All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

On "Washington Unplugged" Friday, Politico's Patrick Gavin and Anne Schroeder discussed the saga of Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the White House "party crashers" whose unauthorized attendance at the Obama administration's first state dinner has prompted a Congressional inquiry, soul searching by the Secret Service, and a torrent of media coverage.

The couple declined to testify before Congress this week, but it now appears they are going to be subpoenaed and forced to appear as part of an investigation into how they were able to gain entry to the dinner.

"I think the lesson here is, when Congress wants to talk to you, you have to have to go eventually," said Schroeder.

Host Bob Schieffer, who believes the Salahis should be prosecuted, said that "for these people to cheapen something like that, I think it's a very serious offense." He asked Gavin if the story is going to die down.

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The Secret Service has admitted making a mistake in letting Tareq and Michaele Salahi into last month's White House state dinner without an invitation, but President Obama is still 100 percent confident in his security.

"I could not have more confidence in the Secret Service," Mr. Obama told USA Today and the Detroit Free Press in a joint interview. "They do an outstanding job. They have been with me since I was a candidate. I trust them 100 percent, not just with me but with my wife and my children."

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan told Congress today that the Secret Service took responsibility for the security breach and that three officers involved in the incident are currently suspended. He also said, however, that recent claims about higher threat levels against the president have been inaccurate and Mr. Obama was not at risk the night of the state dinner.

Mr. Obama acknowledged in the interview that "the system didn't work the way it was supposed to."

The White House has resisted sending White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers to testify before Congress about the incident, citing the separation of powers.

The director of the Secret Service today disputed widely-reported claims that President Obama is receiving more death threats than previous presidents.

At a congressional hearing into the White House security breach that took place last week, when Tareq and Michaele Salahi "crashed" the White House state dinner, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said the current threat level against the president is normal.

"The threats right now ... is the same level as it has been for the previous two presidents at this point in their administrations," Sullivan said.

Sullivan was the only requested witness who agreed to testify today before the House Homeland Security Committee, and he said the Secret Service takes responsibility for allowing the Salahis to enter the state dinner uninvited. Three Secret Service officers are currently under suspension because of the incident, he said.

Since news of the security breach broke, members of Congress have commented that the incident was particularly troubling in light of the number of threats against the first African-American president.

"It is well known, it's been in the press over and over again, that this president has received far more death threats than any president in the history of the United States," Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the congressional delegate for the District of Columbia, said at today's hearing.

The Boston Globe reported in October that "unprecedented" threats against the president, among other things, have put a strain on the Secret Service's resources.

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While the Secret Service has taken responsibility for the high-profile White House security breach, Washington insiders are beginning to suggest that the White House Social Office is partially responsible for allowing gatecrashers at President Obama's state dinner last week.

On "Washington Unplugged" today, Amy Argetsinger of the Washington Post told CBS News correspondent John Dickerson that there should have been a member of White House Social Office assisting the Secret Service at the initial security checkpoint.

The Social Office staff "are the people who are familiar with who is supposed to be on the guest list and who isn't; the names, the faces the backgrounds of people," she said. "And if there is some kind of glitch with a VIP, perhaps it shouldn't be a young guard at the front who is having to deal with an irate VIP who doesn't understand why they are not being let in right away. That is something that should be up to the Social Office to smooth over, and act sort of like an auxiliary gate-keeper."

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Former U.S. Chief of Protocol Donald Ensenat, who served in that post for most of President Bush's 8 years in office, says "the Secret Service is being made the scapegoat" in the party crasher incident.

Ensenat is seen at left with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2004.

In an e-mail to CBS News, Ensenat blames the Office of the White House Social Secretary for not having staffers with the invitation list at each of the access checkpoints for guests. Ensenat thinks it's the Social Secretary's job to have refused entry to anyone not on the guest list.

"The Secret Service are not bouncers," writes Ensenat. "Their job is security which they perform superbly putting their life on the line everyday."

In prior administrations, it has been standard practice for staffers from the Social Office to be physically present at access checkpoints to provide guidance to the Secret Service.

