Were They Invited or Not?

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," December 1, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Well, were they invited, or not? There is breaking news tonight about the infamous White House party crashers. The Associate Press reports that the couple went to the state dinner without an invitation. The Associated Press says it obtained an email between the couple and a federal official allegedly sent hours after the party.

The couple admits they went without a confirmed invitation, hoping they could get approved at the last minute. The alleged crashers say they missed a voice mail saying they were not on the guest list. Just this morning, the couple insisted they were invited.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELE SALAHI, ALLEGED WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHER: Invited, not crashers, and there isn't anyone that would have the audacity or the poor behavior to do that. The White House is the most -- it is The House, and no one would do that.

TAREQ SALAHI, ALLEGED WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHER: We are going to be coming up to New York City (INAUDIBLE), and we are going to show you documentation from emails that you will get a chance to see.

It has been just devastating, what has happened to Michaele and I, and our friends, colleagues, business partners.

M. SALAHI: Our lives have been destroyed.

T. SALAHI: Our lives have really been destroyed.

M. SALAHI: Everything we worked for, Matt. For me 44 years just destroyed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: Fox's own Griff Jenkins found the couple but they did not want to talk, at least not to Griff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFF JENKINS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Salahi, who invited you? Will you give us a name? Who invited you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The White House says that you were not invited. Is the White House lying?

JENKINS: Are they lying, sir? Is the White House lying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you give me a name sir?

JENKINS: Can you give us a name? Is the White House lying?

Michaele, Tareq -- will you talk to us for a second? Can you clear up just simply the misunderstanding? Who invited you? Can you tell us that?

Sir? Mr. Salahi. Is the White House lying, sir?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: Joining us live is Anita McBride, former chief of staff of first lady Laura Bush. And Anita, if this weren't so serious, I mean, it is where the president is -- this would be quite funny.

ANITA MCBRIDE, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF OF LAURA BUSH: Well, it is serious. At the end of the day -- you're right -- this is about the protection of the occupants and the complex at the White House. And I think, we just -- it's getting more confusing by the moment. And I think we just have to wait and see what the Secret Service with their full investigation tells us about this.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know -- first of all, why in the world were they trying to crash the party like that? That's insane -- number one. Number two -- I'm a little bit -- the Secret Service which is the same Secret Service that has protected the president before and the one before.

MCBRIDE: Sure.

VAN SUSTEREN: I am stunned because you know, they stand there with that list and I do not know how in the world they could have gotten by.

MCBRIDE: Well, we do not know that yet. And I think that Mark Sullivan though, the director of the Secret Service is very quick to admit that it was the Secret Service's responsibility. So they must know a number of details that yet are not fully investigated and will be uncovered at the right time.

But it is hard to believe. Obviously we haven't seen this happen before. We don't ever want to see it happen again.

And I think, you know, everyone is quick to say and they should say we are going to look at our procedures. I was happy to see today that Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that although it is the Secret Service responsibility, as they have admitted, that the White House will look at their procedures too.

And because at these events, there are a lot of people coming in and you have to work collaboratively between the staff and the Secret Service to make sure that things like this don't happen.

VAN SUSTEREN: On the bright side, this was so bad that at least I bet that everyone's going to be twice as protective of the president from here on in. If nothing else, it sure is a huge wake-up call, because all our presidents are enormous targets for...

MCBRIDE: It was a distraction from a diplomatic even and I think that's unfortunate, too.

VAN SUSTEREN: Indeed it is.

All right. Now, you have been to Afghanistan.

MCBRIDE: Yes, I have.

VAN SUSTEREN: And so -- you're good Americans and obviously YOU'RE interested in what is going on over there; what the President is saying there. What are your thoughts?

MCBRIDE: I felt after the speech today, the president at least reminded the American people that al Qaeda and its terrorist network are out to get us. They're out to attack us.

And that the Taliban regime is brutal and it's repressive.

VAN SUSTEREN: You've actually seen women -- (INAUDIBLE)with the women there.

MCBRIDE: I have. And I think there is no group that is more affected by the brutality and repression than -- by the Taliban than women.

VAN SUSTEREN: How? Explain this.

MCBRIDE: The Taliban do not want women to be educated. I mean, the basic right to be educated. They were denied that. They were denied being able to go out of their house, denied being able to have basic things, being able to wear makeup.

But even more important than that, women were threatened; their security is threatened. Their lives are threatened. Under the Taliban -- and this is hard for women here to believe here, and they need to be reminded of this kind of thing -- under the Taliban women would have -- deliver babies by caesarean section with no anesthetic. It is incomprehensible.

VAN SUSTEREN: That's the sort of the others. I always said that the primary issue is -- and this sounds selfish -- but it's our national security.

MCBRIDE: Absolutely.

VAN SUSTEREN: But beyond that is that this is the most oppressive type of environment and in particular for the women.

MCBRIDE: And for children.

VAN SUSTEREN: And children, and for men who are also not sympathetic to the Taliban.

MCBRIDE: Absolutely. And you know, I met this summer, we had a group of seven women here as part of the U.S.-Afghan women's council on a U.S./ Aid sponsored project. They were women in 7 different government ministries in Afghanistan. They were here for a two-week leadership training course.

They're astounding. These are the most courageous people in the world, the women of Afghanistan. They want to be full participants in their society. They want to rebuild Afghanistan and live their life.

One woman in the education ministry taught children underground during the years of the Taliban.

VAN SUSTEREN: It is unbelievable.

MCBRIDE: It's a great risk. It's unbelievable.

VAN SUSTEREN: Anita, as always thank you.

MCBRIDE: Thank you.

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