Italy's tycoon-premier, Silvio Berlusconi, sparked outrage Sunday when he suggested that Italian women were so beautiful they need military escorts to avoid being raped. The rape remarks followed Berlusconi's proposal to deploy 30,000 Italian troops in the streets in order to fight crime.

In a lame attempt to explain the rape comment, Berlusconi said that no matter how many soldiers were on-hand, it wasn't a guarantee against rape because Italian women are so beautiful the military presence alone couldn't guarantee their protection.

Giovanna Melandri of the opposition Democratic Party described Berlusconi's remarks as "profoundly offensive."

Berlusconi responded to the criticisms by digger a deeper hole. He said he was trying to 'compliment' Italian women and that Italians shouldn't forget a sense of "levity and good humor" where his comments are concerned.

Berlusconi has a late-adolescent need to draw attention to himself by cracking offensive jokes. The recent comments aren't anything new - he has a long history of gaffes. Not so long ago when he was on a visit to Russia he referred to Barack Obama as "suntanned" - a remark that was also widely condemned.

His joking caused a diplomatic row in 2005, when he indicated that he had used his "playboy tactics" on President Tarja Halonen of Finland to ensure her backing for Italy to host the European Food Safety Authority.

His comment... "I had to use all my playboy tactics, even if they have not been used for some time" ... prompted Helsinki to summon the Italian ambassador to explain the remarks.

At an EU ministers' summit in 2002, Berlusconi made a hand sign behind the head of the Spanish foreign minister, Josep Piqué, during an official photoshoot. The sign, known as the "corna," was meant to indicate that Piqué was a cuckold.

When he took on the presidency of the EU Council of Ministers in 2003, one of Berlusconi's chief detractors was German SPD Member, Martin Schulz. At one point the Italian PM responded to criticism from Schulz with:

"Mr Schulz, I know a movie producer in Italy who is making a movie about Nazi concentration camps. I suggest you play the role of a Kapo. You are perfect for the part!"

The perma-tanned, cosmetically enhanced billionaire s the real joke - it's just that nobody's laughing.