Ministry.

>>

>> In his comeback, Berlusconi has been helped by a strong showing by the

>> Northern League, a key ally, which has won about 6 percent of the

>> vote, according to projections.