Berlusconi depicts election rival as Obama wannabe

By Robin Pomeroy

ROME (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi issued his party's candidates for April's election with guidelines on how to face the media on Thursday, advising them to describe his rival as a lightweight who copies Barack Obama.

With a poll lead of some 7 percentage points ahead of Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni, Berlusconi told candidates for his centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party they had to win over the large chunk of the electorate which is undecided.

"We have to convince the undecided with a great election campaign," he told reporters before heading into a closed-door meeting with candidates running for parliament. The media tycoon's campaign slogan is "Back on your feet, Italy!".

Candidates -- many of whom have never stood for office before, coming instead from business and the media -- were handed paper bags containing a T-shirt, party flag and a 30-page list of points they should make to reporters.

Stressing the PDL's plans to cut taxes and boost the economy, the notes say Veltroni's Democratic Party has similar policies because he stole them from the centre right.

"Veltroni has copied everything he can. He's copied half (of his) manifesto from our documents," read the notes, which urge candidates to mock the 52-year-old Rome mayor for comparing himself to U.S. Democratic presidential contender Obama.

"Veltroni often cites Barack Obama and also systematically copies his speeches," says the manual which lists ways to differentiate the two.

"Obama ran the Harvard Law Review -- the first black lawyer to have that prestigious post. Veltroni was editor of l'Unita (formerly the daily newspaper of the Italian communist party).