Berlusconi Calls Obama 'Tanned' Again

ROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi is still talking about President Barack Obama's "tan," and this time the gaffe-prone Italian leader has made a wisecrack about Michelle Obama's skin color as well.

Berlusconi told a Milan rally of conservative supporters on Sunday that he was bringing greetings from the United States from "What's his name? Some tanned guy. Ah, Barack Obama!"

Shortly after Obama's election in November 2008, Berlusconi raised eyebrows by saying the victor was "young, handsome, and even has a good tan."

This time, Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul who began his career as a cruise ship entertainer, also took a jab at the First Lady.

"You won't believe it," he said, "but two of them went to the beach because the wife is also tanned."

Berlusconi is known for his gaffes.

European media have played up photos showing Michelle Obama greeting many leaders at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh summit last week with a kiss but stiffly holding out her arm for a handshake when it came time to greet Berlusconi.

The photos show Berlusconi's gazing at Mrs. Obama's gown, instead of her face, and holding his arms out as if in delight at what he sees, while the U.S. President looks on, apparently not amused.

The 72-year-old Berlusconi has made no secret for his admiration of attractive women. He has been on the defensive in a sex scandal that erupted last spring after his wife complained he was infatuated with young women and announced she is divorcing him.

Prosecutors in the southern city of Bari are investigating a local businessman, as a suspect in a cocaine investigation, who has said he sent some 30 young women to dinners and parties at Berlusconi's Rome palazzo residence and Sardinian villa. The businessman told investigators he paid the women's expenses and in some cases extra money in case they had sex with the premier. But he stressed Berlusconi was unaware of these arrangements.

Berlusconi, who isn't under investigation in the scandal, has denied ever paying for sex.

At Sunday's rally, Berlusconi delivered a kind of backhanded compliment to the U.S. president.

The premier, commenting on Obama's use of a teleprompter in public speeches, cracked: "'He's not reckless like those of us who say what comes to mind."

"We all asked ourselves, 'Does he know what he's doing, or is he just someone who knows how to read well?'"

"But he's all there, in a big way, and that should make us all happy and satisfied because we need the greatest democracy, the greatest country, to be in trustworthy hands," the Italian premier said.

Berlusconi's center-right coalition has continued Italy's stance as a staunch U.S. ally.

Comments

[Progressneeded]

12:10 AM on 09/30/2009

I think he is trying to give him a compliment! It is what most of us aspire to have, a good tan!

[old lady]

11:14 PM on 09/29/2009

Lighten up folks. Compared to what some Americans are saying about our President this is tame. In fact wouldn't it be a great world if everybody started thinking that the only difference among races was a matter of sun exposure.

[itsmyparty]

08:48 PM on 09/29/2009

photo

Berlusconi,as a head of state,should know that many of us do not find his "tanning" comments at all amusing.I only hope the president and his wife don't have to explain why Berliusconi thinks he is funny to their daughters.I wonder how funny he'd think jokes about old windbags would be?

[Noland]

06:59 PM on 09/29/2009

Italy's version of George W. Bush with a touch of Glenn Beck...need I say more?

[theborg]

04:15 PM on 09/29/2009

That's interesting, since Sicilians aren't Italians (Romans) themselves. Actually they are Greeks who were conquered by the Romans and colonized. Later the Africans defeated the Romans in Sicily, stayed, did a whole lot of sex with the local ladies and so, now you have this very dark skin, black hair (often kinky), people. I guess you could say the Sicilians are like our President and me...bi-racial.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/berlusconi-calls-obama-ta_n_301821.html

[Yvonne Mc Nair]

03:46 PM on 09/29/2009

Berlusconi has a great sense of humor - great comment!!!

[Bulbul]

07:50 AM on 09/29/2009

This is a non story, tan is beautiful and it was meant as a complement ! Take a look at the House, there is the naturally tanned President and the artificially tanned congressmen or women wishing they had the Obama looks ....

[Rand]

11:24 AM on 09/29/2009

You have OBVIOUSLY not seen the clip

Either that or you're incapable of noticing an insult directed at the president

[bswell]

03:56 PM on 09/29/2009

This person can't even spell "compliment" correctly, let alone recognize a stupid slight.

[HumanityEqualsLaw]

03:02 AM on 09/29/2009

Berlusconi is a disgrace for Italy and for the EU. He owns the media, enacts laws to protect himself from prosecution, exchanges promises of a political future for sex, has no manners, has insulted just about every nation.. He is about as corrupted and repulsive as a politician can possibly be. And yet Italians choose to have him as their leader. There is the comfort that he is an old man of course and even money cannot cheat time.

