By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
WASHINGTON — Apparently party crashers Tarek and Michaele Salahi aren’t the only ones who can get into the White House without an invite.
The Associated Press reported a Georgia couple showed up to the White House a day early for a tour and ended up at an invitation-only breakfast with President Barack Obama and wife Michelle on Veterans Day.
“It left the White House once again explaining how people who were not on an event guest list wound up being ushered into the presidential mansion anyway,” AP reported.
The news service reported that Harvey and Paula Darden of Hogansville, Ga., who are Obama supporters, showed up on Veterans day, two weeks before the famous Salahi appearance. They thought they were there for a tour, but there were no tours that day.
They went through the requisite security screenings and background check, AP reported.
The AP reported that Darden, 67, a retired pharmacist and Navy vet thought they were starting a tour arranged by their Congressman, but were ushered in to the East Room for a buffet breakfast that would be attended by the President.
Apparently they told a White House aide, who, according to Darden told them to “just go with the flow”, AP reported. An aide then asked if he was a veteran, and when he said yes, was asked to stay.
AP reported that Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said agents checked the Dardens’ names and did a criminal background check. That was not done for the Salahis.
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