Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy, wanted to set the record straight: He was “joking” when he compared himself to Napoleon.

“I am the Jesus Christ of politics,” he corrected himself a day later in a speech on Saturday. “I am a patient victim. I bear everything. I sacrifice myself for everyone.”

This came the same day that Berlusconi put himself in Churchill’s league and not long after he made a vow to a priest not to have sex until the end of his already strenuous exertions to be re-elected in April.

- Ian Fisher, NYT via IHT (Hat tip: my Ma)

You thought our Leader was ridiculous? At least Slimeeo Berluscojones has flair:

We have worked a lot,” he said on television on Friday. “Only Napoleon did more.” When asked if he wanted to make a comparison, Berlusconi, whose height at about 1.68 meters, or 5 foot 6, seems an eternal adversary, said, “I am certainly taller.”

Jeebus, I mean, Berlusconi! As if you needed more to worry about, there’s crucial elections coming up in other countries too.

The always brilliant Nur-al-Cubicle translates a recent Umberto Eco GOTV editorial:

I believe that the people at Libertà e Giustizia* must engage themselves to convince the disillusioned Left –and not the undecided.

We know who they are. They are many but this is not the place to discuss the reasons for their disaffectedness. But they are the people whom we should remind that, if they give in to their discontent, will have collaborated in putting Italy into the hands of those who would lead her to her ruin. There is no justifiable discontent for allowing the fatal regression of our democracy, with all the indignation that it inspires in every sincere democrat, and the mockery made of our laws, separation of powers and our government. This is what each of us must repeat to our uncertain and disillusioned friends. It is on them and their commitment to turn out at the polls on which will depend whether Italy avoids five more years of pillaging by the defenders of special interests.

He’s almost got this die-hard Greenie convinced.

* “Liberty and Justice”, an association of Italian intellectuals (Eco is a member) whose goal is to promote honest, constructive political dialogue.