Obama's First State Dinner Honors India

(CBS/ AP)  The first state dinner of the Obama White House had it all: Oscar-winning entertainers, Hollywood moguls, a knockout guest chef and even a wardrobe malfunction.

Traditional evening gowns vied with saris of vibrant colors Tuesday night at the high-glitz dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There were turbans and bindis as well as diamonds and brocades.

"Everyone looks great; we're feeling great," White House social secretary Desiree Rogers told a phalanx of cameras as she arrived, betraying no hint of nerves at the biggest social event of the Obama presidency.

Complete Coverage: Obama's First State Dinner
Photos: White House Arrivals
Photos: Scenes from the State Dinner
Washington Unplugged: State Dinner Fashion
Details on The Menu
See the Full Guest List

Every aspect of Tuesday's events was fraught with meaning and symbolism, from the flower colors to Mrs. Obama's clothing designers.

First lady Michelle Obama had been a little more forthcoming earlier in the day when she described the trick to pulling off the event as sort of like being a swan: calm and serene above the water but "paddling like mad, going crazy underneath."

One of the big question on many people's minds: Who was First Lady Michelle Obama wearing? Aides told reporters that the strapless champagne-colored dressed is from an Indian-American designer named Naeem Khan. He has also designed dresses for Beyonce, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Lopez, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

The 338-person guest list was a mix of wonky Washington, Hollywood A-listers, prominent figures from the Indian community in the U.S., and Obama friends, family and campaign donors.

Attorney General Eric Holder patted his pocket as he arrived and said his kids had prepped him with all sorts of questions for tablemate Steven Spielberg. U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, asked who she was most looking forward to chatting with, ventured, "I'd have to name four." Then didn't.

Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania had to scramble when his ensemble went rogue at just the wrong moment: His cummerbund dropped to the floor just as he and his wife stopped to pose before a scrum of about 40 reporters and photographers.

Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood provided the celebrity quotient, but neither could come up with a connection to India. Underwood said he was there because of Woodard. She said she was there because she's on the president's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Dinner guests were treated to an eye-catching scheme of green and purple, from the green curry surrounding the prawns to the purple floral arrangements paying homage to the peacock, India's national bird.

Pumpkin was on the menu, too, with Tuesday's dinner coming just two days before Thanksgiving. (Compare the Menu to other Obama Dinners)

Hours before guests arrived and in keeping with tradition, Mrs. Obama previewed the glamorous table settings in the State Dining Room. That's often the venue for such dinners, but not this time.

Instead, in an effort to show Singh how much the U.S. values relations with his country, the Obamas decided to serve dinner in a huge white tent on the South Lawn, with views of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial through clear panels.

It wasn't your everyday tent: This one had chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and beige carpet on the floor.

President Barack Obama, in his dinner toast, said the setting conjured images of India, where special events are "often celebrated under the cover of a beautiful tent." Singh, in turn, told the president he was overwhelmed by the Obamas' hospitality and said the president's election last year had been an inspiration to millions of Indians.

Magnolia branches native to both India and the U.S. adorned the tent's inside walls, along with ivy and nandina foliage.

Guests were seated 10 apiece at round tables draped in green apple-colored cloths and napkins, offset by the sparkle of gold-colored flatware and china, including service and dinner plates from the Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush settings.

Floral arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and sweet peas in plum, purple and fuschia evoked India's state bird.

Mrs. Obama brought in award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, a Scandinavian restaurant in New York City, to help White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and her staff prepare the largely vegetarian meal. Singh is a vegetarian.

Samuelsson said being chosen to help whip up dinner was both "overwhelming and humbling."

The culinary offerings included potato and eggplant salad, arugula from the White House garden, red lentil soup and roasted potato dumplings or green curry prawns. Pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin were for dessert; the pears were poached in honey from the White House beehive.

The entertainment lineup was stellar.

Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson and jazz vocalist and composer Kurt Elling, both Grammy Award winners from the Obamas' hometown of Chicago, were performing. Hudson also won an Academy Award for her role in "Dreamgirls." Indian musician and singer A.R. Rahman, who won two Academy Awards for the music in "Slumdog Millionaire," also was in the lineup.

Among the other guests: Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Guests with ties to India included spiritual adviser Deepak Chopra, director M. Night Shyamalan and PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. Katie Couric of CBS News, Brian Williams of NBC News, Robin Roberts of ABC News and CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta were among the media representatives invited. Oprah Winfrey was not on the list, but her best friend, Gayle King, was among the guests. Also there Obama friends Eric Whitaker and Martin Nesbitt, along with Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband, Konrad; and Marian Robinson, the first lady's mother.

