Developing story: Security breech at the White House

[me b zola]

Two reality tv personalities apparently crashed the State dinner held at the White House Tuesday evening.

On edit: Thanks to HipChick, here's the link:

Surprise "Housewives" dinner guests not invited, White House says

A couple of aspiring reality-TV stars from Northern Virginia appear to have crashed the White House's state dinner Tuesday night, penetrating layers of security with no invitation to mingle with the likes of Vice President Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi -- polo-playing socialites known for a bitter family feud over a Fauquier County winery and their possible roles in the forthcoming "The Real Housewives of Washington" -- were seen arriving at the White House and later posted on Facebook photos of themselves with VIPs at the elite gathering.

~snip~

But a White House official said the couple was not invited to the dinner, not included on the official guest list and never seated at a table in the South Lawn tent

~more @ link~
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/11/salahi_photos_etc.html

[Skip Intro]

1. ?

[me b zola]

4. As cnn is reporting:

A couple from the reality show, "Housewives of DC" crashed the State Dinner. Everything was fine at the dinner, but when they posted pics on a website someone noticed that they had not been invited and realized that a security breech had occurred. The couple, although they were apparently well behaved and not noticed at the dinner are potentially facing federal felony charges for lying to federal agents in the effort to gain access to the dinner.

[HughMoran]

2. I hope they were machine-gunned to death

:rofl:

just havin' fun ;)

[HipChick]

3. LINK

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/11/salahi_photos_etc.html

[me b zola]

5. Thank you, I will add it to the OP

:hi:

[babylonsister]

6. This is scary imo. Who wasn't paying attention? nt

[HipChick]

8. Someone needs to lose their jobs, I don't like this one bit..

[me b zola]

11. Yeah, this is no small error

Whomever was working the doors I doubt will be at the White House any longer--or I hope not.

[tekisui]

29. Rahm was on it:

That is them.

[babylonsister]

31. I saw the pic, so what's your point? Someone fucked up. nt

[tekisui]

32. No, I agree.

I just couldn't believe how it happened. They were hiding in the open, evening posing with Rahm.

[KoKo]

37. You've gotta be kidding about this! This can't be real...

:-(

[inna]

45. fuck Rahm.

sorry, but that's it.

[pengillian101]

50. Unbelievable!

What great security.

[Catshrink]

7. delete

I was being stoopid.

[JetJaguar]

9. Hope the supreme court does not appoint them.

nt

[me b zola]

12. Huh?

You hope the supreme court doesn't appoint who to what?

[JetJaguar]

15. Sorry the joke is too obscure, A few years ago two people

who did not belong in the white house were appointed

President and VP by the SC.

[hileeopnyn8d]

18. That was pretty obscure

but good at the same time.

[cowcommander]

27. lol

good one

[me b zola]

36. True that

And how sad for what it brought us. :(

[malaise]

43. Duzy

:rofl:

[cowcommander]

10. Absolutely fucked up from a security perspective

Doesn't seem like they actually got to Obama though. It seems like White House security and the Secret Service protection are two different things for that to happen, someone screwed up big time and needs to be fired.

[me b zola]

14. They took a photo with Biden and others

The tent served like a very large room. I don't like that just anyone was able to gain access to the same room that the President was in.

[cowcommander]

17. Which is absolutely inexusable

Absolutely fucked up an uninvited guest could get so close!

[arcadian]

22. Gotta keep that bubble good and tight.

[KoKo]

38. A concealed gun in a dainty purse could have done it...WTF is going on here?

:shrug:

[me b zola]

40. They are saying that everyone went through the metal detector

...but it is still very frightening to me.

[arcadian]

48. I'm pretty sure they were wanded and bags checked.

[Prism]

13. Frightening

This needs a top-down review and the rapid firing of those responsible.

[me b zola]

16. I think that they are in that mode now

Sounds like they may file federal felony charges against the couple while they are reviewing to prevent others from attempting the same thing.

[704wipes]

20. possible felony charges wouldn't matter to a suicide bomber

would it?

