BUSH'S FAR RIGHT ITALIAN ALLY, SILVIO BERLUSCONI, BITES THE DUST IN BITTER ELECTION VICTORY FOR A CENTER-LEFT COALITION

Last month "the Asian Berlusconi," Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, called a snap election. Why that appellation? Like Berlusconi, he's the richest man in the country-- Thailand's first billionaire-- and he owns a lot of the mass media; and he's corrupt, nepotistic and is suspected of rampant electoral fraud. He also has a distinct penchant for authoritarianism of the right wing variety. Some people also call him "the Asian George Bush." The opposition parties boycotted the flawed election and millions and millions of voters also boycotted. After the election, the king, who studiously avoids politics, told Thaksin that the party's over. And one of George Bush's staunchest allies in East Asia sailed off into the sunset.

Today it looks like another of Bush's staunchest allies-- his staunchest ally in Old Europe outside of the beleaguered Tony Blair-- has also been rejected by the voters. Silvio Berlusconi seems to be trying to hold onto power but even with reports of massive voter fraud from his far right coalition, he has also be rejected by the voters.

Berlusconi's right-wing coalition, which includes the fascist party, headed by Mussolini's granddaughter, had genuine backing in only 3 regions: Lombardi (which would like to secede, Venice and Sicily, where they like the way he does business). If you can handle Italian this is a website that shows results.

Berlusconi controls almost all of Italian television-- and he uses it even more transparently than the Bush Regime uses Fox and Clear Channel and other propaganda outlets in the U.S. He is considered a genius at selling himself-- on his TV stations, his radio networks and his newspapers. Interestingly, progressive consultant Joe Trippi was working for Prodi and the reactionary pollsters employed by Hillary Clinton, Penn, Schoen & Berland, were part of Berlusconi's team.

Prodi has promised to withdraw Italian troops from occupation duty in Iraq and it is generally assumed that his relationship with the U.S. will be as warm and close as ever, while his relationship with Bush and his Regime... more proper and less lovey-dovey.


WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: ITALIAN REJECTION OF FASCISM VERY BAD NEWS FOR BUSH COVER-UP

With Bush having provided his fascist ally Berlusconi a platform to launch his doomed re-election bid-- an opportunity for a frivolous address to a joint session of Congress-- many think the new Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, may come clean with what Italian authorities know about the Bush Regime's conspiracy in manufacturing and disseminating the fake reports on Iraq trying to buy yellow cake uranium in Niger. Or will Prodi just work to get his head up Bush's butt? We'll get back to you on that.