Berlusconi repeats Obama 'suntan' remark
Monday, 28 September 2009 17:37Newspapers in Italy have criticised Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for referring to US President Barack Obama as 'suntanned' for a second time.
Mr Berlusconi's comments a year ago caused a furore in Italy. Reuters reports that at a rally on Sunday night, Berlusconi said: 'I have to bring you some greetings, greetings from a man, what is his name, what is his name - just a minute, it was someone with a tan - Barack Obama!'.
He then added: 'You won't believe it but they went together to the beach to get a tan because even his wife is suntanned.'
The Italian Prime Minister made the comments after returning from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
Italian newspapers had already noticed that he only shook Michelle Obama's hand in an official greeting but had kissed other leaders.
The Democratic Party supporting L'Unita put a picture of Michelle Obama on its front page alongside the comments and called the incident a 'racist gaffe' while La Repubblica described the remarks as reckless.
