Italy Local Elections May 2012

[Peter the Lefty]

This is a bit off-topic.  How are things going with the probe against Vendola for the health care scandal?  Does public opinion seem to be that he's guilty or that he's innocent? 

[Peter the Lefty]

Care to elaborate on the scandal?

He's being probed because he hired Paolo Sardelli as a local chief of surgeons at a hospital after firing Lea Consentino (she had been arrested and investigated over graft allegations).  She claims he did it because Sardelli was his friend.

[Peter the Lefty]

New national poll from SWG
PD-24.0%
PdL-17.9%
M5S-13.7%
UdC-6.2%
Lega-6.2%
IdV-6.1%
SEL-5.6%
FLI-4.9%
FdS-2.8%
Destra-2.5%

[Peter the Lefty]

Is the M5S even right, left, centrist, or even vagueishly leaning one way, or is it just "we hate all politicians, end of story?"

[Peter the Lefty]

I hope some scandal comes out about the M5S or Grillo himself that totally destroys it.  Might Vendola's energy have a chance, if he wins the center-left primary in 2013, to pull away a significant chunk of M5S voters?  He also has a perception as something of an outsider, doesn't he?

[Peter the Lefty]

Wow.  Imagine if the M5S surpassed the PD and Grillo ended up becoming Prime Minister (shhudders).

[Peter the Lefty]

He could support Tiririca for president in Brazil and start the Humourist International.

'Arise ye pris'ners of seriousness
Arise ye wretched of the circus
For humourous thunders laughlings
A funnier world's in birth!'

With the Monster Raving Loonies, die Partei, the Australian Sex party, the Rhinoceros Party, and many more...they'd already have a good point to start from.