Insults fly in Italy poll debate (Advantage Prodi)

[Stockholm]

By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Rome

Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi and rival Romano Prodi have gone head-to-head in the second and final televised debate ahead of Sunday's elections.

Mr Prodi said: "The prime minister clings to data in the way a drunkard clings to lamp-posts - not for illumination, but to keep him standing up."

Mr Berlusconi replied: "I will not accept that. Have a little respect for the prime minister.

"Let me return Prodi's remark about the drunk by saying that Prodi is like a useful idiot - he lends his cheery parish priest face to the left, which is 70% made up of former communists."

more http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4874400.stm

:rofl: