"DOES ANYBODY CARE ANY MORE...?"

"I'm not sure" was my response.

"Look I know Napolitano for years.  Good man, nice man.  But a politician so when they ask him to be President every body know he going to say yes.  But the ask him because they know nobody going to argue because everybody believe that he at 87 have no time to cause problems.  But I think they maka mistake"

"How?"

"Charlie, the guy have pride.  He think we look stupid.  He think we no can run Italia like it is 1970. We can but he no think so.  So he going to ask a new guy to form a government."

"Any ideas?"

"For sure, but in the end it is still Berlusconi who...how do you say...gets shot?"

"No Massimo, calls the shots.  Why is that?"

"Because he no go away!  Beppo?  He  a joke, not serious.  Bersani?  He no can win another election with a majority.  So he no try.  But Berlusconi...whether he stay or go he still run things  because his people, they crazy but they OWE him and he know that.  This guy no care for Italia or the position.  He want power and he has that."

"So you think that whoever gets asked to form a government puts together a coalition with Bersani and Berlusconi?"

"Charlie, Charlie, I no think, I know."

"Is there a guy that could do that?  I mean, how do you pull that off?  What has..."

"No, ma, is not the question.  The question is who does Berlusconi think he can own.  That is the guy that get asked.  Caspito!  The old man win this in the end!

"And then??

"Eh, and then! And then where we go is to say the hell to you Signora Merkel and the hell to you Troika.  We no gonna dance to your tune and if you no like it, Ciao!  Is what Beppo and his Pazzos want so they support  And if we leave, so what?  We go back like before with nobody to look over our back..."

"Shoulder..."

"Si, shoulder and no Euro to worry about.  Berlusconi has all the power because he is the most organized.  You know, he thinks he live forever.   Maybe he right.  Forza Italia!  Is unbelievable but it's what I think."

"Who's the guy?"

"Eh, I no say but you look and see to who he close.  This happen in a few days, Charlie, you watch. Charlie I go now, eh.  You give my love to La Moglia, mio amico and see if Massimo is right.  Ciao, Charlie."

"Ciao Massimo, a Dio." ..........


Today, Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy, formally asked 48 year old Enrico Letta to form a new Government.  Letta is a career politician but is probably best known as the son of Silvio Berlusconi's chief strategist of many years.   Forza Italia.