October 13th, 2011
11:24 PM ET
Welcome to the State Dinner President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcome South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his wife Kim Yoon-ok in the Cross Hall as they arrive for a State Dinner at the White House.  Notable attendees at tonight's State dinner include former tennis great Billy Jean King - shown here receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House on Aug. 12, 2009; CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley - shown speaking at the CBS Evening News Presentation on Aug. 3, 2011; and actor John Cho - shown attending The OxFam Party on Nov. 18, 2010. (Suzanne Malveaux/CNN; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images; and Getty Images for Esquire House)
October 13th, 2011
06:33 PM ET
Who got a ticket to the State Dinner?Below is a list of expected attendees at tonight’s State Dinner. The President and Mrs. Obama His Excellency Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea Mr. Charles C. Adams, Jr., Geneva, Switzerland Ms. Angella Ahn, Performer, Bozeman, MT Ms. Lucia Ahn, Performer, New York, NY Ms. Maria Ahn, Performer, New York, NY The Honorable Brooke Anderson, Washington, DC  Photographs of a phone call between President Obama and Speaker Boehner on April 8, 2011 (White House and Office of Speaker John Boehner)
October 13th, 2011
06:24 PM ET
Speaker Boehner pushes back over the phone Sometime this afternoon President Obama made a phone call to House Speaker John Boehner to congratulate him on passing the three free trade agreements sent over to congress earlier this month. But according to a readout released by the speaker’s office, the call quickly became a bit more confrontational when Boehner challenged the president on some comments made earlier today at his press conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. When asked by CNN’s Jessica Yellin about his decision not to negotiate with Republicans on Capitol Hill over the details of his jobs plan, President Obama returned to some of the rhetoric he’s been using on the road in recent weeks, challenging Republicans to come up with their own proposals if they refuse to support his. Here’s what the president said:
Well, during the phone call this afternoon Boehner challenged the president’s characterization of Republican inaction. Here’s the speaker’s office readout of the call: FULL POST 
October 13th, 2011
06:13 PM ET
State Dinner entertainmentThe White House will host entertainment in the State Dining Room following the dinner in the East Room, featuring performances by the Ahn Trio and selections by Janelle Monáe. THE AHN TRIO JANELLE MONÁE 
October 13th, 2011
05:53 PM ET
What's for dinner?The President and Mrs. Obama will host His Excellency President Lee Myung-bak and Mrs. Kim Yoon-ok for a State Dinner on the night of October 13th, 2011. The State Dinner will be held in the East Room of the White House. White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and White House Executive Pastry Chef William Yosses have constructed the evening’s menu using local ingredients, including produce grown in the White House Kitchen Garden. A Fall Harvest Dinner Local Menu Selection First Course Second Course Main Course Dessert An American wine will be paired with each course
October 13th, 2011
05:18 PM ET
October 13th, 2011
10:55 AM ET
Paging the White House blooper reel Not every White House events runs smoothly, especially one that involves hundreds of people on a soggy South Lawn. Such was the case Thursday when the president formally welcomed South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. First, White House officials scrapped the outdoor event as rain continued to fall in the early morning hours, only to reverse course last minute and hold the ceremony on the South Lawn as planned. But while conditions initially looked to be improving, the skies soon opened up again just as the South Korean President arrived in his motorcade. Meanwhile a driver in the motorcade appeared confused over where to stop on the White House driveway and then proceeded to clip a television cable that temporarily disrupted the feed of the event. When the motorcade finally came to a stop in the right position, a military guard had trouble opening the door of President Lee’s limo, taking more than 11 seconds for the South Korean president and his wife to emerge as President Obama and the more-than 300 guests looked on in silence. Things didn’t exactly smooth out from there. As President Lee was walking to the stage, he bumped his head on a large umbrella. Then, as the two presidents greeted guests, a large speaker began to fall toward them - prompting Obama to quickly balance it with his hands. As the ground continued to grow soggy, the two men cut short their greet time with guests, opting instead to take cover inside rather than make the rounds across the entire lawn. It’s safe to say the press conference later today will be indoors. - CNN’s Virginia Nicolaidis contributed to this report. 
October 13th, 2011
08:31 AM ET
Campaign Corner: Obama, DNC raise $70MAs predicted, Obama campaign officials were indeed lowering expectations when they predicted a couple weeks ago the campaign would only raise $55 million during the third quarter. Still, the $70 million cash haul ($42.8 of which goes to the Obama campaign and the rest to the Democratic National Committee) is significantly less than the $86 million that was raised in the quarter before. The Obama camp chalks up the lower dollar figure to the fact the president was not able to fundraise during most of the summer do to the debt ceiling debate. The latest info from CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn:
More HERE 
October 13th, 2011
08:11 AM ET
Previewing the South Korean visitYou've probably heard by now the South Korean president is making an official state visit to the White House today. Here is the CNN Wire's preview of the day:
October 13th, 2011
07:51 AM ET
POTUS' Day Ahead: Welcoming South KoreaGood morning from the White House. It's a busy day of diplomacy here as President Obama welcomes South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to the White House in an official State visit. The festivities begin at 9:00 a.m., when the official welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House will take place. Later, Obama and Vice President Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Lee in the Oval Office, and then a larger meeting with the president's and other members of the delegation in the Cabinet Room. At 12:20 p.m., the two leaders will go before cameras for an official press conference where the format will likely be limited to two questions each from members of the American and South Korean Press. But the real pomp and circumstance will happen this evening, when the president and first lady host an official state Dinner for South Korea - the first in honor of that country in 13 years. Full schedule after the jump |
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