Michelle's First State Dinner for India

The George W. Bush China Service

India, a democratic superpower has over a billion citizens with its own arsenal of nuclear weapons and the shared disgrace with America of being one of the top three polluters on the planet will have the distinct honor of being the first nation to receive the full ceremonial honors from a state visit.  No doubt, difficult topics will be discussed by the heads of state.  Yet, it is Michelle Obama who is going to hold the spotlight as she chooses, flatware, table coverings, floral design, china patterns, glassware, the menu(s), entertainment and music, seating arrangements, invitations for teas, luncheons and the attendees for the historic first state dinner on November 24th while choosing a never before seen fully formal gown to be discussed for eternity.  Believe it or not, the gown actually helps settle the detailed choices of color used in the State Dining Room's or the East Room's table decor.  Either room may be used and the East Room would hold more elegant diners, but makes the after dinner entertainment space a new challenge.  If Michelle Obama is a last minute dress chooser - oh dear. (Photo of Obamas going up the Grand Staircase back to the residence after greeting Ambassadors to the US.)

Her staff has been on the case since May.  No rest for the weary as November looms large in the Obama White House cultural portfolio.  Michelle Obama received kudos for her first turn as an international hostess with the G20 heads of state and their spouses.  Her choice of a gift for the event was rare and a keepsake.  The huge state dinner is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving which makes it doubly rich for grand and gravy leftovers.  That Wednesday the president should pardon a turkey - lately the saved pre-poultry birds have dined on some incredible tranquilizers before meeting the president due to some of the wilder pardon photos.

This is what Michelle Obama gave as hostess to the G20 spouses.  It is an exclusive porcelain tea set mirroring the Lincoln china in the White House with US national flower (American Beauty Rose) at the bottom of the teacups made by a one hundred year old Illinois company.  The little vials of honey and the larger container is honey produced directly from Michelle Obamas world famous Kitchen Garden, Photo courtesy LA Times

Mrs. Obama must also make Blair House ready and work with the State Departments protocol experts on name pronunciation, food requirements, allergies and taboos, complete with full black tie etiquette.  A briefing book has already been compiled and the secret invite right now is for the under two dozen friends and staff that get to attend a tasting menu featuring choices for the meals.  Her residence staff is theming floral pieces for all of the bathrooms and a host of contract workers need to be ready to produce the pièce de résistance of an elaborate multi-course meal for at most 140 people.  It will be the hardest ticket to obtain in Washington DC since the inaugural.  All those people who have spent time sucking up to the first lady's friend and Social Secretary while writing puff pieces about her are about to find out if the investment was worth it.

In February 2009, the Obamas had a trial run at a high level black-tie event for the US governors.  Here they dance in the East Room to Earth Wind & Fire playing live.

The East Wing communication staff will arrange a day of photo spray for the press to see Mrs. Obama in front of a fully set table complete with hand crafted calligraphy table cards while explaining which China pattern she is choosing to use.  The menus for each setting will feature the salads, American vintage wines, entrées and desserts all in the same calligraphy style.  It is usually a keepsake from the White House along with the invitation requesting the honor of their presence.  That is definitely still a secret, but the Wilson China has made a debut.  Part of the decision is made on which full sets of China are available in the right colors for a state dinner - Ronald Reagan China in a bold red, the George W. Bush set - never yet used in a green with basketweave pattern, the Clinton China with the golden rims and 24-karat gold images of the White House dead center, with which full set of flatware is available.  The last first lady to purchase a full set of gilded formal flatware, late 19th century reproductions from Kirk Steiff of Baltimore, for elegant entertaining in the White House is Barbara Bush.  Her daughter-in-law also purchased large sterling silver serving pieces.

The stunning table arrangement here is the 2007 white tie setting for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.  White tie is usually reserved as a royal honor.  This was an excellent use of the William Jefferson Clinton china service by Laura Bush.  This table is set to handle five courses rather than the usual four for a state dinner.

