lending unusual intrigue to a high profile white house visit. 300 dinner invitations engraved with the former first lady's name had to be scrapped according to "the new york times." and normally she would sit next to president obama. so what now? the updated seating arrangement is not yet public, but sources tell cnn the white house and french officials would have coordinated on a solution. >> you have o be flexible. you have to be prepared. and you just sort of change course. >> reporter: social secretary during the clinton administration and until last year chief of protocol at the state department. >> most spouses play a role in the social aspect of the visit. they may accompany our first lady to see an issue that she particularly cares about. >> reporter: but other than that the hard work is really happening between the two leaders. and to that point, wolf, the white house is really downplaying any adjustments that have been made, focussing instead on the substance rather