Congressman gets up close to sweat-soaked rap star

Rep. Jason Altmire knows how to hang with rap royalty while supporting a good cause.

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who lost an April primary to Rep. Mark Critz, told ITK last week in Charlotte, N.C., that he was attending a Flo Rida concert held by Lifetime TV and Got Your 6 in order to support military veterans. Got Your 6, which is backed by some heavy Hollywood hitters, is an organization that supports reintegrating vets into society.

{mosads}ITK asked Altmire on the red carpet whether he was a fan of Flo Rida, the rapid-fire rapper behind hits such as “Low” and “Right Round.” The congressman said he was instead “a veterans’ fan — and this is a charity that supports veterans.”

 When we pressed Altmire on whether he knew any Flo Rida songs (his latest single, “Whistle,” is holding steady atop the Billboard 100) he replied, “I have two girls who are 13 and 11. They are fans. So I’ll be able to tell them I was here.”

It apparently didn’t take long for Altmire to add his name to Flo Rida’s fan base.

Later in the night, nearing the end of a high-energy performance by the Florida-born songwriter, Flo Rida climbed up onto the rafters of a packed concert venue to sing one more tune for the wild audience.

Altmire, clad in a suit and tie, could be seen within an arm’s reach of the shirtless rapper. The lawmaker was ferociously snapping photos of Flo Rida, who was dripping sweat as fans rushed to get up close to the star.