Senator Kerry invited to State Dinner at WH Tonight

[ObamaKerryDem]

Not that it should be any surprise, lol, but I still think it's pretty neat :):


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/24/state-dinner-guest-list-b_n_365029.html


The Honorable (Senator) John Kerry, United States Senator (D/Massachusetts)

[YvonneCa]

1. CNN had a clip of the Senator...

...walking in...Larry King, I think.

[JI7]

4. it looked like he came by himself

but he looked really good.

[Luftmensch067]

2. JK right at the beginning of this cspan video!

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/215931

[beachmom]

3. Hope he doesn't mind a meatless dinner! I was reading menu items for the dinner on Twitter

earlier today, and it sounded really good. P.M. Singh is of course a vegetarian.

[karynnj]

5. It sounded good to me!

It wasn't vegetarian, though it was meatless, as it had prawns.

[beachmom]

6. Here is an article from India:

http://www.news.calcuttatube.com/americas/vegetarian-fare-at-white-house-save-for-the-prawns-200911256440.html

Vegetarian fare at the White House Save the Prawns

Washington, Nov 25 (IANS) Save for an option of green curry prawns, President Barack Obama offered his guests an all-vegetarian fare at his first state dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who one newspaper had described as an 'abstemious vegetarian.'

Dubbed by some as Washington's most elite social event since his Jan 20 inauguration, the Tuesday dinner also featured fresh arugula from the White House garden and entertainment by Oscar winners A.R. Rahman and Jennifer Hudson.


The food and wines on the menu:


- Potato and eggplant salad


- White House arugula with onion seed vinaigrette


- 2008 sauvignon blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, Calif.


- Red lentil soup with fresh cheese


- 2006 Riesling, Brooks 'Ara,' Willamette Valley, Ore.


- Roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, chick peas and okra or green curry prawns, caramelized salsify with smoked collard greens and coconut-aged basmati


- 2007 grenache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, Calif.


- Pumpkin pie tart, pear tatin, whipped cream and caramel sauce


- Sparkling chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Va.


- Petits fours and coffee


- Cashew brittle


- Pecan pralines


- Passion fruit and vanilla gelees


- Chocolate-dipped fruit

Heck, I could turn into a vegetarian if I was fed this type of menu daily! It's amazing what ideas and flavors open up once you omit the meat, and it appears possibly dairy and eggs as well. I think the prawns were thrown in so that people who so choose could get some extra protein.

[wisteria]

7. Yes, a majority of the menu sounded wonderful. Of course, I would have no reservations about

eating any of the deserts.

[karynnj]

8. I love Indian food and used to cook only vegetarian and fish

which was a compromise because my husband was vegetarian. He agreed that fish was ok back when I was pregnant with my first kid. Recently, he decided to add chicken. The kids were all vegetarians, but only one still is.

[wisteria]

9. I an not a vegetarian, but I lean towards eating this way.

I could use a little more vegetables though and less meat. My age is creeping up on me and it is difficult to maintain a good weight. I just do not know how to prepare vegetables other than plain old steaming them. My youngest daughter is studying to be a dietitian and she eats very well mostly vegetables, chicken and fish-she is always trying to correct my eating habits.

[Inuca]

10. Did I dream or

did I actually hear that he was seated at the predidential table? I put on some news the other night while going to sleep, but I was in altered state tired from a long trip + jet lag. I distinctly remember seeing JK's silhouette coming to the WH, I literally do not know if the seating part was real or not.

[wisteria]

11. According to this article he was indeed at the President's table.

Also, omnipresent as ever was the high profile Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, who was seated on President Obama's table along with Senator John F Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, .

http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/25/power-politics-dazzle-obamas-dinner-to-pm.htm

[fedupinBushcountry]

12. Here's the only pic

I could find. I was wondering where Teresa was.

[wisteria]

13. Thanks for the picture. I was also wondering where Teresa was.

Maybe she headed home early for the holiday.

[Inuca]

16. Glad to see I did not dream of it

(I like JK a lot, but actually dreaming of him may be a bit worisome :-)). Interesting to see Powell there. To Obama's right and left are, I assume, the Indian PM's wife and Pelosi.

[blm]

14. Likely because Obama trusts Kerry who just happens to speak 4 languages.

No surprise he'd feel most secure with Kerry at his table.

[wisteria]

15. No doubt there. n/t

[karynnj]

17. I would bet that it is because he knows that Kerry has met with the Indian PM in the past

and he could trust Kerry to be a major positive at the table. It also likely continues to send a message to that part of the world that, although he does not represent Obama, he has Obama's ear and is well regarded.