Desiree Rogers will say goodbye to the White House and all that jazz in a month according to her announced resignation. President Obama and the First Lady issued a statement expressing no hard feelings between the first couple and the Social Secretary. Desiree Rogers came to the White House with her fancy MBA degree and taste for organizing parties. Below is an attempt to sum up her service illustrated with official White House photos.

“We are enormously grateful to Desiree Rogers for the terrific job she’s done as the White House Social Secretary. When she took this position, we asked Desiree to help make sure that the White House truly is the People’s House, and she did that by welcoming scores of everyday Americans through its doors, from wounded warriors to local schoolchildren to NASCAR drivers. She organized hundreds of fun and creative events during her time here, and we will miss her. We thank her again for her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

Desiree Rogers described her time at the White House with the following words:

The greatest joy that this job affords – and there are many – is the chance to throw open the doors and invite Americans into the White House and expose them to the talents of their fellow Americans. One of the ways that the First Lady has been doing is this is through the White House Music Series.

The series brought to the White House a string of celebrities that gave Desiree Rogers the opportunity to mingle with the stars. At the same time the First Lady Michelle Obama was stuck in her vegetable garden and the WH kitchen (I mean that not literally but image wise). Desire Rogers made it on few fancy magazine covers. That made the Washington DC rumor machine to circulate the idea that the Social Secretary is overshadowing the First Lady trying to keep her in the kitchen while Rogers was star rubbing.

The question was even asked at a White House briefing. The member of the press insisted that there are rumors that Desiree is becoming “the belle of the ball, overshadowing the First Lady at the beginning” of the President’s term. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insisted the rumors are false and the first family is happy with her work and consider her a family friend.

Desiree tried to create a policy of an Open to the public White House. The PR strategy was very popular until the moment when the USA realized the policies are so open that a couple without invitation was able to attend the first State Dinner.

The Salahis Party Crashers made it all the way to the President in one of the most high profile breaches of security during the new administration.

The Congress subpoenaed Desiree Rogers to explain why she did not send a staffer with a list of the guest to assist the Secret Service at the entry points. The White House stood by her and did not let her testify. The public will remember Desiree’s fancy outfit at the dinner where she went partying instead of doing her Social Secretary job.

The whole set-up of the state dinner was a disaster. Instead of using the convenient dining and ball rooms available to the US government – the White House party geniuses decided to raise a special tent for the occasion. The country was just getting over the fact that Muammar Gaddafi was able to pitch a tent on US soil and having a tent state dinner was not a popular idea. It also costs extra than using the White House dining halls and the tax-payer’s sensitivity for spending and waste doomed the dinner setting long before the event started.


The party crashers became an instant international celebrities as the folks around the world were poking fun at Secret Service. The Obamas let the security officers to take the blame and saved their dear friend.
The image of too much parting around the White House was most discussed during the Fiesta Latina event. President Obama joined the podium in weird dance moves. The folks around the USA did not get it. Most noticed that conga lines in the White House are a sign of bad taste during a recession when people are joining the unemployment lines.

Jazz, country and classic music “each event enlivens the White House with the sounds of music from dawn till dusk”- says Desire Rogers in her post at the White House blog. She really made a lot of effort to bring glamour to the life of the First Couple. Here are the most unforgettable images of events organized by The Social Secretary.

Desiree Rogers was probably not aware of the Chairman Mao decoration on one of the White House Christmas trees but there was the controversy in which Rogers thought that the traditional Nativity set will not be displayed in 2009. The idea was very unpopular and at the end baby Jesus made it to his rightful place in the White House Christmas décor.

Desiree Rogers is no doubt a skillful PR person and a fabulous party planner, but her work did not rise up to the expectation for a White House Social Secretary. I am sure she will have much better time in the private business world, where she will be free from the tax-payers endless complain about “too much fun” and “not enough security”.

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