On Monday, the Ides of March, besieged Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato was smarter than Caesar: He did not go to the Senate. Instead, the former professor delivered a university lecture in London aptly titled "Italy and Europe: The Rules of Chaos."

Their most prominent target Tuesday was Renato Altissimo, leader of the small but influential Liberal Party, a junior partner in Amato's sorely tried four-party coalition. He resigned after being notified he was under investigation for corruption and violating party funding.

Amato went to Parliament on Tuesday to speak for the government in the final round of a moral debate conducted so far to a mostly empty chamber. But the opposition turned out in force. Neo-fascists, including Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of Italy's former dictator, wore rubber gloves and waved sponges to cry "Whitewash!"-a reference to last week's failed attempt by the Amato government to contain the crisis by decriminalizing illegal party financing through a decree.