I got published on counterpunch! Italian elections...

[stephinrome]

Sunk like a rock here (too depressing? even more so after news from London)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3235642&mesg_id=3235642

But was published on CounterPunch!

Italy's Rightward Lurch
A Ray of Hope from Vicenza
By STEPHANIE WESTBROOK

Just when it seemed things could get no worse on the Italian political landscape following the first round of elections, run-off elections this past Sunday and Monday proved the contrary. But the northern city of Vicenza, home to a vibrant citizens’ movement against a second US military base in their city, proved to be the silver lining.

Round One

In the mid-April elections that came after the collapse last January of the center-left government led by Romano Prodi, the center-right coalition led by media magnate, billionaire and staunch Bush ally Silvio Berlusconi not only beat out former Rome Mayor and leader of the newly formed Democratic Party, Walter Veltroni, but also with a very comfortable 9-point lead.

Full article:
http://www.counterpunch.org/westbrook05022008.html

[babylonsister]

1. Congrats to you, Steph, and you are part of that ray of hope.

I know you've been working tirelessly to stop another US base from being built. Your efforts were not in vain. Take a bow! :applause:

[stephinrome]

2. Very kind of you, but...

...what I've done is nothing (I'm not being modest, I've done a lot) compared to what the people of Vicenza have been doing for almost 2 years now!

Applause for the Vicentini

[CTyankee]

3. I think few people know much about Vicenza, except perhaps for Andrea Palladio.

I will be leaving for Northern Italy next week but unfortunately I won't be in Vicenza. I'd love to knowmore about this movement.

I will be spending a few days in Bologna and hope to talk to students there about politics both in Italy and in the U.S.

Can you advise me on what to bring from the States that a student might like to have? On my last trip to Italy, I brought a NY Mets cap for the fiance of a friend who was helping show me Rome. He compared the Mets to the Lazio soccer team! I was thinking of bringing "Raising Sand," which is a nice Robert Plant/Allison Krauss CD (hip country music). Or maybe a Yale T shirt or perhaps my DNC bumper sticker. What do you think the Bolognese students would appreciate?

Forza Roma!