Party Crashers Breach Security at Obama White House Dinner

Two prominent socialites crashed the White House party hosted by President Barack Obama and wife Michelle. The man and his wife were not on the guest list and arrived at the main gate complete with their own cameraman and a makeup artist. Michaela Salahi and her husband Tareq Salahi did not stay for dinner-their names were not on the guest list. However, they did manage to send out photos of themselves to friends on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace.

To call this highly unusual intrusion a mere gaffe is to fail to understand the importance of presidential security measures. The photo opportunity flyover of Low Manhattan several months ago was a gaffe; this latest staff blunder could have endangered the president, his wife, and all those present. Yet, Mr. and Mrs. Salahi sent out photos of themselves arm-and-arm with such notables as White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel, Vice-President Joe Biden, Katie Couric, and others.

The crux of the matter is how the two were able to breach what has been described as the "best security in the world." Apparently not. NBC showed clips of the couple, now available on Youtube, being photographed in the White House receiving line. Mrs. Salahi, in a fashionable, bright red designer dress of Asian design, smiled at the cameras alongside her husband who wore the traditional tuxedo. They certainly looked like the types of people who would be visiting the Obama White House-well-heeled, smooth, and powdered for the cameras.

Brian Williams of NBC also attended the White House dinner along with his wife and was contacted this morning by telephone for an NBC on-air stint about the breach. Williams described the long receiving line, and seeing the Salahis step from their SUV to be photographed by their own cameraman, and then coiffed and powdered for the grand entrance.

The White House is playing down the breached security and is quick to point out that all guests passed through metal screening ports where they were checked for weapons. This assertion provides little comfort to real security people who recognize the panoply of substances and devices which could evade the metal detectors. No mention was made of other detection measures, but former FBI agent Cliff Van Zandt commented that such things as anthrax spores could not have been detected by the magnetometers.

Perhaps the most telling anecdote regarding the party crashers comes from a CBS interview with the Salahis which took place in September. Michaela Salahi was the potential subject of a planned "Real Housewives of D.C." episode, which never aired. The Associated Press quoted Michaela Salahi during that interview:

"President Obama has made it very accessible for anyone to visit the White House, so that's like a big thing right now."

Apparently, bigger than national security, one would think.