On May 19, President Barack Obama is hosting another White House State Dinner, this time in honor of Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
You, like most people, have probably never received one of these very sought after dinner invitations in your mailbox, but remmeber, neither did Michaele and Tareq Salahi.
That odd couple is old news now, though.
A new party is coming into town, and though a guest list has yet to be seen, one thing we do know is that the invitations will not be ordered, stuffed or sent by former <a target="_blank" href="http://">Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. She was eventually voted off the White House Party Crasher Island after taking the heat for the Salahis' alleged sneaky stunt that led to those salacious pictures last November.
The tabloid-loving public will surely be on close party crasher watch for Obama's second state dinner, but the White House has spoken and there is a purpose to the party. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama and Calderon will use the state dinner as an opportunity to discuss immigration and security, according to Politico. Did Gibbs mean across the border or just past the dinner line?
Julianna Smoot would probably answer something like "both" to that question. The president's 2008 campaign finance director is stepping in as the new social secretary, with Obama's second state dinner as her first big project. She officially starts on Monday. Let the party begin!
Until then, we leave you with the highlights of state dinners past by some ''elites'' who were actually invited, according to Politico.
Cathy Fenton, former deputy social secretary to President Ronald Reagan and social secretary to Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush
The famous dance between John Travolta and Princess Diana took a little maneuvering, says Fenton: “It was brought to our attention beforehand that she had this wish [to dance with Travolta]. And it was arranged. The dancing started after dinner, and he asked her to dance. There were many people dancing — the Reagan's, Vice President Bush — but they all pulled back and watched. The Marine Band played. It was just beautiful. One of the celebrities there was Tom Selleck. He was sitting there watching this wonderful performance. It was really magical.”
Christopher Buckley, satirist and former vice presidential speechwriter for George H.W. Bush
“I attended a state dinner for the president of Venezuela, back in the happier times when Venezuela had a president and not a maniac despot. I was seated next to then-Vice President Bush and William Bennett. I walked in behind Joan Collins and her for-about-20-minutes husband, the Swedish guy. They groped each other almost pornographically during the evening entertainment, which, being the Reagan era, consisted of Andy Williams singing ‘Moon River.’”
