Ina Garten: Secret White House Choice?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Over the weekend, some readers nominated Ina Garten -- well known cookbook writer and Food Network star -- for White House executive chef. One anonymous reader went so far as to hint that Ms. Garten is a leading contender for the job. I decided to investigate... It turns out Ms. Garten is a former White House employee. "In 1978 I was working in the White House Office of Management and Budget," states her online bio for all to see (but who actually reads these days? -- besides superchefblog's highly intelligent readers, that is). Since the anonymous email sender's location seemed to be Washington, DC (or so my web god/technician traced electronically), perhaps there is even more to it, some word someone was trying to leak outside the Beltway? Security clearances can make all the difference for jobs in Washington: could Ina still have her security clearance? For that matter, do clearances like that even lapse? One can't be too carefull about such issues these days (but then again people often aren't careful -- remember the flap two months back about Jeff Gannon AKA James Guckert, the White House press pass-carrying reporter...? Obviously, no one was reading carefully or checking credentials there. Be sure to read Maureen Dowd's take "Bush's Barberini Faun." BTW, Gannon now writes his own GannonBlog.) Then of course came the clincher for me: Ina's husband is the Dean of the School of Management at -- you guessed it -- Yale University. I mean, come on! Last year during election campaigns, all we heard about was Skull & Bones and secret handshakes and the inside of the inner sanctum's inside-man list. You know there is something going down... Do I have any proof? Of course not. Nevertheless, I do read, and I can connect the dots, or at least I can when I'm paying attention. . . What do you think? Let me know... Meanwhile, don't forget to "Vote for White House Woman Chef." Previous Profiles for White House Woman Chef: Profile: Josie Le Balch for White House Chef Profile: Melissa Perello for White House Chef Profile: Alice Waters for White House Chef Profile: Jody Adams for White House Chef Profile: Tamara Murphy for White House Chef Profile: Allison Vines-Rushing for White House Chef Profile: Lucia Watson for White House Chef Profile: Barbara Lynch for White House Chef Profile: Suzanne Goin for White House Chef Profile: Louise Lamensdorf for White House Chef Profile: Anita Jaisinghani for White House Chef Profile: Julie Francis for White House Chef Profile: Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger for White House Chef Profile: Traci Des Jardins for White House Chef Profile: Anita Lo for White House Chef Profile: Sara Moulton for White House Chef Profile: Nora Pouillon for White House Chef Profile: Scooter Kanfer for White House Chef Profile: Cat Cora for White House Chef Profile: Diane Forley for White House Chef Previous articles: Media on Vote for White House Woman Chef Gabby Hayes: White House Chef? Chef John Bubala Votes Sarah Stegner Paula Deen & Friends Sante Magazine Recognizes Jody Adams Shortlisting White House Chefs? Times-Picayune: Spicer for President(ial chef) NAMC Newswire: A Woman in the White House Before 2008? Ventura, CA, Gets Into White House Chef Search Dallas-Ft. Worth Notes Chef Louise's White House Nomination Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Congratulations: James Beard Awards Nominees Ojai Valley News: Diane Forley for White House Chef Denver Supports Jennifer Jasinski for White House Chef James Beard Awards: Dearth of Top Women Chefs? Today Show Emulates Iron Chef America Wireless Flash: White House Woman Chef Fortune Smiles on superchefblog's White House Chef Poll Cat Cora Wins on Iron Chef America Anita Lo Defeats Mario Batali on Iron Chef America Atlantic Monthly: White House Chefs Cat Cora, Anita Lo: Sexing Up Iron Chef America Joe Guzzardi: If Not Governor, White House Chef Reminder 1: Vote for White House Woman Chef Vote For White House Woman Chef Superchefblog: Catalyst for White House Woman Chef? --> back to superchefblog