Berlusconi Finally Booted

He put up a tenacious fight, but finally Italian law enforcement caught up with former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. The Italian Senate expelled Berlusconi with immediate effect, thus depriving him of legislative immunity. He was convicted of tax fraud after a lengthy court battle which ended in August when the appeals court upheld the trial verdict. Berlusconi has also been convicted of paying an under age prostitute for "bunga-bunga"--sex. The way could now be politically clear for other criminal prosecutions against a powerful public figure who dominated his country's politics for twenty years. He vowed to remain the head of the Forza Italia Party on what he called a "day of mourning" for democracy. Because of his age he is unlikely to serve his one year sentence in jail but under house arrest. The Senate debate was heated with two rival Senators nearly coming to blows in time-honored Italian tradition. There was no formal vote to expel, but all challenges to the process were defeated.