Bushes have hosted only 4 state dinners (host Indian PM Singh tonight)

[DeepModem Mom]

Washington Post:
Big Night In
Bushes Set the Table for a Rare Treat: An Official Dinner

By Roxanne Roberts
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 18, 2005; Page C01

There's a big black-tie dinner at the White House tonight. President Bush will don a tuxedo and might even stay up past 10. This is, as they say in Texas, rarer than hen's teeth.

The dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (technically an "official" instead of "state" dinner because Singh is head of government but not the state) is notable as one of the few grand parties of this administration. The White House has hosted only four state dinners since Bush took office in 2001; the last one was held in October 2003 for the president of Kenya. It's a big deal for India, and for the White House....

***

State dinners were traditionally the most sought-after invitation in Washington, the gold-plated stamp of diplomatic and social approval. World leaders routinely got the red-carpet treatment until 2001, when Bush began substituting informal lunches for black-tie dinners. The first lady hinted earlier this year that she intended to host more stately events during the second term and hired a new social secretary (but no new chef yet). But nothing has changed, and if the next four years look anything like the past four years, formal entertaining at this White House is a thing of the past.

How much this matters to anyone but Washington arrivistes is debatable. From a foreign-policy standpoint, the paucity of state dinners raises their value but slights many world leaders. "It's unfortunate that they're not doing more of them," says Ed Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation. "It's kind of a lost opportunity."

The other question is access to the White House. The guest lists for official state events are typically released to the public. Because this president entertains officially so infrequently, little is known about who enjoys his private hospitality at off-the-record, behind-closed-doors events....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR2005071701184.html


(Secrecy, always, in the Bush White House, even re. social events.)

[getmeouttahere]

1. What the hell would they talk about?

assuming they actually do talk. Oh, I know, they could talk about how well the transfer of jobs from the U.S. to India is going, and BushCo can tell the PM about how they are going to get CAFTA passed for more of the same.

[Matilda]

2. Gee, Laura's letting him stay up late tonight.

Hope he doesn't nod off in the soup.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. Didn't Pickles fire the WH's fancy-pants chef early in 1st term?

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Gee, I wonder if Gannon will be attending

the Bu$h's used to love to have him over whenever they were entertaining foreign dignitaries.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

6. I think Jeff

is for desert.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. If I was a world leader

I would be so ticked off if Chimpy didn't invited me to a dinner at the White House. I would be just steamed. Well, I guess I'd take it philosophically and figure it could be worse. He might actually invite me to the hole in the wall ranch/pig farm out in the back of beyond for chili and bbq. :rofl:

[DS1]

7. Knowing Chimpy, the menu will be steak or burgers

:D

[DeepModem Mom]

8. CNN reporting GHWB gave 20 dinners, Clinton, 30, as in article...

and Reagan, I think, 40.

[Poiuyt]

9. I guess most world leaders don't like weenie-beenies

[spuddonna]

10. The WH is his personal Xanadu...

Why would he invite ANYONE to it, other than his 'friends', like Pooty-Poot and the Saudis?

He gives the diplomatic finger in the eye to all the other countries around the world, and wonders why so many people hate us now...

Pathetic...