[KIVPossum]

02:39 AM on 09/29/2009

FTA: Berlusconi is known for his gaffes

This is no gaffe. Especially after he made the sarcastic comment about the Obamas going to the beach.

[weatherwaxx]

02:21 AM on 09/29/2009

Hey, we had a graceless lout as our chief of state for 8 long years. It's Italy's turn.

[uncsportsliberal]

01:55 AM on 09/29/2009

The man is a pig. How can someone 72 years old act like they are 12? Isn't it time to call for new elections again.

[Observer963]

12:38 AM on 09/29/2009

I lived in Europe for many years and while I don't particularly like Berlusconi, it's an absolute compliment to call someone tanned because specially in northern Europe there is not enough sun shine to get a tan and so only people "who can afford it" travel to south to soak up sun and get a tan. And besides he is Italian, what do you expect (that was the revenge now lol).

[BigBrickHouse]

02:15 AM on 09/29/2009

Funny stuff, Observer! I know you're being half truthful/half sarcastic, and it's a funny commentary about Berlusconi. Personally, I think he's being a arse. Despite my differences with President Obama, I take offense to a foreigner 'making fun' of our First Family. "Buttthefukout!" I say!!!

[mazzetta]

06:06 AM on 09/29/2009

And besides you're American, what do you expect

[Observer963]

10:44 PM on 09/29/2009

Exactly! (obviously my comment was a joke as BigBrickHouse realized it). I have gotten quite some reactions on that comment. Geeeeeez, some people are quite stiff here!

[Pgrace]

12:36 AM on 09/29/2009

Ah Italy ! Anywhere else on the planet, the election of this narcissistic criminal would be akin to electing Rupert Murdoch as Prime Minister or President.

[mrh3]

12:19 AM on 09/29/2009

Italy isn't even a country. It's a segment on Jerry Springer.

[BigBrickHouse]

02:19 AM on 09/29/2009

OK, THAT is HILARIOUS mrh3!!!

[AmandaBC]

02:54 AM on 09/29/2009

So, you "I take offense to a foreigner 'making fun' of your First Family", but you have absolutely no problem with Americans making fun of an entire foreign country.

[dukesman2000]

12:17 AM on 09/29/2009

It doesn't what country the wh!te man resides in, he is still r@c!st. I wonder if r@c!sm is a learned behavior or inherent?

[DessLoch]

12:27 AM on 09/29/2009

propaganda effort used from the get go by colonialist entrepreneurs necessary to exploit labor and control profits. It is not inherent. Maybe in small part but no more than in ancient times as the races have always had contact. Modern racism has a complexity exploiters solicited relgious leaders, scientists, and philosophers to authenticate the propaganda and okay the right to enslave, steal, with the political leaders who would only approve once proven that these inferior peoples were so depraved slavery would improve their existence or they weren't making good use of their lands anyway. Hitler pointed out that this was his inspiration. Calling it Manifest Destiny of the Anglo Saxon race made it seem inherent but if it were all the anti-mescegenation and other race laws would not ahve been necessary for 3 hundred years /at all.

[deluk]

08:02 AM on 09/29/2009

Since when have Italians been Anglo Saxons?

Your over serious, convoluted post gives too much credence to one silly individual and his juvenile sense of humour.

[Claireify]

11:10 AM on 10/03/2009

As the song from South Pacific goes, "You've got to be taught to hate." But I really don't think Berlusconi was being racist. Either he just forgot to engage brain before opening mouth or he was trying to make a joke, albeit a bad one considering the hateful mood of OUR country. Remember, folks, we have to allow for cultural differences and we also need to keep a sense of humor. I'm an African American (for lack of a better term since all my "trace-able" roots go back to ancestors from Scotland, Spain, Ireland and the Cherokee tribe.) Sure, there's some African in there somewhere but then there's a little of it in all of us. Oh. oh. some American Caucasians aren't going to like that one.

Still, the "eyeball test" says I'm African American so what the Hell. My point is, I have often said to friends who call and ask "whachu doing?", "Oh, I'm outside working on my tan." It's a joke. Get it? Come'on, he could have called the Obamas "melangane" (sp?) which is Italian for eggplant and considered very racist. I think Barack was probably more upset with the way Berlusconi was eye-balling Michelle.

Let's get a life. We have more important stuff to take care of, like the economy and health care and how we continue to destroy the planet. Racism will always exist until one day, far, far away, we will all be blue!