"Ma chi è, Bin Laden?"

That was Silvio Berlusconi's question to one of the doctors who ran to his aid Sunday after he collapsed at an event in Italy. The doctor does bear a passing resemblance to Bin Ladin. You can take a look for yourself, if you log onto the homepage of www.corriere.it, and click on the link for "Lei chi e', Bin Laden?"

Il Cavaliere -- what a joker! But it wasn't the first joke of the night. Anyone who knows much about Berlusconi's governing style will get a laugh, albeit bitter, from the following statement, which according to the Corriere Della Sera, he made at the event Sunday:

"La libertà è a rischio, la nostra più profonda preoccupazione è che vengano meno i margini di libertà."

It's nice of him to worry about our freedoms but it would be even better if he thought about what he's done to nibble away at them. Particularly freedom of the press!

I think his svenimento will be cause for another round of Berlusca jokes, and I will post any I receive from my friends in Italy.

Spero che il Cavaliere si riprenda presto, e che decida di andare in pensione. E' il momento, di sicuro.