The breach of security and party crashers created more news than the menu at the Obama’s first State Dinner back in November. As a result security will be especially high at this evenings dinner. 

Wannabe reality tv stars, Michaele and Tareq Salahi as well as party promoter Carlos Allen were all granted entry to the White House and had direct access to the president though none of them were no the guest list.  

According to The Hill, three Secret Service agents stationed at a breached White House checkpoint were placed on administrative leave in late November. According to two Secret Service sources, those agents have yet to return to their jobs.  

In January, a federal grand jury was convened to probe whether the Salahis committed any crimes in connection with the alleged party-crashing. According to a source close to the Salahis, it is still empaneled.

In April, then-White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers resigned, for what insiders said were a host of reasons. The dinner security breach was prominent among them. Democratic fundraiser and strategist Julianna Smoot took over from Rogers late last month.

The secrecy surrounding tonight’s dinner has even extended to the guests themselves. Last November, word leaked out weeks in advance about who was planning to attend the state dinner. Not so this time.

A guest list for this evening’s dinner was just released this afternoon and can be found here: State Dinner Guest List

Cheri is a freelance writer living in Southern California.  She has two grown children and is the proud grandmother of three.

You can find all of Cheri’s columns on Personal About Politics at www.personalpolitics.gather.com, The Obama Watch at theobamawatch.gather.comor her home page here, www.ccabot.gather.com.

Today, President and Mrs. Obama welcomed President Calderón of Mexico and Mrs. Zavala to the White House at a ceremony on the South Lawn. Following the ceremony and remarks by President Obama, he will hold a joint press conference with President Calderón in the Rose Garden.  

This evening the President and the Frist Lady will attend the State Dinner with President Calderón and Mrs. Zavala, joined by the Vice President and Dr. Biden in the East Room of the White House. 

Guest Chef Rick Bayless, celebrity chef with three top restaurants in Chicago, will be preparing this evening’s State Dinner. Bayless specializes in contemporary Mexican cooking. At the request of the White House the menu will be kept under wraps, however, Bayless did drop a few hints. He’s preparing a black mole sauce that includes 20 ingredients and takes days to make. There will be fresh herbs and lettuces from the White House garden, and fresh strawberries from a local farm. ( AP) 

According to the Associated Press, planning for the state dinner started months ago, when Bayless said he proposed several menus and narrowed them to the best choices. Then White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford visited Bayless in Chicago for as special tasting and to see plate presentations. 

Bayless passed muster with Comerford and aims to prepare a state dinner “that will be both well executed and really interesting.” (AP) 

Following dinner in the East Room, desert and entertainment will be on the South Lawn in a pavilion.  

Mrs. Obama visited Mrs. Zavala last month in Mexico following a surprise visit to hurricane ravaged Haiti. President Calderon and Zavala hosted a dinner for Mrs. Obama at Los Pinos, their official residence. (Chicago Sun Times)

As always, there will be a great deal of interest in what Mrs. Obama wears.

Cheri is a freelance writer living in Southern California.  She has two grown children and is the proud grandmother of three.

You can find all of Cheri’s columns on Personal About Politics at www.personalpolitics.gather.com, The Obama Watch at theobamawatch.gather.comor her home page here, www.ccabot.gather.com.

Want to tell our First Lady & First Mom Michelle Obama she rocks? Emily’s List lets you send her a Mother’s Day Postcard. It’s super easy and fun. Just fill it out at this link:  Mother's Day Postcard to Michelle Obama and Emily's List will send it.

Be sure to send it in before Saturday, May 8 to ensure delivery.

Cheri Cabot

Cheri is a freelance writer living in Southern California.  She has two grown children and is the proud grandmother of three.

You can find Cheri’s home page at www.ccabot.gather.com

Her weekly political column “Personal About Politics”, can be found at www.personalpolitics.gather.com as well as “The Obama Watch”

at www.theobamawatch.gather.com.

This evening the White House is hosting the 2010 Correspondents Dinner, which is always, know for entertainment, humor and usually ‘roasting’ of the president and others in the administration. In addition to the fun, it is provides scholarships to “best and brightest” young journalists.

Hollywood celebrities mingle with D.C. celebrities on the red carpet as well as during four days of festivities. There are lunches, brunches and concerts. The Jonas Brothers provided the entertainment at the Garden Brunch this morning (Saturday). But highlight, the dinner this evening is known unofficially as the “Nerd Prom.”

Since the dinner is for an about correspondents, there are an abundance of tweets coming directly from the dinner. It is reported from the dinner that Joe Biden eclipsed Jay Leno with a very funny speech. First Lady Michelle Obama is stunning in a form-fitting red dress.

This year’s dinner had the greatest demand for tickets in the dinner’s history.

This is the official statement from the White House Correspondents’ Association web page regarding this year’s dinner.

2010 WHCA DINNER

Leno to Headline White House Press and Scholarship Dinner

Contact: Julie Whiston
Executive Director
WHCA
202-266-7453

(Jan. 22, 2010) -- Seventeen Washington, D.C. students will receive $132,000 in college scholarships from the White House Correspondents' Association to pursue careers in journalism.

The winners will be introduced at the association's May 1 fundraising dinner, where entertainer Jay Leno will be a featured speaker.

And for the first time in its 96-year history, the association is taking action to reduce the carbon impact of its annual black-tie gala; these actions include using as much as possible renewable energy for the event, paper products, supplies and services that reduce the threat of global warming, deforestation, toxic wastes, hazardous chemicals and species extinction.

"This will be the most eco-friendly dinner ever hosted by the association,'' said Edwin Chen, the group's president and a Bloomberg News White House correspondent.

"And we encourage our members and guests to join in that effort, such as by car-pooling, using hybrid vehicles and, for long-distance travelers to Washington, buying carbon-offsets,'' Chen said.

The association also will announce at the dinner, to be held at the Washington Hilton Hotel, this year's winners of the Edgar A. Poe, the Merriman Smith and the Aldo Beckman awards, three of journalism's most prestigious prizes.

You can watch it right now or a recap of the evenings White House Correspondents’ Dinner at MSNBC.

Cheri is a freelance writer living in Southern California.  She has two grown children and is the proud grandmother of three.

You can find Cheri’s home page at www.ccabot.gather.com

Her weekly political column “Personal About Politics”, can be found at www.personalpolitics.gather.com as well as “The Obama Watch”

at www.theobamawatch.gather.com.