Most world leaders try to avoid repeating a gaffe. Not Silvio Berlusconi.
The Italian Prime Minister has called President Barack Obama "tanned" again, but this time he took the opportunity to joke about the First Lady’s skin colour as well.
On his return from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, Mr Berlusconi told a rally of conservative supporters that he was bringing greetings from the United States from "What's his name? Some tanned guy. Ah, Barack Obama!"
He went on: "You won't believe it, but the two of them sunbathe together, because the wife is also tanned."
When Mr Obama was elected in November 2008, Mr Berlusconi raised eyebrows by saying that America's first black leader was "young, handsome, and even has a good tan".
Patrizia D'Addario, a prostitute from Bari, has since claimed that she slept with Mr Berlusconi on the night of Mr Obama's historic election. She also claimed that the Italian Prime Minister watched the election coverage with her and other female guests, during a party at his mansion in Rome.
At the last G20 summit in London earlier this year, many Italians cringed when their Prime Minister put his arm round the American President and copied his thumbs-up gesture for the official photograph of the leaders.
This time, Mr Obama was not smiling when the former cruise ship entertainer greeted Michelle Obama on stage. Photographs showed the First Lady greeting Mr Berlusconi with a formal handshake, instead of a kiss, as she did with other guests.
The billionaire, who turns 73 tomorrow, is pictured gazing at Mrs Obama's gown instead of her face, and holding his arms out as if in delight at what he sees, while the US President looks on, unamused.
At the rally, he also delivered a backhanded compliment to Mr Obama.
Commenting on the President's use of an autocue in public speeches, he said: "He's not reckless, like those of us who say what comes to mind. We all asked ourselves: 'Does he know what he's doing, or is he just someone who knows how to read well?' But he's all there, in a big way, and that should make us all happy and satisfied because we need the greatest democracy, the greatest country, to be in trustworthy hands."
Mr Berlusconi was greeted with applause at the rally of supporters of his People of Freedom party. He got a standing ovation, while the crowd chanted the slogan, “Thank goodness there is Silvio".
He also joked that on Tuesday, “I will celebrate my 27th, no 37th, birthday. You know I’m not good at maths.”
The politician has been plagued with scandal for the past six months, after his estranged wife said that his obsession with young women was one of the reasons she was seeking a divorce. Ms Lario had also publicly criticised her husband’s promotion of glamorous young women with scant political experience to political posts.
Introducing Mariastella Gelmini, the Education Minister on stage, Mr Berlusconi blamed opposition politicians for characterising her as a sex symbol.
“Let’s welcome Minister Gelmini, who the Left want as the ‘simbolo sexy’ of the Government. But instead she is the symbol of the seriousness of the ministers, a symbol of those who work for our schools so that our young people are always more prepared," he said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6852051.ece
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