Italian PM just said in a speech that "I am the Jesus Christ of politics"....
We expect things like this out of SloPat, but this is a bit over the top for a major politician, especially one running for office shortly!!?? Course considering that last week he compared himself to Napoleon, and today is Jesus Christ, wonder who it will be next?
Berlusconi: I'm Christ of politics
Sunday, February 12, 2006 Posted: 1644 GMT (0044 HKT)
Silvio Berlusconi at his party's Forza Italia rally to launch the election campaign in Ancona on Saturday.
ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- First it was Napoleon. Now it is Jesus Christ.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has compared himself to both, prompting the open scorn of his political opponents and even the quietly raised eyebrows of his coalition partners.
"I am the Jesus Christ of politics," Italian media quoted him as saying at a dinner with supporters on Saturday night. "I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."
Giuseppe Giulietti, a leftist parliamentarian, joked that he was sure that "God the Father and the rest of Jesus' family did not take this very well."
Marco Rizzo, a communist parliamentarian, called it a "grotesque comparison."
Pierferdinando Casini, a sometimes uneasy Berlusconi ally and outgoing speaker of parliament, distanced himself.
"I live on Earth. I don't want to mix foolish things with serious things," the Ansa news agency quoted him as saying when asked about Berlusconi's Christ comments.
On Friday, Berlusconi compared himself to Napoleon, saying only the French emperor had done more for his country.
Berlusconi will be competing against center-left opposition leader Romano Prodi in the April 9-10 general elections.
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/02/12/italy.berlusconi.reut/index.html
