November 6, 2008
How to Get Inauguration Tickets
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has finally put out a press release about how to go about getting tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009. Here's what the release says:
Tickets to the 56th Inaugural Ceremonies will be provided free of charge and distributed through Members of the 111th Congress. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies does not provide tickets to the public. Members of the public interested in attending the Inaugural Ceremonies should contact their Member of Congress or U.S. Senators to request tickets.This morning D.C. Wire reported that D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's office has already fielded 1,000 phone calls from constituents looking for inauguration tickets, but that Norton has no idea how many tickets she'll actually get. Given that we only have the one delegate and no senators, sounds like it's possible D.C. residents could end up getting the shaft as far as how many tickets are allotted to us versus the similarly-sized states - though we won't know that for sure until the tickets are sent out in January. In the meantime, you can try calling Norton's office and ask to be put on a waiting list, or else find someone who lives in a congressional district to put in a request to their representative for you and then arrange for them to be here to pick up the ticket in person, with ID.
The public should also be aware that no website or other ticket outlet actually has inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim. Tickets will not be distributed to Congressional offices until the week before the inauguration and will require in-person pick-up.
“Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth,” said Howard Gantman, Staff Director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. “Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.”
MORE: Norton's office is now requesting that registered D.C. voters not call to be put on the request list, but rather email nortoninaugurationrequests(at)gmail.com with your name, e-mail address, home address, and telephone number. "We have talked to President-Elect Barack Obama's office and have been informed that the presidential inaugural committee has not been formed and no details have been discussed or determined. We have been informed that relatively few tickets will be made available to members of Congress," says a statement on her web site.
EVEN MORE: Shadow Sen. Paul Strauss tells us that he and Shadow Senator Michael D. Brown will be getting their own allotment of tickets. Strauss said he will likely allocate some portion of his tickets to D.C. residents by a lottery.
"Since I don't know how large the allotment will be, we do not have a distribution plan yet, but I intend to do what I can to make sure as many DC residents as possible get to attend," Strauss said.
Photo by Scott Ableman
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does our shadow senator get tickets?...well they should!
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Norton's website already has info on how to contact her office for tickets. They ask that you don't call them.
http://www.norton.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=908&Itemid=88
Registered D.C. voters should send an e-mail to nortoninaugurationrequests@gmail.com with your name, e-mail address, home address, and telephone number.
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What about the parade on Pennsylvania Avenue? It would be cool to see the parade.
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The parade is free. Although, unlike the last two, you probably have to show up pretty early to get a good view. Or, like me, just know someone who works in a building along Penn.
It's a bit dismaying that the inaugural tickets are dispensed this way. It pretty much guarantees that the "well connected" will get preference over the average citizen. They ought to be handed out on a strict lottery basis. We shouldn't tolerate any sort of crony activity from our government, particularly on something so symbolic as this.
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Pretty early? Try REALLY early for that parade.
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"We shouldn't tolerate any sort of crony activity from our government, particularly on something so symbolic as this."
That would be nice, but come on, let's be real. D.C. is the capital of cronyism. Hell, even our golden child mayor blatantly carries on the tradition of dirty, old boy politics, and no one bats an eyelid.
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I hear the Neiman Marcus Bible Spice Gala still has quite a few tickets available. Free if you can quote three Bible verses justifying your hate of some group of your fellow Americans.
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What does a ticket get you? You get to see the speech? How close can you get to the speech without a ticket?
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D.C. is the capital of cronyism.
Woah, if you think DC is the capital of cronyism, get thee to Chicago.
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BTW: The shadow senator is Panetta. Michael Brown is the newly elected At-Large Council member.
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Tickets will be worth a mint on craigslist.
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"What does a ticket get you?"
I gives you access to the enclosed standing areas. High price donors get the chairs.
This is the ticket area.
"You get to see the speech?"
You will see somthing, but better change with a Ticket.
"How close can you get to the speech without a ticket?"
Behind the relecting pool for sure, but unless you are planning on spending night I bet if you show up in the moring you will be lucky to get any closer than 7th.
This is Clintons. I suspect Obama's will be much larger.
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just put in a request through my congressman's website . . . there were no other details except a link that said 'inaugural tickets' that brought me to a form to fill out. i hope it's right!
anyone else try to request in Arlington? should i call the office as well?
