२१ जानेवारी, २०१४

"Why the secrecy, especially for an event involving so many well-known people?"

"Maybe the Obamas just wanted a little privacy for an important occasion in the first lady's life...."
... although having 500 guests, including some of the most famous people on the planet, is perhaps not the best way to achieve that goal. Or maybe, since the president has announced he is devoting the rest of his time in office to an "inequality agenda," the White House felt photos of a champagne-soaked, star-studded party would be somewhat off-message....
Maybe they just wanted to find out which, if any, of their 500 best friends they can't trust. Or maybe pretending it's all very secret is the only way left to to make jaded ultra-insiders feel the old thrill of insideriness that they felt when they got in for the very first time. Ooh!... Feels so good inside... When you hold me, and your heart beats, next to mine... Yeah, you made me feel... shiny and new!

४२ टिप्पण्या:

rehajm म्हणाले...

Perhaps the discretion was to accommodate the guests? Being an Obama supporter isn't what it used to be..

MadisonMan म्हणाले...

I'm sure NSA has all the details.

YoungHegelian म्हणाले...

The Obamas wanted it secret because they caught flack for their last Hawaiian vacation when Barack & the kids came back on one day on AF1 & then Michelle comes back a week or so later on another AF1 flight.

It does seem a little unseemly for the this supposed Tribune of the People to live the high life on such a continuous basis. I mean, W mostly went back to the ranch for his vacations, as opposed to mingling with the Swells & Toffs on Martha's Vineyard.

mccullough म्हणाले...

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous. Now please preach about income inequality like they have in Manhattan and San Francisco.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

I already know more about this party than I want to know. Thanks Althouse.

RecChief म्हणाले...

wouldn't want the peasants to connect the Ruling Class with any inequality you know

Sorun म्हणाले...

There was probably a lot of chit chat going on about future government contracts and political favors. Perhaps one of the guests successfully acquired an ambassadorship. That stuff is confidential.

अनामित म्हणाले...

Or, you know, maybe Obama's a sleazy hypocrite, bitching about "income inequality" while living the life of the 0.00001%, because the real inequality he cares about is that there are people richer than he is?

CWJ म्हणाले...

At first, I thought this was at odds with the pre-birthday puffery upon which Althouse posted last week. But with 500 guests, perhaps the puff pieces were the price of admission.

William म्हणाले...

Same rules. Same guests. Wouldn't happen, but next day a photo would leak of Bush chewing caviar with his mouth open.

jacksonjay म्हणाले...


Remember when Skip's brother Rick was involved in a Twitter brouhaha at the White House? State Dinner for Feli Calderone and Rick was the guest chef!

Don't tweet about the Dinner, Rick!

jacksonjay म्हणाले...


Is Richard Sherman more successful than Richard Bayless? Hmmmmm?

RecChief म्हणाले...

In any case, "Move along Prole"

DanTheMan म्हणाले...

The Obamas may believe that income equality is a problem, but apparently spending inequality is not a concern.
I have yet to get my multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded birthday party. Clearly, this is an oversight on someone's part...

DanTheMan म्हणाले...

The Obamas may believe that income equality is a problem, but apparently spending inequality is not a concern.
I have yet to get my multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded birthday party. Clearly, this is an oversight on someone's part...

damikesc म्हणाले...

Yes, can't let the proles see how their leaders ACTUALLY live their lives.

Didn't see Bush or Reagan bending so far over backwards to hide their personal lives in office.

LilyBart म्हणाले...


Apparently they are entitled to their privacy, but I am not (see NSA).

LilyBart म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

Why the secrecy?

Maybe there was just a little bit of choom in the room.

Wince म्हणाले...

"Why the secrecy?"

"if you’re doing big, hard things, then there is going to be some hair on it."

virgil xenophon म्हणाले...

Remember their first "secret" exclusive Halloween party? With much the same crowd in attendance? Didn't want the peasants to see that one, either--and for the same reasons.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

Wow... you make it sound like the Lincoln bedroom is back, big time.

n.n म्हणाले...

What a shallow man. He's worried about the optics, now, really? He must be polling poorly.

Michael in ArchDen म्हणाले...

Can't he just eat his champagne-soaked, star-studded waffle in peace?!?

Fen म्हणाले...

He fears the reaction of the proles. And rightly so.

Larry J म्हणाले...

YoungHegelian said...

The Obamas wanted it secret because they caught flack for their last Hawaiian vacation when Barack & the kids came back on one day on AF1 & then Michelle comes back a week or so later on another AF1 flight.


So, to enable Michelle to celebrate her birthday in Hawaii and to fly back on her own, it cost the taxpayers at least an extra half million dollars. Those top level jets costs tens of thousands of dollars per flying hour and it had to make a round trip from DC to Hawaii to pick up her highness.

I don't ever want to hear any of the Obama's talk about anyone's carbon footprint. If they do, they deserve a footprint on their ass.

David म्हणाले...

Of the 500 people, how many are actually "friends."

Other than Jennifer Aniston.

They should have invited 500 dogs. That would have made me into an Obama supporter, at least for a while.

Fen म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Fen म्हणाले...

I ran into a very liberal friend who understood (and agreed with!) the Hunger Games reference applied to DC opulence VS the "districts" still trying to recover.

Made my day that she actually "gets it". Maybe there is Hope yet.

n.n म्हणाले...

When was the last time that the Obamas went home to Chicago?

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

... 500 best friends...

Pretty sneaky sis.

SteveR म्हणाले...

Although he will be preaching about his effort to address income inequality at the SOTU, he could not pass up the chance to give Michelle a big celebration. However shallow her relationship is with these folks, its her prerogative as FLOTUS. That said his policies and the printing of money by the FED, has only made the situation worse. What difference, at this point, does it make?

traditionalguy म्हणाले...

They need a party barge on the Potomac with stops at revelry spots.

ALP म्हणाले...

Maybe Obama was in the dog house with Michelle and this was the price to get out?

RecChief म्हणाले...

@ALP you mean this is the price for enjoying a sweet Danish?

Unknown म्हणाले...

I'm curious how much the President lectured to his guests about income inequality. I mean, this party was the party of the 0.00001% right?

Or was the whole income inequality thing supposed to start after the party?

Brent म्हणाले...

Why the secrecy?

Because Obama is the Hypocrite-in-Chief, of course.

I do not know what is sadder: that this inexperienced, immature man is President of the United States, or that half of the country is too stupid to recognize bullshit when it's fed to them.

KCFleming म्हणाले...

For any Obama question (e.g., "Why the secrecy...?") it is best to simply answer:

Because he lies about everything, even when it doesn't matter. That's what sociopaths do; it is their nature.

Or:
Everything he says is a lie. Including the words 'and' and 'the.'

Paying further thought to the matter is pointless, like wondering why a hawk eats a rabbit.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

The people attending M's birthday party had wealth equal to that of 99% of the member nations of the UN.

Don't believe me?

Look it up.

Birches म्हणाले...

Let them eat cake.

Will म्हणाले...

Hard to wage some faux war against Inequality when twitter is full of you and your friends eaten' cake at Versailles

JoyD म्हणाले...

Well, how about a private party being..private? It is intrusive to have your picture taken all night and posted without your permission, with those silly split-second expressions that show up sometimes...
I've noticed a big uptick in people hiring a videographer for their weddings, and the result there is that some people act ridiculous for the camera, dancing and posing in ways they wouldn't normally... and watching the videos you are embarrassed for them...
So, none of that's welcome at Michelle's birthday party, good for her.