Formal arrival ceremony

The newly re-elected fourteenth Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Manmohan Singh and his lovely wife, Gursharan Kaur will receive the full ceremonial honors of arriving at the South Lawn.  After a troop review and opening remarks, the couples will go through the Diplomatic Reception Room and usually share some time together before the spouses go one direction and the heads of state another.  After a luncheon, the next arrival will be on the North side of the White House in view of the world's press as they are formally greeted by the president and first lady in formal attire on the red carpet.  They will go upstairs and have a moment to share in the Yellow Oval Room in the private residence.  Just before dinner, Ruffles and Flourishes will announce the president and first lady as they descend the Grand Staircase with their honored guests to stand and welcome each invited guest in the Entrance hall as the President's Own plays and photographers film. There are vast differences in height so the images will need some thinking through by the professionals.  (Gursharan Kaur with Michelle Obama from April in London during the Obamas first meeting of the G20.)

Prime Minister Singh, President Barack Obama, Mrs. Gusharan Kaur and Mrs. Michelle Obama at the arrival for the working and spouse dinner.

Michelle gives welcoming remarks at the dinner party held on a patio at Rosemont Farms for the G20 spouses.  Photo courtesy the White House

Can't wait for November 24th.  All of the public ceremony is usually covered in full by the wonderful station I love, C-SPAN.

UPDATE:  The latest Obama State Dinner post is here... State Dinner Tuesday with the Obamas

Social Secretary: The Iron Butterfly

Weddings between centuries old protocol and the technicolor of modern life can embrace or clash in the White House. Work of or through the Office of the Social Secretary keeps evolving as presidential terms today require public and private events coordination with efficiency and effectiveness on everything from a private coffee clutch for the first lady to events with tens of thousands of excited citizens or the president meeting a head of state or his cabinet. Its a tough job and no two people bring the same skills or approach. In the future, certain White House gender roles have yet to reach cosmopolitan cross-pollination, but the future holds promise for the first female Chief Usher, male Social Secretary (A Deputy is male) or a couple with the first female President and First Gentleman. Sterling events shape the tenor of White House. (Floating toy sharks going into the South Lawn Fountain for the June 2009 Congressional picnic that was an Obama Ohana Luau. Photo courtesy AP)

Desiree Rogers day of the Congressional picnic as she checks last minute details on her blackberry.

Amiability and ability to get along and communicate with multiple departments and constituencies for each and every White House moment with scheduling changes at the last moment make it seem like juggling revving chainsaws, grisly if you miss, and any near misses or straight out flops are seen by everyone. Who can forget Queen Elizabeth being greeted at the White House for a state visit in the early 1990's with her voice heard from the podium, but only her magnificent hat could be seen as there were no steps for the rather tiny Queen of the British Empire to stand upon. The Social Secretary is responsible for ensuring that those sorts of details are clear. Gerald & Betty Ford had their own fun social gaffe when the president asked the Queen to dance and the Marine Corps band went straight into their repertoire of music from Rodgers & Hart, The Lady is a Tramp. Catchy.

White House Social Secretary is a central component of a fully pledged East Wing Operation. Most of the Social Secretary's of the past came with experience at cotillions, collegiate network and a Rolodex in Washington that made things sparkle behind the scenes. Some were absolute nightmares because of their ties to the first lady while others could soothe troubled waters with smooth as silk words. No Social Secretary will be successful in a modern White House without paying homage to the person who is responsible for every direct White House hire, event and procurement, the Chief Usher. During the Camelot era, Letitia Baldridge brought a state department background a social pedigree to the Kennedys as she served both as Social Secretary & the first lady's chief of staff. Ann Stock was the Clinton social secretary from 1994 until 1997. The position also opens doors to other opportunities as Capricia Marshall was the Clinton Administration's Social Secretary with a current nomination to be President Obama's Chief of Protocol that the White House Social Secretary office must work and with daily.(Letitia Baldrige 1961 - 1963 upper left, Capricia Marshall 1997-2001 courtesy of The Washington Post)

Laura Bush's Social Secretary, Lea Berman, ran a tight shop that sat few state dinners but smaller versions of them, but she did one large mega event for the Queen of England in 2007. Lea succeeded Cathy Fenton after the 2004 election, hired straight from being Lynne Cheney's Chief of staff. She cleaned house, exiting the Executive Chef like it was a TV reality series and with the urgent need to find a pastry chef that could live up to Roland Mesnier one of a kind pastry & gingerbread house standards. At that time, the East Wing had everyone in an intense state of roiling stomach acid there was so much turbulence and turf protection. (Lea Berman, Social Secretary for Laura Bush 2005 - 2007 walks along the East Colonnade towards the residence Photo courtesy the Washington Post)

