Let me get this straight, the White house has called Berlusconi an amateur and someone who is hated my many??? I dont recall ever seeing him constantly making an arse of himself whenever he opened his mouth, lying about so called 'intelligence' or invading foreign countries on the basis of helping occupants by changing from a totalitarian regime that kills its own people only to cause more civillian deaths by 'friendly fire' than the previous administration had.
It could be argued that Berlusconi was corrupt, there were enough investigations and articles on the subject back in the day but at the same time you could potentially say the same about Bush. Allegations of vote rigging in his cousin's state were never proved wrong plus a lot of the companies making a fortune out of rebuilding or supplying in Iraq are coincidentally the same ones who have made significant donations to the Party.
But an amateur? Far from it. Unlike the oil hungry warmongering chimp on the oval office.
The White House has apologised to Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi for a briefing describing him as a political "amateur" who is "hated by many".
The "insulting" biography was included in a press kit distributed to reporters travelling with President George W Bush to a meeting of world leaders in Japan.
He was "one of the most controversial leaders" of a country "known for governmental corruption and vice".
Only last month, Mr Bush visited his old ally, calling him a "good friend".
The four-page description of Mr Berlusconi had been taken from the Encyclopedia of World Biography.
It refers to the Italian prime minister as a man "hated by many but respected by all at least for his bella figura (personal style) and the sheer force of his will".
It says Mr Berlusconi was said to be "regarded by many as a political dilettante (amateur) who gained his high office only through use of his considerable influence on the national media".
Acknowledging the error, White House spokesman Tony Fratto issued an apology.
"A biography of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi included in the press package used language that is insulting both to Prime Minister Berlusconi and to the Italian people," Mr Fratto said in a statement.
"We apologise to Italy and to the prime minister for this very unfortunate mistake.
"The sentiments expressed in the biography do not represent the views of President Bush, the American government, or the American people," he said.
Mr Berlusconi was a key supporter of the US-led war in Iraq.
During Mr Bush's farewell tour of Europe last month, Mr Berlusconi called the US leader "a personal friend of mine and also a great friend of Italy".
To which Mr Bush responded: "You're right. We're good friends."
