An American Lion

The White House by Norman Rogers

The idea that a supposed “power couple” could just crash a White House function and get that close to the President is beyond comprehension in this day and age. You crash a Hollywood function, a wedding, the gathering of nobodies. You don’t charm your way into a secure area full of this country’s most important VIPs:

It may be the most infamous Washington “break-in” since Watergate. But two days later the Secret Service still can’t explain how a fame-seeking couple managed to crash the White House state dinner, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

A Bravo network spokesperson says crews from the reality show “The Real Housewives of DC” were with Michaele and Tareq Salahi the day they went to the White House, but the crews didn’t go to the White House and saw no reason to doubt the couples claims they were invited.

Lights flashed as the celebrity-seekers brazenly strolled — uninvited — into the White House state dinner and mingled with DC’s power elite. And their caper may have gone undetected had the couple not bragged about it hours later on Facebook.

The Secret Service says a security check point failed - an unimagineable breach, says CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

“This is no laughing matter,” Knoller said. “No one is supposed to get into this building or onto these grounds that isn’t invited.”

The Salahis’ attorney offered a cryptic defense, saying, “the Salahis’ did not ‘crash’ this event. We look forward to setting the record straight very soon.”

Not charged with a crime? Lying to the Secret Service isn’t a crime? Since when? The Salahis should be charged with felony trespass and lying to the Secret Service, for starters. Failure to punish them will just lead to more party crashers. The idea that we have sunk to the level of reality television and D-list celebrity in this country should indicate a cheapening of the White House and the prestige of the office. If anyone thinks they can just lie their way onto the White House grounds in order to get on television, then what does that say about this country? Have we finally descended to the level of a banana republic? Or are we just well on our way to that?

Update on Friday, November 27, 2009 by Norman Rogers

The lies add up:

A Secret Service employee stationed at the first checkpoint at the White House state dinner last Tuesday did not verify the names of a couple allowed in even though they were not on the guest list, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News on Friday.

The source also confirmed what two White House staff sources earlier told NBC News, that Tareq and Michaele Salahi were not “waved in” or had their names manually entered into the White House computer to gain entry.

The Secret Service, for its part, said Friday that it might begin a criminal investigation against the Virginia couple.

Charges should be filed, and the lawyer for the couple should also face charges.