Tareq and Michaele Salahi crash and burn in TV presence and credibility departments

By Jeffrey Jolson

Obama administration and Salahis both skirt security protocol

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 12/1/09 – The almost famous (infamous?) White House gatecrash Salahi couple crashed and burned today on TV as their “Today” show appearance added nothing to their unsubstantiated claims of being invited guests — and the White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and an Obama appointee clearly stating the Salahis were never invited and response to the couple’s repeated emails was that they were NOT invited.

The couple appeared on the “Today” show with Matt Lauer and stood by their claim that they were officially invited to the event and will be “completely exonerated.”

White House Press Secretary Gibbs said bluntly that the couple had not been invited to the event. And Obama appointee Michele S. Jones, whom the couple had been trying to schmooze invites from, said “I did not state at any time, or imply that I had tickets for ANY portion of the evening’s events. I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening’s activities. Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come,” according to the L.A. Times.

The couple allegedly showed emails of their requests to White House grounds security as proof of invite, yet apparently did not show the reply saying, they were NOT invited. It is an old gatecrashers trick, which might get you in a nightclub during a weekday, but not a White House State Dinner — till now.

Even the Salahis appearance on “Today” was slighted, with the NY Daily News saying it was bad television, as dry as a traffic court appearance, and not fit for the role the couple was vying for, on the reality TV show “Real Housewives of Washington D.C.”.

“Our lives have been destroyed,” said Michaela Salahi on “Today.” Perhaps their lives would have been better if they had received the $100,000-plus they were asking for their on-air interview.  Yet the reality show they were trying to get on is aired on Bravo, owned by NBC, home of the “Today” show. The parties claimed no money was paid by NBC.

Even her hairdresser friend, doing her do shortly before the gatecrashing began, said Mrs. Salahi could not show an invite and stumbled over excuses, as YouTube shows in an interview.

“This has been the most devastating thing that has ever happened to us,” Tareq Salahi told NBC’s “Today” show.

As for Tareq, he is a Palestinian national or at least a sympathizer, according to Donald Douglas, who has been following this closely as head of American Power Blog. He notes Tareq has been a long-standing member of the American Task Force on Palestine, which has vague links to terrorist group HAMAS.

That alone should have at least raised an eyebrow from the Secret Service, which is bravely taking the heat from the lapse in security. Yet former White House aide Edward Lozzi says it is the White House, not the Secret Service that compiles the guest lists, while the latter only vets them for, well, people who might have terrorist group ties, among other questionable activity before shaking the hand of the President of the United States.

“The White House failed miserably. It’s the administration, not the Secret Service. This is a PR bullet the Secret Service took for the President,” Lozzi told Hollywood Today. “The Secret Service even examines last-minute additions to guest lists.”

The White House says the president and first lady were angered by the incident.

The next “invitation” the Salahis have is from Congress on Thursday where an investigation begins on the incident. And they won’t have to crash it. In fact they can be jailed for failure to attend.