It should have been a controversy-free event, a night of poetry at the White House. But instead a literary celebration turned into a mini-row over the lyrics of a rapper invited to perform.
Michelle Obama invited a selection of poets and other writers, part of a series highlighting American music and literature.
Rightwingers are upset that the list of performers on Wednesday night included the rapper Common, whose lyrics they claim glorify violence, in particular A Son for Assta. It is sympathetic to a former Black Panther convicted of killing a policeman almost 40 years ago.
Although Common, real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr, has been widely praised for his positive messages, rightwingers have homed in on the song about Assata Shakur, who was found guilty of the New Jersey shooting in 1973. She escaped from jail in 1979 and has since been in exile in Cuba.
Common wrote: "Your power and pride is beautiful. May God bless your soul."
Among those complaining are Sarah Palin, a possible Republican presidential candidate, and Karl Rove, a former adviser to George Bush. Rove described Common as a thug while Palin wrote sarcastically "Oh lovely, White House".
New Jersey police members also added their voice. "The young people who read this stuff, hear this stuff, are getting a very dangerous and deadly message," David Jones, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association union, told NBC.
The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, was forced to defend the invitation to Common, saying the media was presenting a distorted picture of him and that his work should be looked at as a whole.
"While the president doesn't support the kind of lyrics raised here, we do think some of the reports distort what Mr Lynn stands for more broadly in order to stoke controversy," Carney said.
He described Common as "within the genre of hip hop and rap, in what's known as a conscious rapper".
He added that it was possible to oppose some of what Common has done while appreciating the rest.
"One of the things the president appreciates is the work Mr Lynn has done with children, especially trying to get them to focus on poetry as opposed to some of the negative influences of life on the streets," Carney said.