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President Obama meets the Salahis at Wednesday’s state dinner.

Washington (CNN) - An internal investigation into a couple who crashed the White House state dinner this week has found that Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint, the agency said Friday.

"The Secret Service is deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner on Tuesday," the agency said in a statement Friday. "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list."

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the couple who allegedly crashed this week's White House state dinner, met President Barack Obama in a reception line at the event, a White House official told CNN on Friday.

An internal investigation has found that Secret Service agents did not follow protocol at a security checkpoint.

Full Secret Service statement after the jump:

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(Photo credit: Getty Images) Michelle Obama and her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, began Christmas preparations Friday, receiving the official White House Christmas tree.  Continuing a White House tradition, the tree was delivered on a carriage to the North Portico. It will be decorated and displayed in the Blue Room later during the day. This year's tree is 18.5 feet tall and was grown on a farm by Eric and Gloria Sundback in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Washington (CNN) – The United States Friday warned Iran that it is prepared to push for significantly stronger economic sanctions on Tehran in the wake of a resolution by the IAEA censuring Iran’s nuclear program.

“We are committed to putting together a package of consequences if we don’t find a willing partner," said senior administration officials authorized to speak with reporters on the condition their names not be used. "We hope Iran takes note of that clear message.”

The board of governors of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, passed a resolution Friday supported by 25 nations demanding Iran stop construction of its previously secret nuclear facility at Qom, and stop uranium enrichment which can be used for producing fuel for a nuclear device.

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A new group wants Dick Cheney to challenge President Obama in 2012.

Washington (CNN) – A new group wants former Vice President Dick Cheney back in the White House.

The organization - "Draft Dick Cheney 2012" - launched on Friday, and unveiled their new Web site. Their aim: To convince the former vice president to seek the Republican presidential nomination in the next race for the White House. But there may be a major roadblock to the group's pitch - Cheney himself.

"The 2012 race for the Republican nomination for President will be about much more then who will be the party's standard bearer against Barack Obama, the race is about the heart and soul of the GOP," said Christopher Barron, one of the organizers of the Draft Cheney movement. "There is only one person in our party with the experience, political courage and unwavering commitment to the values that made our party strong – and that person is Dick Cheney."

The former vice president has been a frequent outspoken critic of the Obama administration's security policy. He recently suggested that Obama was "dithering" over deciding on adding more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. National polls suggest that the former vice president remains popular among conservatives and Republicans.

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Washington (CNN) – Two Secret Service agents visited a Virginia winery Friday to question a couple whose appearance at a White House state dinner raised eyebrows this week, the winery manager told CNN.

Diane Weiss, manager at the Oasis Winery, in Hume, Virginia, said the agents wanted to speak with Tareq and Michaele Salahi, but Weiss didn't know their whereabouts.

The Secret Service could not be reached for comment.

The Warren County Report, a local newspaper, quoted Weiss as saying the agents said they wanted to speak with the couple and not arrest them. It also quoted her as saying that the Salahis live in Linden, Virginia but receive mail at the winery.

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CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley tells CNN's John Lisk some of what to expect as President Obama gets ready to make his Tuesday announcement on troop strength in Afghanistan.

Washington (CNN) - The Virginia couple accused of crashing President Obama's first White House state dinner on Tuesday are named in at least 16 different civil suits in Fauquier County, sometimes as plaintiffs, sometimes as defendants.

A trawl through court records on Thursday revealed a more complete picture of Tareq and Michaele Salahi, who have left an extensive paper trail in federal bankruptcy and state court filings.

The couple was spotted rubbing elbows with the likes of Vice President Joe Biden and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel at Tuesday's dinner, but the Secret Service says they were not invited.

A Secret Service checkpoint "did not follow proper procedures" to determine if the two were on the guest list, said Edwin M. Donovan, a Secret Service special agent, in a statement.

Full story

First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to receive the official White House Christmas tree at 2 p.m. ET Friday.

Continuing a White House tradition, the tree will be delivered on a carriage to the North Portico and will be installed and decorated in the Blue Room later during the day.

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The devil's in the details, as the White House found at last night's state dinner. The admission of a pair of party-crashers wasn't the only unplanned misstep Wednesday, apparently: The New York Times pointed to a string of typos in the evening's menu. Can you spot the errors below? (Answers after the jump)

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The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news: www.CNNPolitics.com.

CNN: White House crashers named in 16 civil suits
The Virginia couple accused of crashing President Obama's first White House state dinner on Tuesday are named in at least 16 different civil suits in Fauquier County, sometimes as plaintiffs, sometimes as defendants.

