Argentina's first dude

Posted By Blake Hounshell Friday, September 25, 2009 - 11:58 AM Share

Later today, the spouses of the G-20 leaders will be heading next door to Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts high school to meet students and hear a performance by famed cellist Yo-yo Ma and country star Trisha Yearwood.

But former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, whose wife is now running the show in Buenos Aires, won't be among them -- he didn't make it to Pittsburgh (guess that means he won't be getting a tea set from Michelle Obama).

In the State Department handout being passed around here, Nestor is incongruously grouped with French first lady Carla Bruni and South Korea's Kim Yoon-ok, the wife of Lee Myung-bak. He looks a little out of place.

Nestor didn't make it to the London G-20 summit in April, either, and nor did German Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer. I wonder: If Hillary Clinton had been elected president, would Bill have felt comfortable joining in these sorts of events?

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