stormin's morning java: May 2010

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Infamous White House party crashers tried it again

This couple ought to be in one of those Broadview Home Security commercials.

Via ABC News:

The Salahis were stopped by the U.S. Secret Service last night at around 8 p.m. ET during the State Dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon as their stretch limousine ran a red light and seemed to be trying to turn into a restricted area near the White House, ABC News has learned.

A Secret Service Uniformed Division officer “observed a stretch limousine pass through a red light at 15th and Constitution,” Edwin M. Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Secret Service told ABC News. “The vehicle then signaled that it was turning into the Ellipse parking area at 16th and Constitution, a restricted area.”

Donovan said the “vehicle was subsequently stopped at 17th and H Street and it was then learned that Tareq and Michaele Salahi were among the occupants of the vehicle. The driver and occupants of the vehicle were interviewed at this point. The driver was issued a notice of infraction for passing through a red light and all the subjects in the vehicle were released.”

A source familiar with the situation says Michaele Salahi was wearing a white mink coat, while Tareq Salahi was in a suit. Neither the Salahis nor anyone at Half Yard Productions, which is producing the Bravo show The Real Housewives of D.C., could be reached for comment.

CBS White House correspondent gets snarky with Obama

It appears that the thrill is gone.

At a ceremony to sign a bill promoting press freedom around the world on Monday, President Obama refused to take questions from the reporters in attendance. “I’m not doing a press conference today,” he told Chip Reid of CBS News, “but we’ll be seeing you guys during the course of the week.”

So when the president hosted a “news conference” in the Rose Garden with the visiting Mexican president on Wednesday, Mr. Reid thought maybe this time Mr. Obama would take questions. Instead, Mr. Obama allowed only a single question from the American media and called on a reporter from Univision, knowing that he would be unlikely to be asked about Tuesday’s anti-incumbent election results…

As the event ended and Mr. Obama swiveled to head back into the Oval Office, Mr. Reid tried again and shouted out a question about the elections.

Mr. Obama ignored him. Maybe he meant later in the course of the week.

-New York Times

Obama Avoids Tough Questions from Press, Again (CBS)
Irritated CBS reporter to Obama: “Do you have any plans for a real press conference?” (Hot Air)