GOP Rep Asks what White House is "Hiding" about Party Crashing Incident

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: White House

5803574Democrats are insisting that the alleged "White House crashers," Tareq and Michaele Salahi, testify before a congressional panel this morning, but one Republican on the panel says the White House social secretary should have to answer questions about the security breach as well.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson said he could subpoena the Salahis if they are not interested in voluntarily attending today's hearing regarding their ability to gain entry into the White House state dinner without any sort of invitation.

"The Salahis' testimony is important to explain how a couple circumvented layers of security at the White House on the evening of a State Dinner without causing alarm," Thompson said in a statement.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan agreed to testify this morning, but along with the Salahis, White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers declined to appear. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday that White House staff does not testify before Congress, based on the separation of powers.

An aide for Thompson said this morning that no decisions have been made on whether to subpoena Rogers, reports CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson.

Ranking Republican Peter King said Rogers' testimony is more important than the Salahis'.

"The White House should not be allowed to stonewall by refusing the Committee's request that Ms. Rogers testify," he said in a statement. "What is the White House trying to hide?"

If the committee does decide to subpoena Rogers or the Salahis, there could be another hearing on the matter.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by hungry1968-17 December 3, 2009 4:15 PM EST: by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:46 PM EST
You know, I just don't understand people. Democrats lie about the Republicans. Republicans do love this country and they are looking out for the best interest of the people.

You don't "love your country and it's citizens" by assisting big business in crushing our economy, draining our treasury, ripping off the citizenry, while shipping our jobs overseas by the millions, in exchange for "campaign contributions".; Reply to this comment

by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:46 PM EST

You know, I just don't understand people. Democrats lie about the Republicans. Republicans do love this country and they are looking out for the best interest of the people. You DO NOT ram a $940 BILLION dollar bill through congress. How many people on this site know what is in this bill. I mean Every Little thing, yes it is a Health Care bill, but what else is in there? It seems democrats don't give a care? Why? What are you hiding?

You claim the Republicans hate this country, yet this is the same question they are asking, and you people are throwing a fit. Give me a break, stop lying to people, and start figuring out what the Republicans are trying to say. Open your ears!!

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!

Reply to this comment


by velma179 December 3, 2009 3:30 PM EST: by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:46 PM EST

Well, the Republicans can read, can't they?

The bill is available to anyone who chooses to read it. Your assertion that something is "hidden" within the legislation is patently incorrect and easily proved as such.

If ANY of our Reps (D), (I) or (R) are too lazy to read the legislation, it's a pox on them -- not the bill itself.

Period.

PS -- this article we are addressing is about another TOPIC.

by unshrub December 3, 2009 12:52 PM EST

It sounds like the republican is trying to make this into something political, he is trying to imply that Obama may have something to hide. What a jack-a$$.

Reply to this comment


by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:37 PM EST: You would be doing the same thing if it had been a republican in office and a democrat probing. so do us a favor a shut the heck up

by velma179 December 3, 2009 12:34 PM EST

by afrazier1 December 3, 2009 10:40 AM EST
Here we go.....if we can't get the POTUS for anything then we'll stir up controversy about a couple of gate crashers. Honest to God, do these people have a life? When do Republicans start to care about their country and not about who is in power?

*********

Bump

Reply to this comment


by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:39 PM EST: Well, since they do care about their country I guess you need to grow up


by velma179 December 3, 2009 3:40 PM EST: by IL-Independent December 3, 2009 1:39 PM EST
Well, since they do care about their country I guess you need to grow up

*************

I totally agree that many citizens who are members of the Republican party care very much for our country. I have several of these fine folks in my family and circle of friends.

The statement above relates to those Republicans who are in CONGRESS currently.

Frankly, these Congress members have not shown the same concern for the country as a whole.

Have you seen the e-mails, etc. they circulate among themselves that have nothing to do with getting the work of legislation done (and I don't mean just passing anything that comes along, I mean the WORK of debate and forming consensus) -- but only seeking to obstruct and delay?

That isn't caring about the country -- it is caring about "my seat in Congress".

To be fair -- of course, Democrats pulled similar shenanigans and they were just as wrong.
These ELECTED individuals need to do the work that got them elected and stop running for the next campaign cycle.
All of them.

by FoolKiller December 3, 2009 12:28 PM EST

Separation of powers? As in, the White House has theirs and recognizes no one else?s?

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is such a clown. The only reason they use him is that he will make such a believable fall guy some day. He would know that if he had a clue.

Reply to this comment


by velma179 December 3, 2009 12:37 PM EST: by December 3, 2009 12:28 PM EST
Separation of powers? As in, the White House has theirs and recognizes no one else?s?