POLITICO: Party crashers recorded by Bravo crew at White House state dinner
Two aspiring socialites who allegedly slipped uninvited into the White House for a state dinner Tuesday night were being filmed by a camera crew for a reality television show as they prepared for their headline-grabbing caper.

Los Angeles Times: Democrats work on multibillion-dollar jobs package
Troubled by the rising jobless rate, President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are assembling a new jobs package that would devote billions of dollars to projects meant to put people back on payrolls in 2010 and keep them working.

ABC News: Obama, GOP Air Differences Over Jobs, Economy In Thanksgiving Addresses
On this Thanksgiving, President Obama and top House Republican Mike Pence, R-Ind., each used his party’s weekly address in a bipartisan display of gratitude for U.S. servicemen and women serving abroad.

Albany Times Union: State's creditors always first in line for payment
Gov. David Paterson has been warning that the state will run out of cash next month if lawmakers can't agree to eliminate the $3.2 billion deficit facing New York this fiscal year.

Wall Street Journal: IAEA Chief Says Iran Talks at 'Dead End'
Iran appeared headed for further confrontation with the U.S. and other world powers over its nuclear program after the chief of the United Nations' atomic watchdog said the agency's cooperation with Tehran had reached a "dead end."

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CNN Political Editor Mark Preston and CNN's John Lisk discuss President Obama's announcement on Afghanistan next week... and talk a little turkey, too.

New York (CNN) – When the White House needed a chef for their first state dinner on Tuesday, they called on award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson. He was even allowed to use vegetables from the White House garden!

For Thanksgiving, the CNN Political Ticker asked Samuelsson for a recipe to share with our readers. If you happen to be getting a late start on your holiday cooking, check out what he gave us after the jump.

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A U.S. soldier celebrates Thanksgiving in Afghanistan.

(Compiled by CNN's Emily Sherman)

Washington (CNN) - Members of the Best Political Team on Television – and some of the politicians they cover – say they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, from the service of the U.S. military to healthy kids, “a brand new hip” and a recount-free holiday season:

CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley: “Always and forever I am most grateful for my healthy, amazing, wise children who teach me things everyday. I am also grateful it is not an election year, and I'm not celebrating Thanksgiving in a hotel covering a recount or a transition.”

CNN Anchor John King: “I'm most thankful for the love and support of my wife and two remarkable children. And grateful for the opportunity to visit 45 states in the past 11 months and meet so many wonderful people.”

Democratic strategist and CNN Political Analyst Paul Begala: “This Thanksgiving I am especially thankful for America's military families. I never even finished the Boy Scouts, much less wore the uniform. But I am keenly aware that I owe my freedom to the men and women who have served in the past and who serve today.

"I married an Army brat. Her mother and father raised four children while moving over a dozen times to bases across America and in Europe. Twice my father in law was deployed to Viet Nam. He served with honor and distinction – and he would be the first to tell you his service would not have been possible without the support of his wife and children.

“So to every military mom and dad, every service spouse, and every child who has to move every year or two; who has to soldier on at home while a loved one risks life and limb abroad, I say thank you. About one percent of Americans bear the burden of defending the other 99 percent of us. So on behalf of the 99, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

(After the jump: President Obama, congressional leaders and others weigh in)

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Britney Spears isn't the only headline-grabber who hit it big in the 90s to angle for a comeback this fall: Nearly a decade-and-a-half after the last big term limits push fell short, there's a new congressional proposal to cap the amount of time lawmakers can serve - giving US Term Limits President Philip Blumel new hope the idea's proponents may be able to put an end to the age of the career politician.

But once again, the plan's gotten an underwhelming reception - just three senators have signed on to South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's new bill, S.J.RES 21. And the odds are even steeper than they appear at first glance: To pass, the bill can't just get a simple majority - it's got to earn support from two-thirds of the House and Senate, and defeat critics who argue that the position is short-sighted, leading to inexperienced politicians who can't handle complex domestic and foreign policy challenges.

That criticism is off-base, argues Blumel. The USTL president makes the case for term limits in a CNN Radio interview with Political Editor Mark Preston.

Washington (CNN) - In his weekly Internet and radio address released on Thanksgiving Day, President Obama is mixing politics and policy with typical holiday sentiments.

Less than a week before Obama is set to announce his decision on troop levels in Afghanistan, the president paid tribute to the U.S. military and the families of service members.

"We keep in our thoughts and prayers the many families marking this Thanksgiving with an empty seat – saved for a son or daughter, or husband or wife, stationed in harm's way. And we say a special thanks for the sacrifices those men and women in uniform are making for our safety and freedom, and for all those Americans who enrich the lives of our communities through acts of kindness, generosity and service."

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