Michaele Salahi: White House Crasher Cast on 'Real Housewives of DC'

It's come to this.

Michaele and Tareq Salahi are finally, officially, stars of Bravo's "Real Housewives of D.C." And what the network calls "the most talked about" installment in the series airs Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. ET.

Clearly Bravo figured the couple's myriad problems -- from that pesky federal probe into whether they lied about how they crashed the White House state dinner last November to a U.S. Agriculture Department probe into whether Tareq misused a $100,000 grant he received for a Virginia wine tourism study -- would only draw more viewers.

All the couple's hard work has paid off, from hours spent in hair salons to being trailed by camera crews all over town (including one that followed them to the White House dinner, but not inside the gates). Loved that brief Secret Service traffic stop of their limo last month near the White House as the second state dinner was getting under way (they were heading to a restaurant, they insisted, when their driver screwed up). And all those times each of them took the Fifth Amendment before an increasingly annoyed House committee in January. Talk about great TV!!!

They will now become more famous than ever. And trust me, whether you think it's a good thing in our celeb-obsessed culture, or another sign of America's descent into pop culture hell, the Salahis couldn't be happier. It's just part of their DNA.

Never mind that of the five lovely ladies chosen -- though at times it has seemed to be the Michaele and Tareq Show -- four are white in this majority African-American capital, only one actually lives in the city, one is divorced and another now appears to be estranged from her hubby. Nor are any of them directly in involved in politics, the real business of D.C.

But as the Bravo publicity machine explains, all these stars will help us understand "the unwritten social rules of the Beltway . . . the nexus of politics, society and even race, as well as how the proximity to political power dictates where one fits within Beltway society."

Housewives in other cities have brought us table tossing, tantrum throwing, mother-daughter bonding through plastic surgery and always, vamping and camping it up in very high heels and slinky dresses.

Okay, local ladies . . . it's time for your close-ups.

Mary Schmidt Amons, married to Rich Amons for 20 years, mother of five, and granddaughter of radio and TV pioneer Arthur Godfrey. Her charities are, of course, fashion related. Her bio says she spent childhood summers at "Kennedy residences" but doesn't tell us whose.

Lynda Erkiletian, dubbed by Bravo the show's "mother hen," and founder/owner of T.H.E. Artist Agency, (models, silly). Divorced, four kids, with a considerably younger boyfriend, Ebong (an aspiring fashion designer, of course). Likes to shoot clay pigeons at her country home for fun. Oh, and cooks fried chicken.

Catherine Ommanney, British, an interior designer who coyly revealed she'd had one long, soulful kiss with a much younger Prince Harry years ago in London. Came to this country with her two children and new husband, Newsweek photographer Charles Ommanney, from whom she is now estranged. The marriage couldn't endure the stress of all those cameras and production folk in the love nest, a friend told the Washington Post. "Inbox Full," her "racy" novel about being single in London, comes out later this year.

Stacie Scott Turner, a Harvard MBA turned real estate agent, the show's only African-American. Married to Jason Turner, with whom she moves among the city's "unique brew of local, federal and international players." Mother of two and founder of a charity for teenage girls living in foster care.

And of course, Michaele Salahi, former model, our lady of the red sari, and maybe or maybe not a former Washington Redskins cheerleader (squad officials have no record of her participation.) She and Tareq co-founded America's Polo Cup, which he captains. They held a U.S.-India tournament here last weekend, without official sponsorship of either country. They also are involved in the Oasis Winery, a family enterprise involving bitter legal disputes with other Salahis. With not a trace of irony, the Bravo release tells us, "Michaele has met numerous leaders across the globe." One presumes they include President Obama and Vice President Biden, with whom they were photographed at the White House.

Stay tuned . . .