They may smile for the camera, but it's no secret that many of our political figures aren't so pleasant behind closed doors. You can't really blame them for this two-facedness -- blatant d*cks put on the baby-kissing act and get elected, while actual nice guys tend to remain on the local school board. Still, there are some players in our political game who throw caution to the wind and proudly wear their asshattery for all to see. We salute these honestly unpleasant pols. Sort of.

Click through the gallery to see the America's biggest political a-holes, and keep on clicking through to see what some of Asylum's international crew -- Asylum UK and Asylum Australia -- think of their own nations' political scallywags.

Americas Biggest Political A-Holes

    10. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

    While the intense scowl can be chalked up to cosmetic surgery, the Speaker of the House's reputation for being a petty, grudge-holding tyrant goes far beyond mere facial expressions. Recently GOP Representative Mike Rogers picked up on this line of criticism and blasted Pelosi as Tom Delay in drag. Granted thats a dig from the opposition, but seeing as Rogers once served under Delay -- by all accounts a d-bag of historic proportions -- it sort of makes the comparison even more damning.

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    9. Bill O'Reilly, Talk Show Host

    Part of why we think TV political pundits are so contemptible is they get paid a lot to scream about the first thing that pops into their head and we don't. The other part is because they often act like Bill O'Reilly. Of course, when it comes being rude, angry and mean, nobody out can quite out-O'Reilly Bill-o. And that's why he remains number one on cable news, and snags the number 9 spot on this list.

    Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

    8. Al Sharpton, Community Activist

    Sharpton's various long-shot runs for president and other lesser positions have been nothing but fairly-good natured fun. So its his day job, the one in which he never misses an opportunity to further the glory of Reverend Al at the expense of racial harmony that gains him a spot on this list.

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    7. Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff

    Rahmbos hard-charging obnoxious ways tend to come off as much as schtick as they do genuine asshattery. However the White House Chief of Staff's brother, Ari, happens to be the real-life inspiration for the Ari Gold character on Entourage. And if sharing DNA with the man who more-or-less created Jeremy Piven doesnt confirm you as an a-hole, it certainly puts you under heavy suspicion.

    Brandon Smiolowski, Getty Images / Meet The Press

    6. Just About Everybody Alaska Has Elected In The Past Decade

    Its unclear if it emanates from the frozen tundra, or the smoke from a moose barbecue, but there is something in the Alaskan air that encourages its citizenry to only elect the scallywags among them into public office. Sarah Palin, Ted Stevens, Don Young and Frank Murkowski, we mean you.

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    5. Michael Bloomberg, New York Mayor

    Bloomberg has never been known for his interpersonal touch. A federal lawsuit against his eponymous company claims he once told a female executive to kill it when she informed him she was pregnant. Recently, the New York Mayor displayed this ugly side for all to see when he held up a press conference for a full minute after coolly demanding a reporter fetch a faintly playing tape recorder he had dropped. The catch being the reporter was wheelchair-bound, and the crowded room made it difficult for even the fully mobile to locate the device.

    Michael Bloomberg, Getty Images

    4. Bill Posey, Florida Congressmen

    The freshmen representative from Florida started his national career on a classy note by filing legislation that would require Presidential candidates provide a copy of their birth certificate before running. It was a fairly direct jab at Barack Obama, and Posey only added to whispers about the newly-elect Presidents birth by refusing to say if he believed Obama was born in America. Posey eventually conceded Obama was, but such a willingness to engage in grand-standing and nasty innuendo so early in a congressional career marks Bill Posey as an a-hole to watch out for.

    Phil Coale, AP

    3. Rod Blagojevich, Former Illinois Governor

    Blago can be a charming a-hole, but the foul-mouthed former bookie is still exhibit A of why the public often feels politicians only have their own interests at heart. Currently Blagojevich is lobbying to be included on the next season of the reality show Im A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here. Now that would be some must-scrub-your-soul-after-watching TV

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    2. Dick Cheney, Former VP

    Who knows, maybe if he went by Richie Cheney the public would have a completely different perception of the former VP. As it stands, Cheney's screw-em-all attitude made him the most reviled player in George W. Bush's ultimately unpopular White House. To top off his eight-year reign of dickishness, Cheney made sure he was the first to break protocol and criticize the new administration.

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    1. Jim Bunning, Kentucky Senator

    The Hall of Fame pitcher has brought nothing to the U.S. Senate besides bad manners and old-man vitriol. His greatest hits include claiming an olive-skinned political opponent looked like one of Saddam Hussein's sons, and callously predicting cancer-stricken Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be dead in nine months.

    Alex Wong, Getty Images