Skutniks or "Lenny Skutniks" are the people who get invited to the
State of the Union Address and are mentioned in the speech. To the cynical, Skutniks are stagecraft. (First employed by Ronald Reagan celebrating a hero rescuer of the
Washington D.C. plane crash two weeks before.
What's a Skutnik and Why Is One Sitting Next to Michelle Obama at the
State of the Union?
BRIAN RESNICK NATIONAL JOURNAL
FEB 11, 2013
“
President Obama will look up at the first lady's box, glance
to the left or
the right of his wife, and then sing praises of Staff Sgt. Clint Romesha, a Medal of Honor recipient. That's because Romesha is a Skutnik.”