http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/savannah_guthrie_mentions_bravo_connection_during_nightly_news_story_on_the_salahis_144622.asp?c=rss
The above is a link to a report on NBC News tonight that clarifies things a bit. It was Michele Jones - a WH liaison to the Pentagon, who was the Salahi's contact. NBC News saw the exchange of emails. The basic ambiguity turned on what is meant by an "Arrival Ceremony". Jones had told the Ss that there were no tickets for the Dinner, but that there may be some for the Arrival Ceremony (which is a completely separate occasion, scheduled for the morning, and not the receiving line for the State Dinner, which is what the Salahi's claim they thought it meant). The Arrival Ceremony was eventually canceled, Jones told them she was still working on the Dinner Tickets, then later told them she could not get the tickets. The Ss say they were out the whole day getting ready for the evening and missed Jones' messages, and just went to the WH. It is clear from an email they sent Jones the next day that they were not sure they were invited (contrary to what Mrs. Salhai says on the Today Show this morning, "we were invited") because they say they didn't know if their name would be on the list when they got to the WH, but they were so glad that it was and that they got in. "Crasher" is probably a little too strong for what they did, but they clearly aggressively pushed to see how far they could get. I have done things like this - we once got tickets to some kind of Hollywood event, and knew we were supposed to be limited to the outer area, but decided to try going inside and were delighted that the usher just waived us in. The Salahi's obviously were not sure that they had an invitation to the State Dinner (which, really, can only mean that knew they did not have a formal invitation - this is not the kind of even that you just wander into and see what happens). Maybe they thought they would be allowed to shake hands at some kind of formal receiving line (but only if they did not check their email and voice messages the day of the event), and maybe they honestly thought that receiving line was at the State Dinner and not earlier that morning (again, only if they did not check their messages, or pay much attention to what Jones said she was trying to do for them), but clearly they must have known that they were "lucky" to get into the event and have their pictures taken, and that this was more than they had been promised. On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 4:06 PM, PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote: >> On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 10:24 AM, K.M. Richards <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Perhaps, since they have been open about what they did and they >>> obviously meant no harm (else they would have attempted something at >>> the time) the committee wants to talk with them to see what needs to >>> be fixed. >> >> What needs to be fixed? Not on guest list = you have to leave. (SNIP) > > I saw these guys on the Today Show this morning (I have not really > been following this story too closely). They came across as clueless > but harmless. It seems that they have a history of over-interpreting > casual and ambiguous comments as specific invitations. Apparently > someone in the Defense Department said something - perhaps in an > email, that sounded to them like they would be welcome at the dinner, > and they got it in their head that this was an invitation, even though > that same Defense Department person followed up later with specific > written clairification that they did not have an invitation and were > not cleared to attend the party. > > I went to high school with the children of some pretty famous > television and film stars. Not infrequently they or their parents > would say something casually to me and other friends like "you really > should come stay with us at Aspen this holiday". Those of us from more > pedestrian pedigrees would just smile and say "that sounds great" or > (more my speed) "I'd love to but I'm busy". It was pretty well > understood, even by 15 year olds, that if we had taken those comments > as formal invitations and just shown up at their cabin in Aspen > luggage in hand prepared for a week of skiing and hot tubing, we would > have been both embarrassed and disappointed. > > It seemed to me that the Salahi's are a couple that take everyone of > those casual, polite, ambiguous and insincere allusions to sharing > time as an official invitation engraved in marble, and act > accordingly. The interview was short and fairly non-specific (they > promised to come back later after they have permission to talk more > freely) - I leave the door open on the possibility that they are some > variant of stalkers, erotomaniacs or other kind of delusional > disorder. > -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. 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