Posted on 11/24/2009 9:09:25 PM PST by Steelfish
November 24, 2009
Glamour and Taste: Obama Tent Feast To Curry Favour With India
Giles Whittell in Washington
The Obamas' first state dinner is in honour of an abstemious vegetarian There will be music from the composer of the Slumdog Millionaire theme, food from an Ethiopian-born Swedish chef and cedar chips sprinkled on the roofs of the portable lavatories. There may also be the faint patter of drizzle on canvas.
The first state dinner of the Obama era, held tonight in a tent village on the South Lawn of the White House, will honour an Indian Prime Minister described by aides as an abstemious vegetarian. At the same time, it will set the tone for formal entertaining by the most glamorous couple to inhabit the White House since the Kennedys.
Michelle Obama has personally supervised the compilation of a guest list 400 names long and the creation of a menu of global cuisine, “possibly including a curry dish”, that will have to avoid seeming too global lest the Obamas’ critics condemn it as a betrayal of apple pie. Invitations to the banquet for Manmohan Singh are the most sought after in town — a town with thousands of powerbrokers but only one superstar.
Hollywood has been enlisted to provide some more: Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the billionaire founders of Dreamworks SKG, are all said to be on the list in recognition of their work as “bundlers” of Hollywood donations to the Obama campaign. Mr Spielberg is also the beneficiary of a $550 million (£330 million) investment in his films by Anil Ambani, the Indian tycoon.
Mr Ambani will not be at the White House tonight.......
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
"Hollywood has been enlisted to provide some more: Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the billionaire founders of Dreamworks SKG, are all said to be on the list in recognition of their work as “bundlers” of Hollywood donations to the Obama campaign. Mr Spielberg is also the beneficiary of a $550 million (£330 million) investment in his films by Anil Ambani, the Indian tycoon."
Does the article say why the guests are eating under tents in the rain instead of in the White House like other guests? And whose idea was it to put up a tent city like a bunch of refugees when it’s 50 degrees and drizzling tonight? Michelle is going to need long underwear underneath that strapless gown of hers.
AND the porta-potties! With cedar chips no less! Good Grief!
badaBING!
I’m 20 miles away from the White House right now, and I can tell you it’s bleeding cold and raw and wet here. OK, not by your standards in Michigan, but trust me if you’re an Indian dignitary and are used to hundred-degree temperatures, it’s like an iceberg. And if you’re a lady from anywhere wearing an evening dress, you’re going to be frozen. How stupid. We have this beautiful building constructed in part for such purposes and we’re expecting the ladies to traipse around in their high-heeled satin evening shoes in the crushed grass and mud? That’s so smart. I would be so furious and insulted if I were the guests.
Media claim not to know the exact cost but estimates are well over $500,000
This “tent” is more posh than your house. It has a dance floor and looks more like a world’s fair pavilion than a mossy oak backpacker tent from Cabalas.
Oh, really? This made me laugh out loud. Silly press wh@res, you are beyond the realm of reality. Did you enjoy the arugula salad while wearing your bulky kneepads, our darling little sycophants?
Well, it's definitely not more posh than my house. But the point is, it's outside. It's frickin' cold here. It's raining. And the guests have to use portapotties. This is absurd. We have the White House to do this in; we have the State Department's Diplomatic Reception Rooms; we have other venues, if those aren't big enough. Doing it outside in November is nuts.
I’m sure the tent will be heated, although 400 people and lights and chafing dishes will do a good job of that.
What I’m wondering about is the cedar chips on the roofs of the portable lavs. Rose petals in the toilet bowls is one thing but who is going to be on the roof?
Curry? It could get pretty windy ‘in’ that tent. Oh, but they’ve got cedar chips.
Flush de luxe portapotties, modular walkways under awnings, hot air blowers... they’ll all be very comfy.
Maybe the White House embarrasses them? And Michelle would have to cut way back on her Hollywood invites.
Related according to this article he said they had the homeless scrubbed from the streets
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2009/11/small-dc-scrub.html
Hollywood has been enlisted to provide some more: Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the billionaire founders of Dreamworks SKG, are all said to be on the list in recognition of their work as “bundlers” of Hollywood donations to the Obama campaign. Mr Spielberg is also the beneficiary of a $550 million (£330 million) investment in his films by Anil Ambani, the Indian tycoon.
Truly a president for the people. If this were Bush the press would be interviewing every homeless person they could find.
I'm sure the servers are in tux and tie delivering food I could only dream of on our budget. 0 will impress his big bundlers, no doubt about it, and on our dime. :(
It has to do with how many sycophants they could invite:
indoors 120
outdoors 400
Wonder if drugs will be happening within 50 ft of O, a la David Cross coke.
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