Early exits indicated that Silvio Berlusconi was going to lose the elections in Italy, but now it's looking like he's pulled it out. If true, once again, so much for the hopes of the left that Iraq-war coalition leaders would pay for their decision to remove the dictator.

My theory is that it's just like Ohio in 2004. People are ashamed to admit to the exit pollsters that they voted for the conservative guy.

Hey.. it stripped my snark tags. Your software is irony-impaired!

Sorry, Jane. It recognizes tags as tags, and attempts to do something with them, if you want to display a tag, you have to use the HTML codes for left and right angle brackets, like this <> (that's ampersand followed by an lt; or gt;)

Jane, I see your HTML just fine. But then again I've purchased the do-it-yourself Lasik at Home device.

Care to offer a professional opinion?

Rand, thanks for the tip.. I'll be sure to code 'em up the hard way next time.

And Bill, that was funny. Puts my "Time Life Book of Home Surgery" joke last week all to shame.

Which is good, because I have a backup joke: I don't typically do augmentation mammoplasty because I can never get a straight answer from the rabbi whether I'm supposed to use the meat scalpel or the milk scalpel.

I suppose that was a Kosher joke that wild eyed southern boys don't get.

Did they use Diebold machines?

Ba-dum-bum

Exit-schmexit.

The only poll that actually counts is the one in the voting booth.

I'd be happy if I never heard another "exit poll" - otherwise known as wishful thinking and look-who-lied-to-us-this-time. :-(

What's interesting is the fact that the current Economist called for Berlusconi to be turned out for some very cogent reasons. Just because a candidate agrees with you on the war doesn't make him the best choice -- or even a particularly good one.

Letter to George Bush

Perhaps I’m getting bigheaded, but I want to write to George Bush.

“ Open letter to George Bush.

I’m just a comic and you are a great president at the head of a great and powerful nation. Furthermore, you are also a great friend of our former President of the Council with whom you have many points in common: the Atlantic vision in place of the pacific one, great riches, the exportation of democracy with or without weapons, the personalisation of politics.
Allow me, very humbly, to ask you for an account of your behaviour in relation to Italy and the Italians.
Prodi has won the elections. Heads of State of many nations and the President of the European Community have sent their congratulations to him.
You are almost the only one who hasn’t done this.
And, in this situation, our former President of the Council does not recognise the election result thanks to your support.
You continue to not recognise Prodi as the legitimate winner, elected in free elections.
They were elections managed by the Minister of the Interior as a member of the Government in power.
They were elections in which voting went on according to a liberticida (liberty killing) election law guided through Parliament by your friend and in this case, your voice as a defender of democracy has not been heard.
You are not showing yourself to be a friend of our country and you are probably not even acting in the interests of your country.
If you don’t recognise Prodi, why should Italians recognise you? I believe and hope that your behaviour is simply a temporary institutional distraction. If this is not the case, Italians should ask themselves a few questions.

Why should we allow American Military Bases to be in our country?
Why should we tolerate the presence of American atomic weapons at Ghedi Torre, Brescia and at Aviano, Pordenone?
Why should we allow CIA agents to move around our country as though they were visiting your great ranch in Texas?
Why should we provide finance to a country that at this moment is hostile to us by buying American products, eating in American chains, supporting American companies in Italy?
I’m sure the Italians will know how to find the answers.”

Vik (guerrilla radio)
italian blogger from Milan