January 21, 2014

"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!

42 comments:

rehajm said...

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

MadisonMan said...

I'm sure NSA has all the details.

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.

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 said...

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

The Godfather said...

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

RecChief said...

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

Sorun said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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 said...

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 said...

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

jacksonjay said...


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 said...


Is Richard Sherman more successful than Richard Bayless? Hmmmmm?

RecChief said...

In any case, "Move along Prole"

DanTheMan said...

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 said...

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 said...

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 said...


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

LilyBart said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bob Boyd said...

Why the secrecy?

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

Wince said...

"Why the secrecy?"

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

virgil xenophon said...

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 the artificially intelligent said...

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

n.n said...

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

Michael in ArchDen said...

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

Fen said...

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

Larry J said...

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 said...

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 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fen said...

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 said...

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

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

... 500 best friends...

Pretty sneaky sis.

SteveR said...

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 said...

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

ALP said...

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

RecChief said...

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

Unknown said...

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 said...

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 said...

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 said...

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 said...

Let them eat cake.

Will said...

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

JoyD said...

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.