White House gatecrashers 'biggest political losers of 2009'

The White House gatecrashers, who shot to fame for strolling their way into President Barack Obama's state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, without an invitation, have been named the 'biggest political losers' of this year.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, who also rubbed elbows with the likes of President Obama, US Vice-President Joe Biden and Indian PM, and triumphantly posted photos of their coup on social networking site 'Facebook', has earned the distinction in a recent Gallup poll.

The poll, in which some 70 per cent of 1,025 Americans surveyed said the Salahis were 'the biggest political losers', came just weeks after the Virginia couple were featured in the 'Time' magazine that gave them the seventh spot on its 'Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities' list of 2009.

However, among this year's winners, US First Lady Michelle Obama has got the highest marks with 73 per cent of Americans voting for her, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has come second with 70 per cent of the respondents choosing her, and Obama managing to grab 58 per cent votes.

Others labelled "losers" include South Carolina Repeblican Joe Wilson, who became famous after his "You Lie!" outburst at President Obama, South Carolina's Governor Mark Sanford, whose fling with an Argentinean woman became public, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Interestingly, former Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin came close though with some 49 per cent of the respondents saying she was a loser and 46 per cent claiming she's a winner.

Photo courtesy: White House