Are congressional spouses dangerous? Anyone who was at Thursday’s Congressional Club luncheon with first lady Michelle Obama might be forgiven for thinking as much.
The 100-plus-year-old organization of congressional spouses regularly hosts the incumbent first lady at their annual lunch. But, as a source with knowledge of the event tells us, Thursday was the first time in the history of the luncheon that club members and their guests were made to walk through magnetometers.
“We had always been considered a ‘safe’ group as spouses of members of the House and Senate who would know their invited guests,” said the source.
Yeas & Nays also learned that last week, the club was asked for Social Security numbers for all attendees, something our source said was “impossible” to provide at the last minute.
Mrs. Obama also did not partake in the traditional photo op with members of the head table.
“I wouldn’t read too much into that,” said a Secret Service spokesman when we asked about the security. “Many security measures are visible to the general public, and many are not. But the security plan was effective.”
Mrs. Obama was warmly received by the 2,000-odd attendees, but the biggest cheer of the afternoon was for Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the only male at the head table.
“American Idol” star, Blake Lewis, from co-chair Julie Reichert’s home state of Washington, performed. The 2009 charity recipient from the luncheon was the Pediatric Interim Care Center, The Newborn Nursery, which provides care for babies prenatally exposed to drugs.
