Don’t bet on swearing-in tickets

By AMY DOMINELLO and BILLY HOUSE Media General News Service
Published: November 18, 2008

WASHINGTON—Talk about political long shots.

Tens of thousands of Virginians are asking congressional offices for tickets to President-elect Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.

But Monday, many of the nation’s 100 senators officially learned they each will get 393 tickets to distribute.

And many of the 435 House members were told they each will get 198 tickets to distribute.

Now if you do the math that means one thing: very few of the people who requested tickets to the swearing-in will actually get tickets.

Democratic Sen. Jim Webb’s office alone has received more than 30,000 calls and e-mails for tickets, with most people asking for more than one.

Jessica Smith, a spokeswoman for Webb, said his office has not yet been told how many tickets his office will receive, but should know Tuesday.

Webb requested more tickets because of Virginia’s proximity to the nation’s capital and the large number of federal employees who reside within the Commonwealth

Smith said Webb has not received an answer to his request.

About 240,000 tickets are distributed to the swearing-in ceremony. Roughly one-half will go to congressional lawmakers.

The rest are to be distributed through the Presidential Inaugural Committee, not yet set up by the Obama transition team. Those tickets typically go to supporters, but details of how those will be distributed are not available.

The tickets are mostly standing-room only for locations near the Capitol, for spots as far away as one or two blocks down the National Mall.

More distant areas of the mall may be opened up and viewing screens might be set up, but those details have not been worked out.

As an outgoing senator, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., does not receive tickets.

Virginia Senator-elect Mark Warner, a Democrat, will receive tickets. His office has not yet been established and his staff last week was recommending people call the Democratic National Committee or Obama’s campaign offices for the time-being.

Congressional officials are warning people to avoid ticket scams. Web sites are already advertising tickets to the parade and the swearing-in costing thousands of dollars.

But the sites are selling tickets they don’t have. The tickets are free and aren’t handed out until a week before the inauguration.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced legislation Monday prohibiting the sale and counterfeiting of inaugural tickets.

“The chance to witness this event should not be bought and sold like tickets to a football game,“ she said in a statement.

Tickets are not needed for the inaugural parade, but visibility will be limited because of large crowds and tight security along Pennsylvania Avenue. Tickets to inaugural balls are purchased through organizations hosting them.