Hot tickets for Obama hard to get

Hoyer's office overwhelmed with requests from citizens

Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer's office has been bombarded with ticket requests going back to January, well before Obama even secured the Democratic nomination. The volume of requests has peaked since Obama won the presidential election last week, prompting Hoyer's office to temporarily suspend taking information from constituents.

"We've had an overwhelming response from people who want to witness the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama as our next president," said Hoyer spokeswoman Stephanie Lundberg.

Thousands of people have inquired about the Jan. 20 inauguration that is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Washington, D.C., for the swearing-in of the first African-American president. In total, about 240,000 tickets will be made available, but many will be craning their necks and standing through the event as only 30,000 seats will be set up.

Every congressional office is allotted a small number of tickets to distribute free of charge to constituents for the swearing-in ceremony held on the west side of the U.S. Capitol facing the National Mall.

Lundberg said it's not yet known how many tickets her office will be given or whether they will receive more because Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) is the House majority leader. They will likely be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, she said. It's unlikely they will be able to accommodate all ticket requests due to the high demand.

Inaugural tickets are only available through members of Congress, so any Web site or outlet claiming to have them available for purchase is being deceptive. "We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism," Howard Gantman, staff director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said in a statement.

Hoyer's Web site was expected to begin accepting ticket requests again by Tuesday afternoon only from 5th Congressional District residents. Lundberg also advised interested constituents to contact the offices of Maryland's Democratic Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin.

"People have been looking forward to this event for a long time, but even more so now that the election is over," she said. "There is a lot of excitement and anticipation for a Barack Obama presidency, his agenda of change, and the hope he has instilled in people throughout the country."

Ticket recipients will not be notified until January and tickets will not be distributed to congressional offices until the week before inauguration. Individuals unable to get tickets to the main ceremony might be able to view the inauguration from remote locations near the Capitol.

Other inaugural events, including the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, are also expected to draw large crowds, but provide a chance for those unable to get inauguration tickets to be part of the day's festivities. There also will be a number of inaugural balls at night, but tickets to those can be pricey and in high demand.

abrody@somdnews.com