NZ's PM in NYC

New Zealand's prime minister, John Key, is in New York for the United Nations general assembly. The NZ press has been giddy with the possibility that our PM might have a face-to-face meeting with Barack Obama, Superstar. The NZ Herald reported this earlier in the week:

Prime Minister John Key leaves today for a politically high-octane week in New York meeting US President Barack Obama, world leaders, the head of the United Nations and appearing on a TV show watched by more than three million people.

Mr Key will be front and centre on the international stage, with a one-on-one meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and a speech to the General Assembly, but most interest will focus on an opportunity to meet United States President Barack Obama.

The pair have talked by phone but the chance to chat and shake hands at a function the President is hosting will be the first meeting.

The headlines all said that Key was going to meet with Obama, as if Obama had personally invited Key into the oval office. But Key played it down. He said he might just 'rub shoulders' with Obama.

Tonight the 6 o'clock news reported that Key actually got to exchange a few words with Obama. Obama reportedly told Key that he enjoyed talking on the phone with him that one time. AND he looks forward to talking with him more in the future. AND (as if that weren't enough) Key and his wife were invited to a party hosted by the Obamas! The news presenter was pretty freaking giddy when he reported this.

It's a big deal for little New Zealand to get any attention from the leader of the free world. This could be New Zealand's time to shine. Nuclear deproliferation is all in vogue now, and as we're sure you already know, New Zealand has a no-tolerance policy toward nuclear power. We don't use it. We don't condone it. We don't even let ships carrying nukes dock in our ports.

If you want to hear more from John Key, he's going to be on the Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday night. It sounds like he's just reading the Top 10 List and won't actually be interviewed, but you know, it's not like he's a prime minister of a whole country or anything...