The blowback in the current administrations Social Office has been minimal so far. Desirée Rogers has handled many thing really well by virtue of her executive experience, education and foremost her relationship with the first lady. Innovation in White House entertainment is part of the Obama Charm with the Easter Egg Roll, picnic and the Governor's Ball. Desirée has had a jaw-dropping gaping hole in her judgment by even considering having herself photographed in Michelle Obama's Kitchen Garden wearing an Oscar de la Renta ball gown and needed a veto from the West Wing before the idea was fully dropped. As previously fretted about, Desirée Rogers penchant for publicity is a two-edged sword as the role is not at all about her - yet her self-stylized branding is about her being a cultural liaison (do the Obamas need a translator) before she has even put on a full state visit. The ramifications of even thinking of a state dinner in this economic climate would be as loopy as even dreaming of having your picture taken wearing a high-end designer trench coat by Viktor & Rolf and Cartier earrings in the East Room and your not even the first lady.

The recent contretemps in the East Wing With the 4 month on the Job Chief of Staff, Jackie Norris, leaving for a lower profile job with a volunteer organization has some genesis in the friction between her & Rogers. Susan Sher, Norris's replacement, is a great friend of Rogers and senior West Wing official Valerie Jarrett and a former boss of the first lady. A noticeable detail is how much the Social Secretary is photographed with the first lady or the family at events. The Secret Service are probably the best at being omnipresent and positioning themselves out of the frame of certain shots.(Photos courtesy Wall Street Journal)

One of the toughest jobs for a Social Secretary had to be during the Carter presidency. Gretchen Householder Poston was the WH Social Secretary at an an intense time that saw a reduction in lavish entertainment by Mrs. Carter during a recession and a scaling back due to the Iran Hostage crisis. There was also an intense negotiation to get the Camp David Accords and the resulting event at the White House is now world history.

Each one has had challenges, intrigues and time will tell how this works out for the Obama presidency. Most do not stay the full tenure of a president & first lady as the job is a tough, time consuming one that encompasses the needs of the West Wing with the changing demands of the East Wing. Hats off to all who have had the opportunity to serve in this capacity!

Happy Birthday Mom! From both of us, NanaRh.

Should A Social Secretary do PR Early?

Letitia Baldridge, the grand dame behind Camelot's social scene, is no stranger to publicity or managing crises that arise out of social disasters. She has some 25 books dedicated to helping us do something about manners and bon mots plus other publishing efforts to her credit. Mrs. Baldridge sailed straight into the Social Secretary role in the East Wing to burnish The Kennedy mystique with a chic entertainment style setting the bar rather high in the White House. She became famous later.

Fast forward forty five years. The first African American Social Secretary, Obama insider, Desirée Rogers, was appoin ted by the first bi-racial president to support him and his soignée spouse with planning the events of state. Huge job and Mrs. Rogers will be in demand all over the nation. But for the first time, this Social Secretary is starring in her own Vogue PR campaign before the Obama Administration has held its first majestic state dinner or flawless arrival ceremony. Crash cart before horse buggy. Do something first, then do the richly deserved press.

But again, she has the confidence of the Obamas after a great friendship in Chicago. Now their fierce friend is meeting the public first and we will willingly give her a break if she does interesting events at the People's House ensuring the president has awesome ceremonies of state. Social Secretary to a rock star presidential family as a role is very different than hands on in the day-to-day life of the Executive Office of the President as a career transition for one who was always the glamorous chief executive in charge back in Illinois.

Hearken back to the time when children were seen and not heard in public - seems First Lady Obama definitely believes in that one (good for her!) and so should the Social secretary learn the intricacies and some of the mores of DC before doing a PR touchdown twirl in the February edition of Vogue. Lucky lady. Ms. Rogers was in Vogue once before in 2004. (Desiree Rogers in middle, Valerie Jarret on right)