Inauguration Tickets On eBay? No Way

The senator overseeing Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony said Monday she's writing to Internet sites like eBay asking them not to sell scalped inauguration tickets.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also said she's crafting a bill that would make a federal crime of selling tickets to the historic event Jan. 20.

Feinstein, who chairs the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said she foresees overwhelming demand for the 240,000 available tickets and has heard reports they may be sold for as much as $40,000 online.

The tickets are supposed to be free to the public and distributed through congressional offices.

Lawmakers' offices won't get the tickets until shortly before the inauguration, to try to prevent scalping. In-person pickup will be required.

"These tickets are given for free to people. This is a major civic event of the time, and no one pays for their tickets, and we believe no one should be required to pay for their tickets," Feinstein said in an interview.

In addition to eBay, Feinstein aides said they are looking at writing to Craig's List and possibly other sites. An eBay spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Feinstein said she was readying legislation for Congress' lame duck session that begins next week to make scalping the tickets a misdemeanor punishable by a yet-to-be-determined fine.

She said her own Senate office received 8,000 ticket requests the first day after the election.

Feinstein said she's also concerned about security for the event, which will occur outside the Capitol with crowds likely spilling over the National Mall.

"I am very concerned that this be as secure as is humanly possible. It's a difficult area to secure and we need to give it special attention and that is in the process of being done," she said. Feinstein said she was "of course" concerned that Obama would be a particular target as the nation's first black president.

"We're going to do everything we can to see that he is fully protected," she said. Feinstein will be attending a security briefing Wednesday with the U.S. Capitol Police, the Secret Service and the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.

Aides couldn't estimate how many people would likely come to Washington, D.C., on top of those with tickets.

"If you don't have a place to stay I think you ought to reconsider coming. It is very cold that time of the year and it's going to be very difficult to get around," Feinstein said.

[lochlan-2009]

Here it is, main stream news headline. Government sensors website, telling them what they can and can''t sell as deemed by them.

I love America, it is such a lie.

[antoniof123]

It is funny but we see what greed has done to the world it has brought us to the state of failed economics. Yet people are still willing to sell their soul for money.

The most widley miss quoted verse in the Bible.

For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

That LOVE shows through right about now doesn''t it.

[blindersoff]

Some of these sore loser Republicans should take a page from Bush''s and Mccain''s book and get over themselves. No wonder the smart Republicans are leaving the party in droves, leaving the uneducated mouth breathers. This article was about the inauguration and it sounds like it is going to be an awesome event. The world is rejoicing as we prepare to swear in our new President Elect.

[scladee]

I think it is an outrege what some people will do for personnal gain!!!!!!

[gbdmd]

There are millions and millions of mixed race people in this country; Italian-French, German-Irish, etc,

Posted by YBotherAtAll at 08:08 AM : Nov 11, 2008

------------------------

I realize this response has nothing to do with the original story, but I couldn''t resist.

I love when the ignorant actually demonstrate their ignorance. What you''ve noted ARE NOT racial distinctions. They are ethnic distinctions, which are not necessarily based on race. Italian/French and German/Irish are of the same race. They represent ethnic distinctions.

There are four race categories. Mongoloid (Northeast Asia), Australoid (Australia and Southeast Asia), Caucasoid (Western Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa), and Negroid (Sub-Saharan Africa).

As people and tribes migrated, races mixed to create infinite variations, thus creating ethnic derivations. You know... there''s this thing called the "Internet". Do some research.

[cnjcc]

C''mon Diane ... aren''t there enough laws already without you lawmakers passing a law when anything pisses you off? How about Massachusetts where the fine for cheating a bottle return machine is $25,000 ... or a pending law to make it illegal for a public restaurant to not have toilet paper in the bathroom stalls? How does that happen? Some lawmaker went to the bathroom and it happened to be out of toilet paper. He could have looked first, but no ... "I''ll make it a g** d*** law. So, we end up with all these silly laws on the books, and they can''t be changed or gotten off without an act of God.

[ybotheratall]

Ok, number one, Obama isn''t the first black ''anything''. He''s half white, a man of mixed race who just so happens to have used his tan and black features to his advantage. There are millions and millions of mixed race people in this country; Italian-French, German-Irish, etc, and Obama just so happens to have African and whatever his mother''s heritage is. He''s not black, so get over it! Of course, the day after he was elected, he FINALLY admitted it by calling himself a MUTT. I saw through his ruse from day one. Placate the blacks and get the black vote. They are in the street crying and dancing for a half-white man, wow. I''m just calling it like it is.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Come on. It''''ll be greatest comedy event of the decade. Imagine watching an American President being sworn in on a koran. Watch Geo. Washington and Honest Abe roll over in their graves. It''''s truly a sad day for America." Posted by ThatGuy56

So even though there is no legal requirement to swear on any book, when your version doesn''t happen, I suppose you will admit to being a fool, right?

Besides, since all who have sworn on the bible have profaned it, according to the injunctions in the bible itself not to swear on anything.

[attndlb]

You really show your ignorance. What are you afraid of? The last 8 years have been the worst experienced in decades with a president who didn''t care about the people, yet, you hold to stereotypes. Your way of thinking is what we should be sad about.