Posted on 10/22/2004 2:39:46 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Friday he hoped incumbent President Bush would win the Nov. 2 election against his Democratic rival John Kerry.
"We hope and believe that the next president will again be Bush," Berlusconi told reporters during campaigning for Italian local elections on the island of Ischia, in southern Italy.
Despite rooting for Bush, Berlusconi added that whoever wins the election "we are loyal allies of the United States and we will continue in our policy of friendship."
Italy is one of Washington's closest European allies in its war on terror. The country has around 2,700 troops in Iraq as part of a U.S.-led coalition.
Berlusconi, who often refers to Bush as "my friend George," is the first G8 leader to openly line up behind one of the two candidates in the U.S. presidential election.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
Go Berlusconi!
Glad to see the Italians are on the side of freedom.
Cool...I'm heading to Rome in January...Nice to spend my money where it's appreciated...
Bravo!!!
Putin, Howard and now Berlusconi -- I thought we didn't want foreign leaders interfering in our election. We certainly raised a ruckus about John Kerry and his unnamed foreign leaders. Will Chirac and Schroeder now openly endorse Kerry?
Obviously he didn't get the Memo from the rest of the Euro Weenies!! Guess he wasn't one of the foreign leaders that told Kerry in confidence that they wer hoping he'd win!
It puts a new vacation destination on my options map as well.
Forza Berlusconi!
I hope so...
Guess this wasn't one of the "foriegn leaders" Kerry talked about...
lets get this right a foriegn gov leader has said something supportive. But the ones that support kerry HAVE to keep their mouths shut....france, n korea etc...lol
I really love Berlusconi. It's quite moving to hear him talk of what the American flag means to him.
Il dio benedice l'uomo, Silvio Berlusconi
I know some don't want the Euros to 'influence' the USofA vote, however . . . It's nice to know that Chirac and Schroeder are offset by Berlusconi, Howard, and Blair.
It's nice to be in the company of friends.
And I've been to Italy once and hope to go again in 2-3 years.
Berlusconi is a businessman. His opponents were socialists, communists, and other lowlifes. I was in Italy when he won and thank goodness he did.
Ah, one of our non-existent allies!
Berlusconi, thank you for being such a good friend to America and our President!
Isn't it ironic ?
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