Gore saddles up beside Berlusconi

Current TV topper snubs Rome for Milan

By NICK VIVARELLI

Al Gore launched an Italo outpost of his Current TV in Rome last week, just as Silvio Berlusconi began his third stint as Italy's PM.

But the intersection between the two media-loving pols didn't end there: In an interview with Corriere della Sera magazine, Gore opined that Berlusconi would be electable in the U.S., albeit with difficulty, before bowing out by admitting he was not much of an expert in Italian politics.

The remark raised some eyebrows and was trumpeted by Berlusconi-owned Il Giornale paper as approval of Silvio's conflict-of-interest issue.

Also, instead of basing his Current TV studio in Rome, Gore chose Milan, lured by Milan mayor Letizia Moratti, a Berlusconi supporter. Current also tapped Tommaso Tessarolo, a former Mediaset consultant, as its Italo topper.

A correction was made to this article on May 13, 2008.