Thoughts on arts, life, and current events

Tomorrow starts Congressman Thompson’s hearing for the Homeland Security Committee on The Salahai White House State Dinner crashing.  Congressman Thompson says that the White House Social Secretary does not have to testify as it is a “security issue.”   The Secret Service did their job.  They made sure that no one entered with weapons.  They supervised the entrance of guests thru the mags.  The fact that the White House Social Secretary was not present nor was her staff to identify guests should be the responsibility of that office.  Indeed once guests were inside someone should have known who people were and if they belonged.  Three hundred and twenty guests showed photo id and were checked off of two lists for a formal state dinner except for the Salahai who were admitted.  More details should be provided on exactly what occurred.  Secret Service should not take the fall for White House staff error.  President Obama and the White House guests would only have been in a world of hurt had Mr. Salahi been on a polo horse with a mallet.  The behind the scenes email exchange of the Pentagon’s White House Liaison Ms. Jones and the Salahi’s efforts of trying to wrangle an invitation illuminate the realities of DC power networking and jockeying.  The worst part about this distraction which should have been handled differently is that it eclipsed India and any news about that country.

Social climbing is a part of any city.  DC is no exception.  Make it a crime and DC will become an even duller place.  I feel sorry for these people as their legal fees mount, the public exposure is humiliating, and they are now labeled criminals?  Mrs. Salahi will look great in black and white horizontal stripes!  Like the great Courts people flock to citites with wealth and opportunity to be in the presence of those who can bestow favors and deals to them.  This is nothing new.  The self promoter is not American it is universal.  Funny thing when I checked online on Sunday night the YouTube Speech of the President and Prime Minister of India had 80 hits, the Salahai wedding 76 thousand plus.  Thank goodness for transgressions of the more prurient type of our sports heros to knock this story down a bit.

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