**************
(one... are you really punctuation challenged or is that one little sentence a "copy and paste"... if so, that's just plain lazy)

But anyway, I am here to let you know that the date today is December 3, 2009. It isn't somewhere between January 20, 2001 and January 20, 2009.

Ding dong


by inmom63 December 3, 2009 12:24 PM EST: There was a story on just 10 minutes ago where, in the comments, a person said Salahi was a board member of the American Task Force on Palestine and that the VP of that group was recognized as a member of the PLO. That story and those comments have vanished. Getting too hot??; Reply to this comment


by peacefulperson December 3, 2009 12:13 PM EST: I don't understand why the guards even let them in. They weren't on the list, they didn't really dress the part of White House guests, she didn't even get her hair done, or even her dye touched up or her split ends trimmed. That dress looks like something from the bargain rack. If anyone of us was invited to the White House for a state dinner, we'd try to look our best. Look at the way everyone else was dressed, then look at his Warehouse Brothers suit and her unpressed dress. Why didn't the guards suspect that these people were crashers?; Reply to this comment

by lovenpeace1 December 3, 2009 12:09 PM EST

Folks,

To Eliminate these type of incidents in the future, Congress should ban all 'Reality' shows on TV. WE THE PEOPLE can live without them.

The motive of these crashers was to get paid millions for a TV reality show. The motive of the balloon boy incident was also to get paid millions for a TV reality show.

Reply to this comment


by velma179 December 3, 2009 12:18 PM EST: by lovenpeace1 December 3, 2009 12:09 PM EST

I wish they could ban 'em all... but that pesky Constitution would just get in the way.


by hungry1968-17 December 3, 2009 12:18 PM EST: Not for nothing, but if you do that you'll have to eliminate most broadcast "news".

Seriously, what have we heard about most this past year?

Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods, the White House party crashers, balloon boy, Sarah Palin, Adam Lambert, the Nobel Prize....

Meanwhile on the "irrelevant" side of the aisle, we're in two wars, our economy collapsed, unemployment is at 25 year highs, our manufacturing sector has been moved offshore, and the republicans are trying EVERYTHING they can to stop ALL progress in Washington.

Walter Cronkite must be rolling in his grave.

by owlgal December 3, 2009 12:03 PM EST

To prevent this from happening again, these 2 have to be charged and punished. It is a joke to them, a publicity stunt, and there should be a penalty for that. They also should not be able to profit in any way from their actions. Refusal to appear should not be an option for them. They are criminals.

Reply to this comment


by displeased December 3, 2009 12:09 PM EST: Agreed. These people planned to breach security at a government agency, the highest government agency. Punish them!

by watkinsjr2000 December 3, 2009 12:03 PM EST

Ranking Republican Peter King said Rogers' testimony is more important than the Salahis'.

"The White House should not be allowed to stonewall by refusing the Committee's request that Ms. Rogers testify," he said in a statement. "What is the White House trying to hide?"

This obsession with trying to play partisan gotcha by members of the GOP has got to cease. "What is the White House trying to hide?" That's one of the flat-out dumbest & most self-serving comments I've heard from a politician in a while.

President Obama was the one person potentially most at risk from these gate crashers. Why would he be trying to hide anything?If he chooses to handle any screw-up his appointed Social Secretary may have made in- house that's certainly his call.That isn't a matter for Congress to address unless the president chooses to let them. Suggesting that there's some sinister hidden motive behind this is utterly absurd.

On the other hand, there was a breach of security at the White House that has exposed flaws in the way the Secret Service handles guarding the president. It's their responsibility to make sure nobody gets into the White House who's not supposed to be there (not that of the WH Social Secretary) & they clearly screwed up!They should be investigated & I'd consider the breach a firing offense for whoever IS responsible for it.I also think the gate crashers should be charged with the same sort of crime they would be if they entered a vital military area without permission. If current laws don't make this a crime of this magnitude, a new law should be passed correcting that flaw in the federal criminal codes at once.

Another item concerning the Salahis should be address ASAP. These people seem to be angling to sell their story to the highest bidder.The sums I've heard being discussed are major. These people should not be allowed to profit financially from these actions.And, I think jail time for them is in order.

But,these republicans need to stop trying to make this a political matter when it so clearly is not.Rep. King-act like you actually have a brain in your head & cut out what you know to be total B.S. !!!

Reply to this comment


by velma179 December 3, 2009 12:22 PM EST: by watkinsjr2000 December 3, 2009 12:03 PM EST

I agree.

Internal error has been addressed by the White House.

As for the Salahis... I sure hope they don't profit from this -- now THAT would make for a huge security threat-in-the-making. Think of what people might do for the sake of the almighty dollar....