Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: Viaggio di berlusconi in usa

Quante righe sono state dedicate al viaggio di berlusconi in usa dal
New York Times o dal Washington Post? Non riesco a trovare niente,
Clas Chester e compagni bella che seguite con febbrile trepidazione le
avventure del clown, avete link?
Cristiano

Articolo Washington Post che ho gia postato in precedenza lo riposto solo
per te:):
Ti posto il testo del WP ma non dice il fatto di strips and
stripes...:))
            Ciao.
                        The Italian Connection
                        Berlusconi Joins Bush at Foundation Dinner
                        By Roxanne Roberts
                        Washington Post Staff Writer
                        Thursday, May 20, 2004; Page C01
                        At a different time, the joint appearance of
President Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi might have been
a lighthearted night of friendship and playful banter. But this is a year of
elections, of war, of trials. The two leaders, both battling growing
criticism over the military occupation in Iraq, were in no mood for jokes.
So last night's Sons of Italy Foundation dinner was less a party than a
bilingual campaign stop.
                        The Bush-Berlusconi ticket arrived at the Grand
Hyatt Hotel to rousing ovations. Their message: Hang tough.
                        "As June 30th approaches, the enemies of freedom
grow even more desperate about the rise of democracy in Iraq," Bush told the
audience. The awful images on television, he explained, were the desperate
tactics of a hateful few. "You see, their goal is to undermine the will of
our coalition. . . . They will not succeed. My resolve is firm. The resolve
of the prime minister of Italy is firm. The resolve of the American people
is firm."
                        Berlusconi answered with a reminder of America's
liberation of Europe in World War II. "Without the help of your great
country, our destiny would have been much different," he said. " . . . When
I see your flag, the Stars and Stripes, I don't see only the flag of a
democracy, of a great country. I see, first and foremost, a symbol, a
universal message of democracy and freedom."
                        It was the first time a sitting U.S. president and
an Italian prime minister attended a major Italian American event together.
                        "This is a perfect venue for President Bush,"
foundation Executive Director Phil Piccigallo had promised the White House.
The Sons of Italy boast 575,000 members in 50 states -- "grass-roots,
family-oriented, extremely patriotic, which generally translates into
conservative," he said. And, if the president needed one more reason to
accept the dinner invitation, Italian Americans are heavily represented in
swing states.
                        So Bush was practically guaranteed a standing
ovation from the 900 guests, and he got three. The crowd was so loud that
the president's introduction was cut short because of the cheering. A
beaming Berlusconi received the first International Man of Courage award for
his support of U.S. efforts against international terrorism, and dedicated
it to Italian soldiers.
                        The president quickly got to the main topic of the
night. "The prime minister and I had a strategy session on how to help the
Iraqis realize their liberty," he said. "I appreciated his good, strong
advice." He praised the courage of Italians in Iraq, and vowed not to
retreat. "We will not be intimidated by thugs and assassins. . . . The world
watches for any weakness. They will see no weakness in America. They will
see no weakness in Italy."
                        Berlusconi had a more difficult task -- affirming
his support of the Bush administration while soothing voters back home. This
is his second term as prime minister, and he made it into the record books
earlier this month when his ruling coalition became the longest-lasting
government in the republic's history.
                        But Italy's richest man is fighting for his
political life. In January, the country's highest court allowed a bribery
trial against him to proceed. His approval rating has sunk to 30 percent.
Critics have accused him of being a Bush "lap dog." The pressure to pull
Italy's 3,000 troops out of Iraq increased earlier this week when its first
soldier was killed in combat; the Italian parliament had allowed troops in
Iraq only for humanitarian purposes. On Tuesday, Berlusconi said he would
push for a "clear turnaround in the Iraqi situation."
                        Last night he spoke to audiences here and at home,
delivering his remarks in Italian. He requested headsets for every audience
member so they could listen to a translation -- a highly unusual accessory
at a black-tie dinner party.
                        Berlusconi, like Bush, focused on Iraq. Once the war
ended, he said, another began by terrorists -- although he referred to them
twice as "communists."
                        "It is for this reason I had no doubt, my government
had no doubt, the majority of citizens had no doubt, that the work in Iraq
had to be continued," he said. "Leaving Iraq now would mean only handing it
over to chaos, to a very long-lasting civil war, and it would mean, first
and foremost, give the victory to the terrorists. We cannot absolutely allow
that."
                  He went on to praise Bush as "a man for whom yes
means yes and no means no. This is the first element of morality in
politics: keeping the promises you have made."
                        The two leaders left the dinner immediately after
their remarks, but will meet again on June 4, when Bush attends the
60th-anniversary celebration of the Allied liberation of Rome.
                        "I'd stand on a table for Bush," said New York
restaurant owner Rosario Panepinto, who once threw out a customer who
insulted the president. "I think he's awesome. And I hope he gets another
four years. I think too many people have too many things to say and need to
let the people in position to do what they have to do. We don't need to know
everything single thing that goes on."
                        His table mate Dario Gristina, chairman of an energy
services company, agreed. "As an Italian American, I am especially proud of
Prime Minister Berlusconi's efforts to align himself with President Bush.
The reality is that Europeans have a much more scattered view of world
events, and the effects of those events."
                        There was, of course, the customary praise for all
things Italian. Last night's dinner raised $1 million for scholarship and
cultural preservation programs. After dinner, awards were presented to UBS
Financial Services Chairman Joseph Grano, National Breast Cancer Coalition
President Frances Visco and Georgetown University President John DeGioia.
                        House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- the
highest-ranking Italian American in elective national office -- told the
crowd how proud she was and praised the honorees and troops. "We have to
build a future worthy of their sacrifice," she said.
                        © 2004 The Washington Post Company

per te:):
Thx mi era sfuggito
Cristiano

 solo per te:):
-------------------------------------
                        Berlusconi, like Bush, focused on Iraq. Once
the war ended, he said, another began by terrorists -- although he
referred to them twice as "communists."
--------------------------------------
Che tristezza....
-- 
Stardust®
"La differenza tra intelligenza e stupidita' e'
che l'intelligenza ha un limite." Albert Einstein