Here Comes The Inaugural Ticket Police

(CBS)  By CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

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"Freeze fella - and drop those Inauguration tickets!"

That could be an oft-heard command from the Inaugural Ticket police if Sen. Diane Feinstein gets her way.

The California Democrat wants to make it a federal crime for anyone to sell a ticket to the Inauguration of Pres. Barack Obama.

As Chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Feinstein believes that no one should have to pay for a ticket to the historic swearing-in ceremony on January 20th.

And though not a single Inaugural ticket has yet been distributed, Feinstein has already served notice on Internet websites that specialize in the sale of tickets to major events.

"The public should be aware that no website or other ticket outlet actually has Inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim," declares a press release from Feinstein's committee.

And yet, you can go on-line now and find tickets being offered for sale.

On the website of StubHub.Com, it trumpets "Presidential Inauguration Tickets - Don't Miss the Show!" It shows a price range for tickets to the swearing-in ceremony from $1950-$7500 each. It says the event takes place at 1:00PM on January 20th. Note that if you show up at that time - you will have missed it by an hour.

So if you can't buy a ticket - how do you get one of the 240,000 of them that will be available? You have to ask one of your members of Congress. And asking may not be enough. Begging or groveling may be required.

And direct your appeal not to members of the current lame duck Congress - but to the 111th Congress whose members get sworn in early in the new year. Of course, in the case of members who won re-election, they're one and the same.

It's up to each of them to decide how best to distribute the tickets. There is no first-come, first-served policy - unless the House or Senate member in question chooses to do it that way.

But if you were a member of Congress with a valuable commodity to distribute - would you hand them out to just anyone who asked? Or might you be inclined to curry favor with important constituents and/or political contributors?

So why give Members of Congress that kind of control over highly sought-after tickets?

Perhaps a national lottery should be considered. It could raise funds for the federal government which as we write is over $10.6-trillion dollars in debt. Yes, trillion.

Or maybe we should give the tickets to troubled banks as part of the federal bailout program.

More than likely, some of us will end up in on a street corner or down a dark alley in search of scalpers with Inauguration tickets. That too, is the American way.
© By Mark Knoller, MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved

[hologram5]

We need to stand up and take our country back. Those of you with military family members should start telling them the truth so that they are prepared to stand with us...

[hotwitch]

It''s not even January, the next congress hasn''t been seated, and already the Democrats are going down the path of Nazi-nanny government already. There are big problems facing the country and this Feinstein is wasting time on this?

[gowerd]

govcom - get a life, abmitus is right you are an azz! Psycho!
posted by: fedupwithstupidpeople

[abmitus]

govcom,

Stupid Azz, you only have to post your comments ONCE you IDIOT!!!!

[annd2302]

Who is this Feinstein, b i t c h ?

[allzwell]

Sleep little children... all''s well. Those are just dustbunnies under your bed, not he monsters you imagine. One day you''ll grow up and understand... meanwhile, don''t go near the closet, you never know what''s in there... it might be you.

[legacyabq]

A capital offence??
You have got to be kidding me!

What a nazi b*tch Feinstein is..

This is America lady, if someone wants to sell their ticket how in God''s name do you think you have a right to tell them otherwise??

From the smallest details to the biggest policies of the day, this country is getting more and more fascist and authoritarian.

CONTROL
CONTROL

I am Diane Feinstein and I MUST HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL
AYIIIIEeEEEEEeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(followed by foot-stamping and gnashing of teeth/fangs)

[mollydtt]

This is odd. A student at Texas State University has an invitation to the inauguration. He was on TV showing the blue invitation with the golden raised seal of the 44th presidential inauguration on its flap. So maybe this is a "redeemable" invitation? There must be other students who have them, too and not just in Texas.

[specialty8]

Wow, seems California is full of great minds. As if Pelosi wasn''t enough now this bimbo.

[likeitis5050]

That could be an oft-heard command from the Inaugural Ticket police if Sen. Diane Feinstein gets her way.


Feinstein is so elated to finally have a say in something she is going to lose her mind. Next time it rains hard...look for a chicken coop and watch how act in the rain...this is Feinstein...she honestly doesn''t know whether to scratch her watch or wind her azz...but she''s SOME ONE now with IMPORTANT stuff to do...so don''t get in her way. What a total loser.