You've got constituents' demands, opponents' criticisms, bureaucrats' red tape... and, not least of all, the media's unrelenting attention. With all that stress, it's no surprise that every once in a while, alert photographers will capture hilariously unflattering shots of a political figures boozing it up in public.
It's like when a photo of you at the bar gets posted on Facebook ... except if you're a politician, there's no un-tag option.
Beginning with a priceless shot of President Obama looking pretty happy at a bar on St. Patrick's day, here are seven high-profile political figures who might regret raising their glass during a camera flash.
U.S. President Barack Obama celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a pint of Guinness during a stop at the Dubliner Irish pub in Washington. He does seem pretty celebratory... and perhaps he should be. The president is part Irish himself, on his mother's side.ReutersU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised her glass for a toast during a State Dinner in honor of China's president Hu Jintao at the White House. Four months later, she called Beijing's human rights record "deplorable" during an interview with"Atlantic."ReutersChinese Vice-President Xi Jinping drank a glass of red wine at a dinner to mark the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's historic visit to Beijing. Xi is the heir-apparent to current Chinese president Hu Jintao, but recent shake-ups in the Communist Politburo might have him worried... he's holding onto that glass for dear life.ReutersIn January of 2005, Vladimir Putin tasted a traditional 'medovukha' drink during a meeting with students in the Moscow State University. Back then, Putin was the president of Russia. Looks like he was having a great time... maybe that's why he's resuming his old position in May.ReutersIn September of 2004, presidential candidate John Kerry knocked back some beers while watching the Green Bay Packers play in Wisconsin. Was the former presidential candidate claiming his nerves? He was gearing up for his first presidential debate with George W. Bush.ReutersIn April of 1997, Tony Blair had plenty to smile about; he was about to become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Here he's double-fisting a special draft called "Blair Brew," created in his honor.ReutersIn late February, German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised a glass of beer during Political Ash Wednesday meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the northern town of Demmin. This is the very same event where a clumsy waiter spilled five ice-cold glasses of beer down her back. Reuters
