article_snippet.sent: The staff all live out in Washington and commute in.
article_snippet.sent: The pay is not great, but the job is prestigious and passed by personal recommendation among friends.
article_snippet.sent: Keeping the organisation running smoothly, from the workshops in the basement to the snipers on the roof, is a complex operation.
article_snippet.sent: a complex operation costs money — $13 million a year from government funds, plus a hefty contribution from the First Family itself.
article_snippet.sent: The staff include ushers, chefs, maids, doormen, engineers, plumbers, full-time florists (the flower bill is enormous), even calligraphers who are kept busy writing invitations in fine script.
article_snippet.sent: — six of them full-time, plus dozens more called in for big receptions, parties and dinners.