A 3rd uninvited guest got into White House dinner

[pissedoff01]

Source: Associated Press

A 3rd uninvited guest got into White House dinner
By EILEEN SULLIVAN
The Associated Press
Monday, January 4, 2010; 2:23 PM

WASHINGTON -- The Secret Service says another person not on the guest list was allowed into a White House state dinner for India's prime minister in November.

Officials have been reviewing White House security procedures after it was discovered that an attention-seeking couple - Tareq and Michaele Salahi - made their way into the party without an invitation and shook hands with the president. Monday's acknowledgment brings the tally to three people who made it through Secret Service security at the White House without being on a guest list.

The Secret Service says someone traveling with the Indian delegation was allowed in. The service says this person was screened at the hotel with the rest of the Indian delegation who attended the state dinner.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010401802.html

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"Getting into the White House is easier than boarding an international flight."
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/a-third-party-crasher-is-reported/

[rocktivity]

1. Well, that's not quite the same as out-and-out phonies

who had no business whatever being there. It would have caused a stink if the delegate had been thrown out.


rocktivity

[monmouth]

2. As a part of the Indian delegation, wouldn't it be understood that

the person was automatically invited? I get the feeling this is another jab at Desiree, she doesn't kiss the AP or WAPO's a$$ I'm thinking...Good for her. Such a non-story.

[EFerrari]

4. That's what it reads like to me, too. n/t

[marshall]

10. Desiree has nothing to do with security, does she?

She just plans the menus, creates the place settings and decor, organizes the wait staff, embosses the invitations, and then turns the names over to whatever big guns are watching the doors.

[katkat]

3. Secret Service

Yet another indication that the Secret Service doesn't much care about the security of a Black President.

Even worse, this seems to be the same method that people reportedly used to gain access to restricted areas at the Inauguration, so that should have long since been fixed.

[kiranon]

8. The only other conclusion is gross incompetence by the SS.

Each and every person who comes near the President or his family or attends any function where the President or his family are present should be screened/vetted. It seems that persons entering the White House are inspected less than those getting on an airplane at an airport. Since the Secret Service is not generally known to be incompetent, you may be right. In my opinion, a complete and thorough independent investigation of each and every member of the Secret Service for the President and his family should be conducted and, in the interim, different people/entity should perform the function of protecting the President.

[katkat]

9. racism

The Secret Service is apparent;y riddled with racism against Black agents, so this is not too surprising.

[samplegirl]

5. The Prime Minister of India and our President

deserve better than this.

[FarCenter]

6. The Indian delegation should be fairly security conscious

Explosive belts were introduced by the Tamil Tiger group in Sri Lanka. The first use of one was in 1991 when Thenmuli Rajaratnam a.k.a. Gayatri, a Tamil bomber, blew herself up and assassinated the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive_belt

[Nye Bevan]

7. Absolutely disgraceful performance by the Secret Service

I just read "Standing Next to History" on my Kindle. This is a book about one Secret Service agent's life protecting presidents and VPs and I was struck by his professionalism and attention to detail. It seems that standards have slipped considerably since those days. Not preventing uninvited guests from reaching Obama in the *White House* is an absolute disgrace. Heads need to roll.

[Hissyspit]

11. A Third Uninvited Guest Got Into White House Dinner

Source: Associated Press

A 3rd uninvited guest got into White House dinner

EILEEN SULLIVAN
From Associated Press
January 05, 2010 3:37 AM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — A third uninvited guest made his way into the White House state dinner for India's prime minister in November, the Secret Service said Monday.

As the Secret Service was reviewing how an attention-hungry couple — Tareq and Michaele Salahi — got into the dinner without being on the guest list, officials discovered that a third person made it through security without an invitation as well. The Secret Service said the man — whom they would not identify — did not get close to the president or the first lady.

The Washington Post, citing an anonymous congressional source, identified the third uninvited guest as Carlos Allen, a party promoter based in Washington.

The Secret Service is investigating the Salahis, and the Justice Department is looking into whether they broke any laws. The Secret Service said the other man they just learned of is now under investigation as well.

Read more: http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100105/9f47bb7c-7081-4176-976c-60774c921523

[cutlassmama]

12. Something needs to be done about this n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Yikes! More fodder for SNL and Letterman...

It's only funny because they did no harm... :scared:

[truthisfreedom]

14. How long before we hear about a fourth?

And a fifth?