Last night, President Obama hosted the annual Congressional Picnic on the White House lawn. The AP reported on the affair:
WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress lined up near a fire pit on the South Lawn on Tuesday to eat Northwest-style salmon while others chomped down on Chicago-style hot dogs. It was all part of the White House's annual congressional picnic, and this year the event featured foods from regions across the country for a "Tastes of the States" theme.
Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., stood in line for a Northwestern specialty of salad and salmon, cooked and smoked in a pit yards away from him. He said he came to be "part of the tradition."
A White House pool report broke down the "Taste of the States" offerings:
The picnic meal options are broken down by region: The Northwest region features the smoked salmon, cooked in a massive (and, appropriately enough, smokey) fire pit. The Northwest food station is within view of your pool and in addition to salmon there appears to be some sort of veggie cous cous as well as green salad. Representing the Midwest, there's a Chicago-style hot dog stand. The Southwest tent has tacos, according to Reid Cherlin. The Northeast and Southeast are also represented, but their food tents are too far away for your pool to discern what's on offer.
For more photos -- including the president and the first lady with Bo in tow, check out this HuffPost slideshow.
The pool reports provided additional color from last night:
Your pool was ushered to the South Lawn at 6:25 pm. Now holding behind a rope enjoying the mild evening temperature and watching revelers take part in the festivities at the White House's annual congressional picnic. The South Lawn is rung by a circle of approximately a half dozen white tents which house food tents and various food prep functions. In the middle of the lawn are a large cluster of wooden picnic tables covered in burlap table clothes and populated by members of Congress, their families, and various other invited guests.
It's quite the shmoozefest.
Last year's Congressional Picnic was Hawaiian luau themed, in celebration of President Obama's home state.