McCaskill’s hubby lunches with the ladies
WASHINGTON—Joseph Shepard, husband of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, enjoyed one of the perks of being a congressional spouse Monday: a White House luncheon with First Lady Laura Bush.
The menu was exquisite, if a bit dainty—including a salad of “young lettuces” drizzled with “rhubarb vinaigrette” and “fricassee of Maryland crab.” Desert was warm huckleberry tart and each guest got a silver notepad holder from the First Lady, along with some special White House chocolates.
With the Senate still mostly a chummy good-old-boy’s club, the spouses lunch is traditionally a ladies’ affair. Shepard was one of only three men at the event. He palled around with John Bessler (husband of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.) and Ray Hutchison (husband of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas), as well as the women spouses in attendance.
“It was a fabulous lunch,” Shepard said in a news release about the event. “I mean, really, I’ve never heard of rhubarb vinaigrette!”
Quipped McCaskill: “Right. In Missouri, we put rhubarb in pie.”
Sen. Hutchison (R-TX) as Chair of the Republican Policy Committe would be dusmayed at being called a Democrat.
But, I’m sure Mrs. Bush was a warm and gracious host at the White House. I wish Mrs. Bush’s daughter well on her marriage on the date of my 11th anniversary!