[Empire-George]

Please tell me Obama didn't say, "I'm serving the best fillet mignon" to our guest....the Indian President

I mean, nobody told him that the Queen of Britian already has a jewel incrusted Ipod and doesn't need another.

[nowhiningallowed]

President's are entitled to throw State Dinners. But, given the state of the economy and the example the president should be setting for the millions of suffering constituents and non-constituents, one would think he'd have a bit more integrity and savvy in pulling back on the show of shows and blatant extravaganza. He pulled another let them eat cake routine. Very selfish and thoughtless. Wonder is the missus is going to dish out food at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving wearing her $400 Lanvin sneakers and show the world how compassionate and empathetic she is with all of the poor folks?

[Empire-George]

Check out Sean Delonas cartoon, the bloated healthcare at Macy's parade

http://www.nypost.com/opinion/cartoons/delonas.htm

[Empire-George]

What was on the menu ? Steak....Ooops, wrong...sacred

[TheEnergyDoctor]

It seems the Haters are softening up.
Nobody seems to suggest that the Indian
Prime Minister enjoyed his Bar-B-Q and
collard greens with dessert of Water-Melon.

Fantastic ! This is a milestone for American
Political and ethnic maturity.

[By the way, anyone knows what was on the menu ?]

[TheEnergyDoctor]

FACTS:
1. Michelle Obama's Dress was designed by a young
Indian designer and was highly complimentd by
The Indian Leaders' Wife.
(M.Obama could be accused of Pandering)

2. India it the worlds largest Democracy(even USA)

3. The Leader was selected from the minority of the
Hundu Sect.

4. Looking at Michelle Obama, Barack has his work
cut out for him, she is reflective of the free
vibrant beautiful American Spirit. This is not
England, we are not suckered into how restrictive
Officials dress, we judge based on performances.

[TheEnergyDoctor]

This comment blog has elevated itself to the
status of an ASH (******* Haven).

I've read tens of comments on this event and
not a single one is informative or indirect.

Disgruntled voters are limited to Biased/racial
attacks on Political leaders and their respondents are
relagated to responding to their empty hate rhetoric.

Maybe this has some therapeutic benefit for those who
feel disenfranchised or inadequate because their
candidate is not in office by simply venting uneducated hate.

The benefits of vollying real informative issues is
much more useful in the long run. When elections come
around again we would be more informed of the surrounding
issues and less impassioned about our own inadequacies.

If the haters dont accept this, they will be right here
griping and hating after next election with Obama & team
doing a round two.

C'mon, lets feed our minds while here. One government at a
time please.

Limited Government does'nt mean Government Limited to Republicans.

[robinspp]

In India; the majority of the people are Hindus, but they selected a leader, Manmohan singh from a minority community to rule the country. He is a gentleman with pure hand, always willing to do good for the people in need just like Obama. It is great Obama selected India first for state dinner.

[50BMS13]

Sarah Palin would have had moose burgers! Lot's cheaper! LOL

[cbs4me3]

Sarah Palin, as President, would have held a very simple and humble State dinner. There would be no Glitz/Hollywood, for India is not populated with that kind. The people of India look upon that with probable disgust. In these tough economic times, once again, there is no regard for frugality. But, that is what we get from that White House.

[50BMS13]

cbs4me3
Very good point! A little too lavish I thought. Lots of rich people and stars. Wonder what this cost the taxpayers?

[steve8313]

Sarah Palin is a moron. I've seen sharper cheese and I just know your in touch with the common Indian enough to speak for them. Sit down, shut up, and learn something!

From the Washington Post September 9, 2008 "As governor, Palin opted to use the $200 million that Congress had originally set aside for the bridge for other transportation projects. It is therefore inaccurate for her to claim, as she did at the Republican Convention earlier this month and repeatedly since, including on the campaign trail today, that she said "thanks, but no thanks," to Congress on the "bridge to nowhere" project.

During her State of the State address in January, Palin told Alaskans that "we cannot and must not rely so heavily on federal government earmarks." While she has cut back on earmark requests, records cited by the Associated Press show that she has requested $750 million in federal subsidies during her two years as governor, the largest per-capita request in the nation."

It's simple minded, mush heads such as yourself that allowed this country to get duped into spending $700,000,000,000.00 on an unnecessary war in Iraq.

God, voting should require an IQ test.