Manmohan dinner crashers top Time’s ‘10 Memorable State-Dinner Moments’
January 19th, 2011 - 10:46 pm ICT by IANS
By Arun Kumar
Washington, Jan 19 (IANS) The White House gate-crashers, who stole the limelight at President Barack Obama’s first state dinner in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, top Time magazine’s list of “Top 10 Memorable State-Dinner Moments”.The list released ahead of the Obamas’ official state dinner Wednesday night for Chinese President Hu Jintao noted how wannabe TV stars “Tareq and Michaele Salahi stole the spotlight when they finessed their way into President Barack Obama’s first state dinner”.
“Crashing the party wasn’t the worst of it: the couple, who will forever be known as the White House gate-crashers, were filming the event for The Real Housewives of DC, an instalment in Bravo’s reality-show franchise,” the magazine recalled.
In the episode that was aired Sep 30, 2010, the couple are seen in a limo en route to the state dinner, with Michaele dressed in a traditional Indian sari.
The cameras do not follow the Salahis inside the party, but the next morning they recount their night and discuss meeting Obama and taking photos with Vice President Joe Biden and then White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
Though the Salahis maintain they received an invitation, the White House claims they were neither invited to nor seated for the dinner, Time said.
The full list of top 10:
1. The White House Gate-Crashers, 2009
2. Ronald Reagan Welcomes Gorbachev, 1987
3. Princess Diana and John Travolta, 1985
4. Presidential Puke, 1992
5. King Kalakaua Goes to Washington, 1874
6. British Crown Visits the US for the First Time, 1939
7. Berlusconi and the Podium, 2008
8. Barbecue and Paper Plates, 1963
9. Dance-Floor Diplomacy, 1976
10. The Case of the Soggy Orchestra, 1963
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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- Out of White House, Obama aide denies role in gatecrash - Mar 02, 2010
- White House gatecrasher couple in 'Real Housewives'? - Dec 19, 2009
- To take Salahis or not to take - the question for Bravo - Dec 19, 2009
- White House gatecrashers 7th on Time's 'Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities' - Dec 15, 2009
- Salahis keep mum at Congressional probe - Jan 21, 2010
- 'Third crasher' admits he attended Obama dinner, denies he crashed - Jan 06, 2010
- Secret Service: There was a third gatecrasher in Obama's first state dinner - Jan 05, 2010
- Manmohan dinner crashers to host India polo match - Jun 12, 2010
- Third White House gatecrasher accompanied Indians: Washington Post (Third Lead) - Jan 05, 2010
- Salahis to keep mum before Congressional panel - Jan 16, 2010
- Another uninvited guest attended White House dinner for Manmohan Singh - Jan 05, 2010
Tags: arun kumar, barack obama, chinese president hu jintao, gate crashers, hu jintao, joe biden, john travolta, king kalakaua, manmohan singh, michaele, president hu jintao, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, princess diana, rahm emanuel, ronald reagan, state dinner, time 1939, traditional indian sari, white house chief of staff