[me b zola]

39. No, you're right, not at all

But it would prevent other non-threatening people from attempting the same thing.

[malaise]

44. They had to go through machines

They were not getting in there with weapons let alone a bomb. Still this was a lapse in security.

[dgibby]

54. A poison tipped pin/pen or other similar device could have done some serious damage.

There are all kinds of weapons that could get thru if someone was determined enough and wise in the ways of assassins.

[onenote]

57. and that would be true of invited guests too

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

19. maybe they got in because of their names and no one wanted

tp "profile" them thinking it may cause an incident.

[varelse]

21. Not likely - did you see their photographs at the link?

How could it happen? A former White House senior staffer -- who more than a decade ago encountered a crasher at one of the executive mansion's less-fancy parties -- offered this theory:

A savvy pair of crashers, dressed to the nines, might arrive on foot at the visitors' entrance, announce their names -- then express shock and concern when the security detail at the gate failed to find them on the guest list. On a rainy night like Tuesday, with a crowd of 300-plus arriving, security might have lost track of or granted a modicum of sympathy to a pair who certainly looked like they belonged there. If their IDs didn't send up any red flags in the screening process, they would be sent through the magnetometers and into the White House.

And yet, the former staffer noted: Someone from the White House social office should have been posted at the guest entrance with the guards.

[KoKo]

41. What about the demeaning shit we have to go through at Airports these days?

So if you dress up and look like some Media Star...do you not get to take off your shoes and dump your bag on the security belt?

This is so bizarre. Millions of Americans go through hell traveling these days...and you need tickets and wait in line through security to get on a WH Tour as a US Citizen...but some fancy, dancy couple just walk up to WH Security "in the rain" and get in to a STATE DINNER? :eyes: :banghead:

[varelse]

56. Yup

kind of frightening, if you really think about the implications of that :(

[arcadian]

23. Who cares? Big deal, they obviously weren't a threat.

It's the people's house, the man is not a king for goodness sakes. :eyes:

[me b zola]

42. Seriously?

You posted to say that?

[cowcommander]

46. Just a joke

He's being sarcastic

[arcadian]

49. Yes, seriously, people here need to lighten up.

Obama has been to Baghdad for goodness sakes.

[tblue37]

53. No, but he is a president who has been the subject of a

400% increase in death threats, so that the SS is stretched to the limit and beyond trying to ensure that he is not assassinated.

He is also the man that all the RW hatemonger pundits spend all their time talking about in a way intended to dogwhistle the more unhinged members of their already unhinged audience to go after, just as they dogwhistled Scott Roeder to go after Dr. Tiller.

[etherealtruth]

24. How in the world could WH security be so easily breached?

This is truly frightening!

[Nikki Stone1]

25. It can't. There had to be someone on the inside who let them in.

...

[etherealtruth]

26. That makes me feel somewhat better .... ?????

Abject stupidity (may allow a plea of lapse of judgment) vs. gross incompetence

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

28. 2 reality show wanna be poseurs make it into a state dinner, pose

for pictures with the COS, mingle with invited guests, many of them top officials and foreign dignitaries??!!!!

Gee, I feel safe knowing this, don't you?

This is BS at the highest level and I mean that. There needs to be some firings and deeper investigations about this.

[tekisui]

30. Check them out, smiling with Rahm!

[tammywammy]

33. And she labeled him as "Ron."

:rofl:

[ShortnFiery]

35. ewe!

I guess all blonde bimbos are harmless? :eyes:

[arcadian]

47. I just friended them

I'll try to get captures of some other pics.

[pengillian101]

51. Ha!

"I just friended them
Posted by arcadian


I'll try to get captures of some other pics."

Post 'em when you get 'em :-)

[arcadian]

52. They probably won't friend me back

But we'll see. :D

[Poiuyt]

34. My first thought was that it was the balloon boy's parents

Whatever happened, this should not be taken lightly.

[GeorgeGist]

55. Fake reality ...

fills the blank with delusions of power.