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they should put up big screens all along the mall for this one.
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BTW: The shadow senator is Panetta. Michael Brown is the newly elected At-Large Council member.
No. And No.
Mike Panetta is the Shadow Rep (despite the fact that he hussles way more than the shadow senators).
Michael D. Brown is one of the shadow senators (a theoretical member of Senate Class I, and thus up for re-election in 2012).
Michael A. Brown was just elected to the DC Council.
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If I buy Shadow Senator Strauss a drink or four, will that increase my chances of winning tickets in his lottery? Or would it be better for me to be a young, blond Eastern European chick who'd also like to be a shadow intern for a shadow senator?
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Whatever I pay you Reid, it's not enough :)
Thanks for the compliment.
If I do get tickets to distribute I'll be sure to let people know and have a lottery.
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QFT!
Let's make this happen, inaugural party planning committee. Oh and some ice cream cake.
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I saw the second Clinton inaugural from about 5th st, in front of the national gallery of art. No ticket in hand, no waiting overnight -- it was a cold morning. Just walked up. Was just behind the rear of the SRO ticket area.
I'd be surprised if they didn't end up doing something like they do for other big events at the mall (screens and such). This would qualify as The Biggest event.
JF
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You want to bet a bigger African American turnout than the Million Man March?
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I am surprised that Congress will let Norton distribute tickets at all. I think the Constitution says that inauguration tickets, like representatives, shall be apportioned to "the people of the states."
Since all of us are desk jockeys anyway, you can watch the inauguration live on C-SPAN. It'll have better views and you'll be warmer. And you don't have to use any vacation hours while you don't get any work done.
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Clarification from my previous comment: you can watch C-SPAN on your computer.
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thecounter: the constitution has anything to say about inauguration tickets? get the fuck up out of dodge! which article?
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Norton's office isn't taking any more names through that e-mail address. Got an automated reply to that effect. And my home state rep. and senators won't put me on the list because I don't live there anymore.
Curses!
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FYI from nortoninaugurationrequests (at) gmail.com:
"Due to the to the extremely high demand for inaugural tickets
Congresswoman Norton's office can no longer take names for the
relatively few tickets that will be made available to Members of
Congress. The Congresswoman is in discussions with President-Elect Barack Obama's office and other officials on how to best accommodate the high demand. Check www.norton.house.gov for details in the future."
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Why not put some wheels on your couch and ride on down to the whole shebang or better yet....turn your couch into a float and then you'll be in the friggin parade. You'll be a part of history. You'll be on the cover of the Rolling Stone. On the cover of the Rolling Stone. I can see your smiling face..on the cover of the Rolling Stone.
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IMGoph: Um, I'm not in dodge? I have no idea what that means. Anyhoo, I'm not sure which number that article is. I think it's the one that mentions privacy, abortion, the separation of church and state, and shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater.
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And you don't have to use any vacation hours while you don't get any work done.
Doesn't everyone have Inauguration Day off work? The federal gov't offices are closed, and most offices around here follow their lead. I know my office is closed that day.
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When I worked for a member of Congress four years ago, offices were not closed.
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Sucks to be you. My office is closed too. Four-day weekend thanks to MLK day! How long before journalists figure out how close MLK day and inauguration day are and a flurry of articles appears parsing every nugget of America working toward racial equality? Guess we'll need something to fill the void by then.
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Hope and change and all that is good for now, but unless you have either already helped Obama (read money) or are going to be a help to him in the future (money again), then you aren't getting the real tickets. You might get a nice souveneir and place to stand in front of people without tickets, but don't think you will be sitting next to Beau Biden or dancing with Michelle at the Omni Shoreham.
Rahm Emmanuel would take his own mother's ticket and give it to a K St. lobbyist if it meant a check to the DNC for the 2010 off-year cycle.
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thecounter: well, i guess you're vying with sarah palin for not realizing things that the rest of the world takes for granted. try googling the phrase "get the hell out of dodge" and see what you find.
as for the rest of your reasoned response—i'm still waiting for one, actually.
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I am getting tired of these scammers who are trying to make money off something that is so meaningful and historical. In my research I came across a site that is offering very helpful information in regards to how to get these tickets free through proper channels. Look at it and pass it on to your friends and family.
http://www.getinaugurationtickets.com
Good luck everyone!