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Friends In High Places: The Salahis And The Famous People They Take Pictures With

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Vice President Biden and Michaele Salahi

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Tareq and Michaele Salahi may not have what it takes to get a White House state dinner invite, but the couple has far-ranging connections with the famous, near famous and wannabe famous.

Photos found across the net show the couple posing for photos with a diverse crowd of people you've heard of, ranging from Donny Osmond to John McCain to Prince Charles.

The couple's relationship with celebrity is more than just skin deep -- as we already mentioned, the Salahis claim their wedding included speeches from then-Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, among other famous names. Last year, Tareq Salahi attempted to buy his family's winery in a complex deal that he said put him at odds with celebrity investor/star of Kazaam Shaquille O'Neal. Much like the Salahis' recent attempt to get close to a celebrity for fame and fortune, the deal with Shaq resulted in some negative headlines.

Some of the big names that have stood next to the Salahis over the years:

Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)

Virginia Gov./DNC chair Tim Kaine

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY)

Matt Damon

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22 comments

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November 27, 2009 6:26 PM   

Holy crap, what happened to Matt Damon?! :P

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November 27, 2009 6:27 PM    in reply to wickning1

Looks like it's fixed now

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November 28, 2009 11:08 AM    in reply to wickning1

Should the White House Dinner Crashers be indicted?

http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=6553


.

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November 27, 2009 7:24 PM    in reply to wickning1

If he wasn't smiling, it would make a great mugshot.

These people are trophy hunters.

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November 27, 2009 7:25 PM    in reply to JEP07

With lots of bait...

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November 28, 2009 10:24 AM    in reply to JEP07

So that's what smells.

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November 28, 2009 11:01 AM    in reply to tiowally

hey, I wasn't going there...

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November 27, 2009 7:36 PM   

wheres the photo of them with John McCain? I heard they met him and Bill Clinton

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November 27, 2009 7:39 PM   

Who gives a shit.

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November 28, 2009 7:51 PM    in reply to East Coast Aussie

why did you click then...and look

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November 28, 2009 11:07 PM    in reply to alexoc949

Because it was on the front page of my favourite news website.

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November 27, 2009 11:33 PM   

Why are these people all over the damn news? who cares? get this crap off the front page.

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November 28, 2009 2:50 AM   

OK, I have to say this is the first time that I have to agree with all the people who think this is a non-story that's getting way too much coverage here. Two people with connections in high places manage to crash a state dinner at the White House. So?

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November 28, 2009 9:02 AM   

Yeah, I'll have to agree with the other posters here. It sounds like secret service didn't follow proper procedures and heads should roll for that...but beyond that, who gives a crap who these people took pictures with?

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November 28, 2009 10:50 AM    in reply to SchrodingersCat

Indeed, who cares about the Salahis.

It's a big deal because they got in. And no one invited them. And this is supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the world. And the Secret Service seems to be all thumbs with damage control. Why?

Sure, they passed through "magnetometers" or metal detectors. But so did the White House tour guest who brought in a vial of spray paint and defaced some of the art in the Green Room some years ago before Agents could react.

White House security was supposed to be better than that.

Did the Secret Service screw this one up on its own. Or since this was the first Obama state dinner, did the decisions of the White House staff somehow allow a guest to get past a first checkpoint?

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November 28, 2009 10:59 AM   

watta buncha spoilsports!

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November 28, 2009 11:52 AM   

Salahis’ Real Threat to Obama: Photos Also Reveal Them in Dallas and St. Petersburg
http://satiricalpolitical.com/2009/11/28/salahis-real-threat-obama-photos/

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November 29, 2009 9:51 AM   

An interesting part of this story is that Tareq goes around telling everybody (who will listen) that she's an ex-Redskins cheerleader. She attends their reunions but none of the real cheerleaders remember her. Seems pretty flat chested to be a pro cheerleader. The old man should cough up for some chesticles.
Being from Illinois, I'm most impressed that they've met Roland "I bought my job from Blago" Burris. Maybe he'll put their names on his tomb.
http://images.politico.com/global/blogs/081230_burris1_oconnor.jpg

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November 29, 2009 11:36 AM   

Can't be mad at them for stealing a taxpayer dinner. Politicians do it all the time.

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December 1, 2009 12:54 AM   

Fortune hunters is all they are. Can we get some news for grown-ups someday?

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December 2, 2009 6:50 PM   

CNN did some digging so here's some statistics to go along with their picture:
Oasis Winery filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in February, according to U.S. Bankruptcy Court records in the Eastern District of Virginia. Tareq Salahi is listed as company president in the filing. Creditors listed include the IRS, Fauquier County, the state of Virginia, several banks and American Express Corp., among others. The company claims about $335,000 in assets and $965,000 in liabilities.

Among the debts listed are more than $60,000 in credit card debt and an "unknown" amount in federal back taxes.

"Debtor has not filed corporate taxes since tax year 2006," the filing says. "Has always previously had business loss, with refund flowing to shareholders."

Also listed is a $65 parking ticket in Montgomery County, Maryland, nearly $3,000 in gasoline purchases to Exxon-Mobil and more than $95,000 in legal fees.

According to the February filing, Oasis made $1.7 million in 2007 but only $35,000 in 2008. The filing lists two pending lawsuits against Oasis, one for more than $300,000 for "catering services" and one judgment against the company.

Under "repossessions," the filing lists a 2004 Aston Martin, which it estimates was worth $150,000 when it was repossessed in October 2008. Some $85,000 was still owed, according to the filing. In addition, a boat valued at $90,000 was repossessed in June 2008, with $56,000 still owed, according to court documents.

The company also had closed a checking account, $3,800 in the red, about a year before the filing.

Oasis owes $224,000 "for rental of FedEx Redskins Suite and related hospitality services," according to court documents.

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