[aquila48]

Like him or hate him - he was a hoot! He was as un-PC as it gets, and didn't give a rats ass about what the media said.

[Revolting cat!]

A head of the government should be dispensable. A head of state should be a ceremonial figure. The Italians (and many others) have got it right, we haven’t!

[Pollster1]

At an awards dinner in January 2007, Berlusconi said to a former showgirl and men's magazine model, Mara Carfagna: "I'd go anywhere with you, even to a desert island. If I weren't already married, I would marry you straight away." His wife, Veronica Lario, reacted by writing a letter published on the front page of La Repubblica newspaper calling for a public apology. She duly received one. Mr Berlusconi later made Ms Carfagna his equal opportunities minister.

The man has a good eye (but it was still tacky, since he's married).