Obama’s final state dinner
President Obama gave the welcome toast at the 13th and final state dinner of his presidency on Tuesday night, telling a star-studded crowd at the White House that American democracy has always been "embraced by a touch of Italy."
"Our declaration that all men are created equal was penned by Thomas Jefferson, and it was a concept shared by his friend from Florence — Firenze — Filippo Mazzei," Obama said. "We stand before the Lincoln Memorial and see the work of the Piccirilli brothers. We look at the dome of the U.S. Capitol and marvel at the touch of Brumidi. Then again, some days our presidential campaign can seem like Dante's 'Inferno.’"
Before nearly 400 guests — including Mario Andretti, Giorgio Armani, John Turturro and Gwen Stefani — Obama praised the "spirit" of Italian-Americans. The event was held to welcome Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the United States.
See the full story by Dylan Stableford/Yahoo News.
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