Say what you will about Tareq and Michaele Salahi; they know how to make an appearance.
There's a variety of opinions on the Salahis' icky-tacky appearance at the Obama Administration's first state dinner at the White House. Some people are jealous. Some people are furious. Some people are horrified.
And some people--those whose names were dragged into the mess (like the Salahis' White House contact, Michelle S. Jones or, worse, Tareq Salahi's mortified society mother), and those Secret Service Officers that were placed on administrative leave (and may face firing) for the security breach--likely rue the day the Salahis were ever born.
The real shame, though, is that for one couple's night of Presidential hobnobbing, the American attention turned to dissecting the party crash--instead of noting that the administration hosting India for its very first state dinner was a huge statement and a wise diplomatic move. As we continue to build dialogue with Pakistan, it's increasingly important for the United States to maintain India's confidence--and this was a clear acknowledgement of that by our White House. But instead, real political brain cache has been spent dealing with the party crash debacle, and few Americans even remember what the dinner was intended for.
Oh well. At least the Salahis got 15 minutes of fame out of it.