Florida politicians and possums

By , Herald-Tribune
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  • AP Photo / Phil Coale
    Jeb Bush

    The 45th Wausau Possum Festival was held Aug. 2 in the Panhandle town. For Florida politicians, the festival is a must-attend event. They get to hold an opossum and the chance to eat one, too.  Gov. Jeb Bush, above, cautiously takes a possum from a handler in 2002.  Here's a collection of politicians attending the festival.

  • Randal Seyler / Washington County News
    Rick Scott

    Gov. Rick Scott and first lady Ann Scott hold a possum at last year's festival.

  • AP photo / Brendan Farrington
    Scott Maddox

    Scott Maddox, who was running for agriculture commissioner in 2010, holds a possum at the festival.

  • AP Photo / Phil Coale
    Charlie Crist

    Charlie Crist takes his first bite of opossum at the festival in 2006 when he was running for governor.

  • AP Photo / Phil Coale
    Alex Sink

    Alex Sink picks up a possum while campaigning for her husband, Bill McBride, in 2002. 

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Adam Putnam

    Adam Putnam digs into a place of opossum during his run for agriculture commissioner in 2010.

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Alex Sink

    Alex Sink holds a plate of possum during her campaign for governor in 2010.

  • AP Photo / Phil Coale
    Katherine Harris

    Sarasota's Katherine Harris grips and grins with one of the marsupials during her campaign for U.S. Senate in 2006.

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Loranne Ausley

    Loranne Ausley keeps a possum at arm's length during her campaign for chief financial officer in 2010.

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Alex Sink, yet again

    Judging from photos, Alex Sink sure likes the Possum Festival. Here she is in 2010.

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Steve Southerland

    Republican Congressman Steve Southerland holds a possum at this year's festival.

  • AP Photo / The News Herald, Heather Leiphart
    Brad Drake

    A 3-month-old possum chomps on Rep. Brad Drake's hand while he tries to stuff it into his pocket this year.

  • AP Photo / Brendan Farrington
    Bob Graham

    Former senator and governor Bob Graham, right, holds a possum as his daughter, congressional candidate Gwen Graham, claps at this year's festival.