Party Like the President

ABC News’ Ann Compton Reports: Laura Bush’s low-key entertaining style is in for a make-over as a long time family acquaintance arrives to become the new Social Secretary for the White House.

Just minutes after Mrs. Bush’s office e-mailed that Lea Berman has departed after two years, another West Wing e-mail announced the choice of Amy Zantzinger. According to the official government biography, Zantzinger worked in mid-level jobs during the first Bush administration and handled family schedules during that President Bush’s unsuccessful 1992 re-election campaign. During the 1988 campaign she was executive assistant to George W. Bush, long before he had presidential ambitions of his own.

Zantzinger briefly worked protocol events for the Mayor of San Francisco then turned to interior decorating. She takes over party planning at a critical juncture for this presidency.  The Chief Usher who has run operations for 20 years departs the job tomorrow, and Queen Elizabeth is coming for a hugely important state visit this spring. 

Note to Ms. Zantzinger: you are about to hear from "best friends" you never knew you had — all of them convinced you NEED them at the Queen’s banquet!