GREEN & GLOVER: Uninvited guests

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By Stephanie Green and Elizabeth Glover

It's Sasha and Malia Obama's first Halloween in the White House, and from what we hear from our friend Austin Hill, the author of "White House Confidential: The Little Book of Weird Presidential History," they'll have plenty of tricks and treats in their own backyard.

Mr. Hill says 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is one of the best places in Washington to ghost-bust.

In fact, Bess and Harry Truman got so spooked from hearing "creaks and movements in the bedroom" one October that they vacated to an undisclosed location. It may have had something to do with the fact that Mary Todd Lincoln held regular seances there to conjure the spirit of her son, Willie, who died in 1862, during her tenure as first lady.

Once you get invited to the White House, you don't ever want to leave, we guess.

Mr. Hill says apparitions of presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln are known to make repeat appearances, especially during this hallowed time of year.

And of course, when she resided in the White House, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton famously reported being visited by Eleanor Roosevelt.

When asked how the Obama family can relax and enjoy their weekend, Mr. Hill advises them to think of President Grover Cleveland, who, despite superstitions, was the first POTUS to celebrate Halloween by placing jack-o'-lanterns throughout the presidential mansion and welcoming children with candy apples.

"Have fun with it. Enjoy it as a secular holiday."

Right. And hope the former occupants don't come out to play.

Chocolate city

There was no shortage of white chocolate at a party to celebrate the release of Republican pundit and strategist Leslie Sanchez's latest work, "You've Come a Long Way, Maybe." The guests, mostly political types, were served white-chocolate martinis and white-chocolate cupcakes, among other delicacies.

Writer, blogger and Big Apple cewebrity Rex Sorgatz attended the soiree and shared his expert opinion. "Miss D.C. was there!" he told us, adding, "I've been to lots of book parties in New York, but I've never seen Miss New York, especially in all her regalia!"

Mr. Sorgatz also was impressed by the number of conservatives in one place. "I've never been to a book party with so many Republicans," he said, adding, "It's hard to find that many Republican book fans in New York."

While Mr. Sorgatz enjoyed the white-chocolate martinis, he noted that there can be too much of a good thing, as the saying goes. "There was a very large plate of what I thought was cheese, so I took a nice-sized bite of a piece, only to discover to my surprise that it was actually white chocolate," he reported. "It was actually kind of gross."

• To contact Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Glover, e-mail undercover@washingtontimes.com.