But ultimately, it's the responsibility of the Secret Service to ensure that individuals not on the guest list are not permitted entry to the White House. And Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan acknowledged this in his public statement last Friday.

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A nonpartisan congressional research group is backing up a Republican senator's claim that the U.S Health and Human Services Department (HHS) could potentially be inappropriately culling support for President Obama's health care agenda.

The department may have violated laws relating to federal spending on propaganda or lobbying campaigns by hosting its "State Your Support" health care Web site, according to the Congressional Research Service. The CRS gave its legal opinion on the matter at the behest of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).

The "State Your Support" page provides a form letter to Mr. Obama for citizens to submit, after adding their name and personal information.

"By signing this statement we affirm our commitment to work with you and our Congressional leaders to enact legislation this year which provides affordable, high quality coverage for all Americans," the letter says.

In a letter (PDF) he wrote last month to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Grassley asked the secretary to answer a number of questions about the online letter.

"The use of the official HHS.GOV website for activities that seem to be nothing more than government propaganda raises many serious questions," he wrote.

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This weekend President Barack Obama declared the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency, a move that should help hospitals deal with the surge of patients.

Many people across the country spent their weekend standing in line for hours waiting to get vaccinated against H1N1, and many found that they were too late, turned away when available doses were gone.

As of today, about 16 million doses have been made available. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton says it is doubtful whether the emergency declaration will have any impact on vaccine production.

On Monday Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged the frustration of Americans waiting in lines for vaccinations. "I don't want to minimize the anxiety of a lot of parents who want to get their kids vaccinated, but we do have a vaccine that works.

"It works with everybody over ten years old with one dose, and the immune response hits more quickly than we anticipated, so actually as of today, we'll have about 16.5 million doses available throughout the country."

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First Lady Michelle Obama put a spotlight on the importance of good nutrition and children's health today during a speech at the Department of Health and Human Services, continuing her campaign for healthy eating habits to fight rising obesity rates.

"Nearly a third of all children in this country are overweight or obese… and a third will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lifetimes," Obama said. "It is a major public health threat right now, so just imagine what we're going to be facing in 20 or 30 years if we don't get on this issue."

The first lady addressed practical problems surrounding good nutrition, such as long work hours, dirty or unsafe neighborhood playgrounds, a lack of healthy food options and cheap, unhealthy take-out food. She said that she struggled with these day-to-day issues herself as a parent before receiving a wake-up call from her daughters' pediatrician.

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This story by Alex Byers originally appeared in The GW Hatchet, the student newspaper at George Washington University. It comes to CBSNews.com via UWIRE.

First lady Michelle Obama has promised to be the 2010 Commencement speaker if the GW community completes 100,000 hours of community service this year, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said this morning.

Service hours will be counted monthly by the GW Office of Community Service, and "volunteerism, service learning, and federal work study service employment" will count toward the tally, according to a University statement. Work with AmeriCorps and other pro-bono service will be counted as well.

Obama's challenge coincides with GW's Freshman Day of Service, and the eighth anniversary of 9/11. More than 1,500 freshmen are expected to participate in the Day of Service, according to the statement.

Student Association President Julie Bindelglass and SA Executive Vice President Jason Lifton said Obama's challenge spurred from a letter they sent the first lady over the summer, asking her to participate in the Freshman Day of Service.

Although Obama said she could not attend the event, she offered the possibility of speaking at Commencement if GW students could complete her challenge.

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In a few months time, some family is going to be able to boast that the living room of their refurbished home was painted by the President and Mrs. Obama.

Wielding paint rollers and brushes, the Obamas laid down an even coat of "Cool Platinum" wall paint.

"you know, I don't think anyone will have to re-do it, I hope," said Mr. Obama as he finished one section of the back wall and stepped back to assess his work.

The First Couple was commemorating the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which this year is designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

"I call upon all Americans to join in service and honor the lives we lost," Mr. Obama said in a presidential proclamation.

The Obamas began their day observing a moment of silence at the White House for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Then, despite a heavy downpour, they paid their respects at the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon where 184 lives were lost when the hijacked American Airlines flight 77 was deliberately flown into the Pentagon.

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