Italy set to elect ex-communist as president

[NNN0LHI]

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-09T221331Z_01_L09474154_RTRUKOC_0_US-ITALY.xml&archived=False

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's incoming government is set to elect the country's first former communist as president on Wednesday in the face of opposition from most of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative bloc.

Prime minister-in-waiting Romano Prodi has vowed to ram through his candidate, Giorgio Napolitano, after two days of wrangling and inconclusive ballots.

Winning the vote is vital for Prodi to show his leftist coalition can govern with the smallest majority in post-war Italy and with Berlusconi mounting a fierce opposition.

"If the center left doesn't want to kill itself it must show it is compact and regain some votes from the opposition," Clemente Mastella, leader of the leftist UDEUR party said.

[DBoon]

1. Didn't the US spend decades trying to prevent just this?

Manipulating Italian elections so the Communist Party would never ever take part in a ruling coalition?

[Kansas Wyatt]

2. Oh no, you don't understand.

BushCo is okay with the commies now (that fucking Castro and his sidekick Chavez don't count), and Red Communist China is our bestest friend (psst China, send more money* & WalMart goods**, here's an IOU from the Social Security Fund***).

* Please make the checks payable directly to Halliburton and The Carlyle Group.
** Stamp the American Flag & made in U.S.A. on all goods, people are getting pissy.
*** Keep this quiet, we're trying to reduce benefits.

The Evil Blood Thirsting Terrists are the ones you should be afraid of, the Commies are good guys and are helping with the War On Terror.