Romney’s great European blunderwander did not include a stop in Italy.

And I, as one who loves art and wine and looking a nakkid statues, wondered why.  I thought maybe it was an aversion to pasta or olives, but come to find out, there was another reason.

Mitt Romney skipped Italy on his swing through Europe. That was probably prudent.

That’s because Bain Capital, under Romney as chief executive officer, made about $1 billion in a leveraged buyout 12 years ago that remains controversial in Italy to this day.

…

Bain funneled profits through subsidiaries in Luxembourg, a common corporate strategy for avoiding income taxes in other European countries, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News.

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In Italy, the deals have spurred at least three books, separate legal and regulatory probes and newspaper columns alleging investors made a fortune at the expense of Italian taxpayers.

Well, and it’s hard not to laugh at the Pope’s funny hat.

Look, I am certain that Romney would greeted as warmly in Italy as he was in Poland.   However, you’d think that Romney would do well in Italy, you know, what with that whole fascism thing they have in common.