Obama-Singh state dinner gatecrashers to face the music
By ANIMonday, November 30, 2009
LONDON - The two uninvited guests who managed to sneak their way into the state dinner hosted by US President Barack Obama for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House may face serious consequences.
Tareq Salahi, a former US polo captain, and his wife Michaele, a putative star of an upcoming US reality TV show, walked past the camera crews and reporters like other high profilers attending the dinner on November 24.
The couple shook hands with President Obama, posed for pictures with Vice-President Joe Biden, and also met the First Couple in the receiving line, reports Times Online.
Edwin M. Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, confirmed that the department was “deeply concerned and embarrassed” after the security breach.
Donovan said the service was yet to determine whether party-crashing is illegal but two senators, Evan Bayh, of Indiana, a Democrat, and Jon Kyl, of Arizona, a Republican, have demanded the couple be prosecuted.
Ed Rollins, a former strategist for President Reagan, also furiously condemned the incident.
He said: “This despicable, desperate, duplicitous couple disgraced the Secret Service and embarrassed the President in his home.
“Charge them, prosecute them, and - if a DC jury finds them guilty - jail them.” (ANI)
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November 30, 2009: 7:05 pm
I am stunned that people can attend a ‘State Dinner’ without having proper documentation. Yes one can say it is a failure of the security, but at the same time not punishing the ‘Gate Crashers’ would lead more of the same. Two heads of the state were present and anything could have happened. Would it be the same if the gate crashers were colored with a muslim name? |
Dr. SK