Thread: White House: State dinner crashers met Obama

What a shameful embarrassment to our nation.

White House: State dinner crashers met Obama
AP



This photo released by the White House Nov. 27, 2009, shows President Barack AP – This photo released by the White House Nov. 27, 2009, shows President Barack Obama greeting Michaele …

By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer Larry Margasak, Associated Press Writer – 42 mins ago

WASHINGTON – A reality TV hopeful and her husband who crashed a presidential dinner met President Barack Obama in the receiving line, the White House said Friday, as a "deeply concerned and embarrassed" Secret Service acknowledged its officers failed to check whether the couple was on the guest list.

The White House released a photo showing Michaele and Tareq Salahi in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in whose honor the dinner was held. Obama and Michaele Salahi, a candidate for Bravo's "The Real Housewives of D.C.," are smiling as she grasps his right hand with both of hers and her husband looks on. Singh is standing to the Obama's left.

The Secret Service earlier this week had said the president was not in danger because the Virginia couple — like others at the dinner — had gone through magnetometers. But in light of their close proximity to the president, no such claim was made Friday.

The Salahis were not on the guest list and should have been prohibited from entering last Tuesday's dinner on the White House South Lawn for the prime minister of India, said Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan.

On Friday, Sullivan was apologetic in a written statement, saying the agency that protects the president is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" that procedures were not followed.

"As our investigation continues, appropriate measures have been taken to ensure this is not repeated," Sullivan said.

Secret Service spokesman Jim Mackin said officers at the checkpoint had a clipboard with names of the invited guests. Even though the Salahis names weren't on it, they were allowed to proceed. The officers should have called either someone on the White House staff or Secret Service personnel before allowing them past the checkpoint, Mackin said.

Earlier, Mackin said the Secret Service may pursue a criminal investigation of the Salahis.

Sullivan said, "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list.

"Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours," he said.

Sullivan said it wasn't good enough that his agency screened more than 1.2 million visitors last year to the White House complex and protected more than 10,000 sites for the president, vice president and others.

"Even with these successes, we need to be right 100 percent of the time," he said. "While we have protocols in place to address these situations, we must ensure that they are followed each and every time."

It is unclear what the couple told officers at the checkpoint that allowed them to go through the security screening. Federal law makes it a crime to knowingly and willfully falsify statements on matters within the federal government's jurisdiction.

"As this moves closer to a criminal investigation there's less that we can say," Mackin said. "I don't want to jeopardize what could be a criminal investigation. We're not leaving any option off the table at this point."

White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said the Secret Service will take appropriate action once the review is completed.

"The men and women of the Secret Service put their lives on the line everyday to protect us. They are heroes and they have the full confidence of the president of the United States," Shapiro said.

The Salahis lawyer, Paul Gardner, posted a comment on their Facebook page saying, "My clients were cleared by the White House, to be there." He said more information would be forthcoming.

Several messages left at Gardner's law firm on Friday were not immediately returned.

Bravo Media has confirmed that Michaele Salahi is being considered as a participant in the upcoming "The Real Housewives of D.C." program and on the day of the dinner was being filmed around Washington by Half Yard Productions, the producer of the program.

"Half Yard Productions was told by Michaele and Tareq Salahi that they had been invited to the State Dinner. We took them at their word and filmed their preparations for the event. Half Yard Productions had no part in planning their presence at the event," said Abby Greensfelder of Half Yard Productions.

Photos on the couple's Facebook page they previously had gotten close to Obama. One photo, apparently taken in the days before Obama took the oath of office, shows the Salahis in a group shot with Obama and some of the musicians who performed at an inaugural concert.

Other photos show the Salahis in the empty, glass-enclosed box from which the Obamas watched the concert and, according to the caption, "backstage with the Secret Service at the Lincoln Memorial during the Presidential Inauguration."

____

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091128/ap_ ... ted_guests

I don't find this embarrassing or shameful! Maybe it's just me, but Obamination exposes US each second of each day to "gate crashers". The big difference is that we get exposed to the dangerous ones while he is behind walls.

I'm sure heads will roll over this, but WE should be afforded the same protection in OUR homes! Things will get "fixed" for Obamination, but we will continue to be exposed to the criminal element.

"nomas" my exact thoughts on this. These people are not hardened criminals. And it is the Secret Service fault for letting this get past them. They had even announced their names as they entered to the room. And taken pictures of them rubbing elbows with the elite. (That is another thing that gripes me. Why are you and I referred to as "common people" or "ordinary folks" or "ordinary people" ?) I feel I am just as good and just as important as the rich and famous.

Maybe now they will see what we have been talking about for a long time. The porous borders we have to the south of us and letting who knows who or what through.(and they call it Homeland Security!) And these are CRIMINALS!

I have read other articles and comment sections. People out there think they ought to throw the book at them. Just as in the case of the woman who pulled on another womans scarf. They are not hardened criminals damn it!

The criminals are the ones being catered to by our government and in some cases they are even our enemies.

uniteasone,
the first time I read of this incident I laughed. I thought to myself, let them FEEL how it feels to NOT know who is beside you. We are exposed to it daily, these snobs live behind gated communities and demand we tolerate what they deem is good for us... maybe now they might think twice!

These people have outstanding charges against them in Farquier County Virginia. They are opportunists and TRUE snobs. I really couldn't care less what happens to them, I just want Obamination to feel the ( I hate to use fear but it's all I can think of) fear we live with due to his lax policies.

Their lax ways have jeopardized the life of a dignitary, and international relationships. If I were a royal, I wouldn't visit the White House because it might get me killed.

I'm just going to say it... The Obamas are sloppy.

Dixie

I think it is just a publicity stunt by someone who wanted to be on one of those housewives shows. Bravo is getting alot of free publicity out of it. Personally I think this whole thing was staged. I know Secret Service Agents who were on presdiential detail and people with relatives who were and many of them think it was as well.

This is over know and the White House needs to look at a bigger homeland security problem. On Thanksgiving around 30 Cubans who were smuggled in got on the FP&L's nuclear plant property and the smuggler actually called the control room to report them after they have been there for sometime. I was going to post the update on it but cannot access the Miami Herald at this time. Personally I think this is more of a concern at this time especially now that the media has covered it our enemies know about it as well.