How much did that "tent" cost?

Just asking.


From Obama Foodorama via Mommy Life,

The "tent" is more of a bullet-proof pavilion, though the White House is referring to it as a "tent." It has glassed-in windows, lights, a sound system, heaters, and hard floor...as well as two satellite structures on each side.

The Post reports:

There were so many ways for the fantasy to transform into a soggy and muddy nightmare. And yet it didn't.

Not much chance of mud. The thing had a solid floor that was several feet above the ground.


The Post gives credit to the first lady for the over-the-top extravagance of the first state dinner:

For her debut as the first hostess, Michelle Obama had eschewed the standard and more manageable gathering of about 130 in the State Dining Room. Instead, she and the president welcomed some 400 guests, who made their way through a receiving line and then on to cocktails and dinner under the tent.

I understand that state dinners are de rigueur and pomp and circumstance have their place. But if the Obamas had stuck with the usual 130 guests they wouldn't have had to build a new house in the back yard. The White House is already well-equipped to host state dinners. But the Obamas don't think small. Their talk about sacrificing and belt-tightening is for thee.

Linked at Michelle Malkin (buzzworthy)

Most recent posts here.