Baloney (Bologna?)

I'll be glad when the Italian elections are over. Berlusconi is such a lunatic, his presence on the world stage really stresses me out. But I should be more sympathetic; after all, old Silvio must be pretty stressed out, too, since he hasn't gotten laid in, like, months. Nevertheless, the final debate between Berlusconi and his rival, Romano Prodi, sounds like a lot of fun, if you have a high tolerance for contentious backbiting (key phrases quoted by the Times include "drunkard clinging to a lamp post" and "useful idiot"). Again, though, I'm going to blame Berlusconi's bad attitude on his self-imposed abstinence.

The debate concluded with Berlusconi announcing a substantial tax cut worth more than $2 billion euros a year, and he made the announcement in such a way that Prodi could not respond. He's like the bully who stomps on the other kid's foot and runs away. I'm sure I'll rue the day that I said this, but it almost makes you nostalgic for American politics, doesn't it?