Politicians you have met?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Rudy Giuliani (during his 08 run)
Marco Rubio (October, 2010)
Allen West (3 times, he represents my district. Most recently was Monday)
Ken Kucinelli (Virginia AG, at a Tea Party in Manasas Virginia)


I have also met a pitty patter of un important mayors, and corrupt county commisioners. Who have you met?

[Mexino Vote]

Tom Vilsack in Iowa  when he started up his campaign.

[Oakvale]

I think we already a thread like this a few weeks back, but okay.

I "met" Hillary Clinton briefly in the way that anyone "meets" a US politician these days, which meant I shook her hand and she said a word or two (this is when she was in Dublin a year or so ago). At a stretch, Steven Chu, but he's not really a politician.

A whole plethora of Irish politicans no-one would know. I've talked to Eamon Gilmore (Labour leader) a handful of times, Enda Kenny's reasonably friendly but pretty much a caricature of himself. Bertie Ahern is what you'd expect. David Norris (Senator, gay rights activist, Presidential candidate) is probably the most entertaining I've met.  Most TDs (MPs) are "nice" in person, given that that's kind of necessary to get elected.

[krazen1211]

Let's see:

1. George H W Bush (when I was 5)
2. Bill Clinton (book signing in 2004)
3. George W. Bush (campaign in 2004)
4. Joe Biden (amtrak train in 2005)

I have no desire to meet the current guy.

2 congresspeople:

1. Rush Holt (my neighbor for a while in the early 2000s)
2. John Adler (about 3 months ago during his campaign)

[Hash]

Mauril Belanger, federal Liberal MP for Ottawa-Vanier
Madeleine Meilleur, provincial Liberal MPP for Ottawa-Vanier and Minister of Social and Community Services
Chris Bentley, provincial Liberal MPP for London West and Attorney General of Ontario
Yasir Naqvi, provincial Liberal MPP for Ottawa-Centre and President of the OLP
Dominic LeBlanc, federal Liberal MP for Beausejour (NB)

And I saw but didn't interact with Gilles Duceppe and a bunch of random MPs from all parties including Rob Nicholson, Attorney General of Canada. And also the Liberal candidate for Ottawa-Orleans, who's really friendly, but he's not a politician per se.

I never met any municipal politician, because my city councillor is an old fart who wins huge majorities invariably at every election and my old city councillor stopped giving a sh**t about job after deciding to retire.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Aleksander Kwaśniewski, former President
Wojciech Jaruzelski, former dictator
Krzysztof Janik, former Minister of the Internal Affairs
Jerzy Szmajdziński, former Minister of Defense, Deputy Sejm Speaker, SLD presidential candidate before he died in a plane crash in Smoleńsk
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, former Deputy Prime Minister, died in Smolensk as well
Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, former Kwaśniewski's Chief of Staff and Sejm member, died in Smolensk as well
Grzegorz Napieralski, SLD Leader
Józef Oleksy, former Prime Minister
Wojciech Olejniczak, former SLD leader and MEP
Joanna Senyszyn, MEP
Katarzyna Piekarska, former Sejm member and SLD Vice Leader

[Tender Branson]

I met the Austrian President Heinz Fischer in 1998, 1999, or 2000.

I cannot remember anymore which year it was really. Anyway, we were visiting Vienna that year as almost any Austrian class in middle school does. We were also visiting the Parliament and Fischer - who wasn't President back then, only President of Parliament - was there to talk with us.

I also met Salzburg Governor Gabriele Burgstaller sometime between 2000 and 2004 when she visited our city.

[tmthforu94]

Congressmen Mike Pence, Larry Buchson
Governors Mitch Daniels, Rick Perry
A host of state representatives and state senators
Senator Dick Lugar

[Gustaf]

I've met some Swedish ones. Most high-ranked would be the current minister of finance, Anders Borg. I've also met former defence minister Anders Björck, who is a hilarious man, mostly famous in Sweden for his silly walk during a military inspection of Nordic forces with the other Nordic defence ministers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgcGhSDusk

And I've met former minister of finance Pär Nuder. All of these were actual, although brief, conversations (except for Björck which was a long, long monolouge by him).

And the crown princess, but she doesn't really count as a politician I guess.

[Capitan Zapp Brannigan]

And old congressman Steve Solarz from New York. He died recently, but was a family friend so he's the one I knew best. I've met Leonard Lance and Mike Ferguson, the 2 congressman I've had while I've lived where I do.

Oh, and Jim McGreevey.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Too many no-name state and federal MPs to mention... but some notables..

US
- President Jimmy Carter (book signing - 2005)
- President Barack Obama (while Senator - College Democrats thing 2006)
- Senator Dick Durbin (see above)
- Rep Tim Johnson (R) IL 15th

Australia (living in Canberra and knowing people helps)

- Prime Minster John Howard
- Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
- Prime Minister Bob Hake (I was 5 and very afraid)
- Prime Minister Julia Gillard (while Deputy - we picked up take away from the same chinese place)

- Penny Wong, Peter Garrett, John Anderson, Peter Costello, Malcom Turnbull, Tony Abbott... etc etc..

[phk]

George Radanovich

[Iosif]

I had a chat with Steve King outside of the Capitol (sic) building in 2008. He was very nice.

[homelycooking]

I've met my state representative (Bill Simanski), my old state representative (Annie Hornish),  a state senator who represents a part of my hometown that I don't live in (John Kissell) and ex-SotS Susan Bysiewicz. I've seen three senators/senators-to-be/ex-senators in person (Blumenthal, Gregg and Sanders) but never met them. I know just about every member of my town's municipal government.

[Platypus]

Depends on level of 'met', but the most senior politician who I've had a long conversation with would be Peter Garrett.

Also the most famous musician I have had a long conversation with would be Peter Garrett.

Also the tallest bald man I have had a long conversation with would be Peter Garrett.

[Brittain33]

I met Bill Bradley when I was an overachieving closeted high school student and he was the extremely tall senator from my state.

I attend an annual benefit where the leading lights of New England gay-friendly politics have given speeches (Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, Gerry Studds, David Cicilline; Deval Patrick canceled) but I can't say I met them.

[nclib]

Rep. David Price (NC-4)
ex-Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC-2)
Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13)
NC Senate candidate and Sec. of State Elaine Marshall
Congressional candidate Lois Herr (PA-16)

Plenty of state and local pols

[JohnnyLongtorso]

I met Martin O'Malley when he was first running for Governor of Maryland. I asked him about gay marriage and he gave me a noncommittal answer. But I guess he's come around.

That's it. I attended a town hall meeting with Glenn Nye, but didn't meet him, per se. Before the meeting, one of the Republicans that ran for the nomination came around and introduced himself. He's a two-time loser, though, so I wouldn't really classify him as a politician.