News programs had a field day with the party crashing incident at the White House last Tuesday night. The headline from the first State Dinner held by Team Obama is that it was infiltrated by a couple from northern Virginia - a couple well known within the polo playing, social climbing, lawsuit haggling set.
Not only are they tacky, tacky, tacky party crashers at the highest societal levels, but they, at least the wife, seem to be resume padders, too. Michaele and Tareq Salahi made it all the way to the Blue Room and shook the hand of President Obama and the Indian Prime Minister, too. Smiling for the cameras, there is photographic evidence of the coup - pictures with VP Biden and Rahm Emanuel, in particular.
All of this happened with a Bravo TV camera crew in tow. That is the truly odd part. Was there no notice of that unusual tidbit? Did cable television personnel legitimatize these impostors during any screening that took place?
So, the question is, how did this happen? On a Sunday morning talk show Dana Perino, former G.W. Bush press secretary, mentioned that during the transition the Obama people inquired as to the feasibility of dismantling the security protocol during events at the White House. Team Obama declared the process unnecessary. Perino implied that Team Obama felt it was much ado about nothing.
Was White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers to blame? According to a report by ABC News Yunji de Nies Rogers was not at the gate checking the guest list at the East Gate portico entrance, nor was anyone from her office. Rogers was in attendance, though, and answering the important questions, such as which designer dress she was wearing.
Former White House staffer Cathy Hargraves told Newsweek that she supervised guest lists and ushered guests into the White House. She also turned away those not on the guest list. She resigned in June, however, after her responsibilities were cut to the point that she was a data entry clerk in the East Wing. Rogers changed the job and shifted the responsibilities. Another former White House staffer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told ABC News that had Hargraves been at her former post that night, this incident would have never happened.
Another rookie administration misstep? Or does it point to the broader picture of an administration in such a bubble of denial of the dangers of our world that security protocols are simply outdated and unnecessary? More than one level of security checks was violated. These impostors reached the President and his honored guest. In today's world, it is not just guns and knives that are to be checked with metal detectors. That is so last century. In today's world, we must be vigilant of the dangers of chemical and biological attack, too, from bad actors.
This couple of party crashers must be prosecuted. A strong message must be sent that this is not tolerable behavior, especially in our White House. Even if a reality show hangs in the balance.
5 comments:
Oh, come on, Karen, there was schmoozing to be done! I can't be there, and here, at the same time now, can I?
Seriously, I despise reality shows, but with Jon & Hate, Balloon Boy, Octomom, and now this, I really hope that networks see the smut that these shows are. Not that they'll do anything -- as long as folks keep whoring themselves and their kids out, there will be an audience. I just won't be a part of it.
A party planner does not partake in the event - - she should have been at the "velvet rope" line, with a clipboard, black flat shoes and an ear piece in her ear, supervising who gets in. If the wedding planner at my wedding was seated at one of the tables, yukking it up and eating, I would fire her.
The Secret Service role is to protect the president and his family. These highly trained men and women who would take a bullet for the Obamas should not have been regulated to checking names off of a clip board.
Ms. Rogers has a history of social ladder climbing, using people to get to her goal. First her marriage to John Rogers that brought her entry to the world of Chicago's rich and famous. Before that she ran the in house stores for local museums. By "shaking what her momma gave her" she was able to snare this man and only then did she rise so fast.
Now she is using the first family to publicize herself - after running Peoples Gas into the ground.
She has to remember that at the end of the day, she IS basically the hired help, albeit for the President, but still the help nevertheless.
Seeing this happen to a member of the Boule/Jack and Jill/Link/Girlfriends negro crowd is a pleasant come-uppance.
You are not "Anonymous said..."
As a blue collar negro who has done well. It is envy and jealousy in ever word you have written. Just because you are a bastard baby and your mother only finish the 7th grade plesse don't hate. I dare say that you only wish to look like her and be her. What you need to do is stop being a self hating Black woman and better you and yours as my family did for me
need without the benefit of Jack and Jill.
The only bastard is Desiree, who is, in fact, the illegitimate child of a former New Orleans city council member.
With all the security, they were let into the event, passing through 3 manned 'checkpoints.' How could the Salahis possibly be party crashers? If you open the door and allow a guest to your event, how can you later claim trespass and bring criminal charges? The Salahis should not be the scapegoats because the Whitehouse was caught with their pants down. Rather the Whitehouse should take stock of their luck that the Salahis were not assassins, and learn from their mistake as any thinking adult should.
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