Both haves and have-nots as state dinner invitations sent
The White House is saying very little about next week's state dinner with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, the first for President Obama. Folks aren't talking about the menu, the guest list, or even where it's being held. But the official silence is only fueling the speculation about who's in and who's out.
The dinner is shaping up to be Washington's equivalent of the Oscars. Lobbyists, celebrities, and movers-and-shakers have all been calling the East Wing to make sure their high-style invitations weren't lost.
Obama's big event has been scripted for weeks, but Michelle Obama's office isn't dishing details yet. Protocol dictates a strict list of those who must be invited: ambassadors, ministers, dignitaries. Etiquette dictates others, such as prominent Indian-Americans. And politics will play a big part in who gets the rest.
Some of the confirmed guests are predictable. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, but not President Clinton, will be there, as will Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Energy Secretary Stephen Chu. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi snagged an invitation. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a Republican of Indian descent, will be there. He was invited when President George W. Bush hosted India for a state dinner in 2005.
The ASSOCIATED PRESS, November 20, 2009
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