Is crashing a party a crime? Depends on the party.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi entered a state dinner at the White House sans invitation. The pair -- somehow -- eluded several layers of security. While never served dinner, they were photographed with Vice President Biden and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel -- and with President Obama.

Apparently Michael and Tareq aspire to join the cast of a television show "The Real Housewives of D.C." They hoped their stunt would impress producers.

The couple has publicists, lawyers, a winery and enough money to pass for members of refined society. What they don't have is sense.

Or a sense of perspective, or any regard for consequences. They crashed a party where crashers are rightly regarded as potential threats against the president. Only fools do that -- and for the sake of a reality TV gig?

A lot of people don't have sense when it comes to television. Americans understand television is the royal road to fame. They have learned the Maoist proverb: Teach a man to repair a television set and he can earn a modest income. Put him on the tube and he can earn the dough to never work again.

Congressmen are demanding a full-scale investigation and perhaps prosecution. So maybe the gate crashers will be punished -- or at least discouraged.

But the Salahis already have been rewarded. Their photos are all over Facebook. They are on the front pages of many newspapers. And they are scheduled to sit before the TV camera on "Larry King Live" Monday.

Chances are they'll be doing long interviews this weekend with questioners far less sympathetic than Larry King.

Fame. The American drug of choice. Fool's choice.

-- Michael Carey

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