Italy: Berlusconi jokes about Hitler at youth rally

[alp227]

Faced with a tottering economy and a crumbling coalition government, Silvio Berlusconi has chosen to woo a youth rally with jokes about Adolf Hitler and his own sexual prowess.

Appearing relaxed, if a little pale, before a crowd of cheering supporters yesterday, the frequently outspoken and gaffe-prone Italian prime minister promised to see out the end of his term, despite losing his guaranteed majority after a split with an ally, Gianfranco Fini.

Putting politics aside, he then launched into a series of anecdotes and apparent jokes that promptly drew accusations of anti-Semitism and even mental instability from opposition politicians.

The former cruise ship entertainer told a joke in which Adolf Hitler is begged by his supporters to return to power after they discover he is still alive. After resisting, Hitler says: "I'll come back, but on one condition ... next time I'm going to be evil."

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/13/silvio-berlusconi-hitler-joke

The US Republican Party is probably drafting Berlusconi for president in 2012 I bet. Both this politically incorrect Italian conservative and his American counterparts have a soft spot for talking Hitler loosely. Don't forget about Berlusconi talking about "Obama's tan" shortly after the 2008 US presidential election. The Guardian link has a video of Berlusconi's speech (with English subtitles) and a list of other outrageous Berlusconi-isms.