60,000 Apply To Volunteer At Inauguration

Washington Post: With Only About 18,000 Spots, Most Will Be Rejected

(Washingtonpost.com)  An unprecedented 60,000 people have sent applications to the Presidential Inaugural Committee to volunteer for activities surrounding the swearing-in of Barack Obama -- even if it means simply giving directions or friendly hellos to out-of-towners at airports and Metro stops.

With several days of events, including the Jan. 20 swearing-in, the committee needs 15,000 to 18,000 volunteers, officials said. That's three times as many as were called upon for the inaugurations of George W. Bush.

Committee spokesman Kevin Griffis said: "There's a hunger out there. People want to get involved. People want to be a part of this thing . . . a part of history."

Officials have thinned the applicant pool to about 27,000, said Tripp Wellde, the committee's director of volunteers. They've been screening the offers via questionnaires that focus on availability and capability. But the applications keep coming in through the committee's Web site, with a deadline set for 11:59 p.m. tomorrow.

Volunteers will be responsible for their own transportation and housing, and they won't be paid, Wellde said. Those selected won't necessarily get within a mile of the nation's first African American president, but they will be provided with food, a commemorative credential and a red winter cap.

The committee is especially looking for local volunteers who know the Washington area.

"We're going to have so many folks coming in here from out of state, from out of town, we want to make sure that we give people a good, positive experience," Wellde said. "The more people that we have volunteering for us from the D.C. area . . . we just think it's going to make people's experience even better."

Some applicants have applied for specific jobs, he said.

"We always have people who offer to be up there to hold the Bible," Wellde said. "We've had an incredible amount of people who have shown interest in wanting to be up there standing next to [Obama]. Unfortunately, most of our volunteer roles will not be standing next to the president-elect, if not all of them."

Although it's not yet clear who will be holding the Bible when the oath of office is taken, the book is usually held by the president-elect's spouse, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies said yesterday.

Wellde said volunteers who are accepted will be notified by e-mail and asked to sign up for a training session. They will be divided into teams of 15, each with a "captain."

The enormous crowds anticipated could require large numbers of volunteers, he said. He estimated that 6,000 volunteers would be required to work on the Mall, where upward of 2 million people are expected to gather for the swearing-in. An additional 2,800 volunteers would likely be needed to staff the inaugural parade route. And thousands more would be needed to help at balls and the rest of the week's inaugural events.

Applications can be found and filed on the Presidential Inaugural Committee's Web site, http://www.pic2009.org.

One early volunteer is Gail Wise, who said she was in high school the last time she was so excited about a presidential inauguration. It was 1961. Her work stuffing envelopes for John F. Kennedy earned her a ticket to his swearing-in. But when the day came, she had a biology exam, and her parents told her that she could attend Kennedy's next inauguration.

She recalled listening to the ceremonies on a transistor radio while dissecting a frog.

But there would be no second inauguration for Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. "So, of course, I never ever got there," she said.

Now 63, retired with children and grandchildren, Wise said yesterday that this time, "I am bound and determined to be there."

Wise, of Leesburg, who worked in Loudoun County for Obama during the campaign, already is at work helping the Presidential Inaugural Committee match other volunteers with jobs.

Wise, who said she has no title, said she and others worked for Obama during the primaries and the general election and are working for him again "because something was ignited and we can't settle down and go back to our lives."

[lordsuntzu]

washington dc needs a lot of volunteers to work thier social services..NO GLAMOR IN IT??

THE ESSENCE OF AN OBAMA SPPORTER

[element51]

laurieleemoo.....I find your assessment of diplomacy somewhat naive. Do you honestly believe that we should just tell the rest of the world to go to hell and be done with it. In case you haven''t noticed, the world is shrinking and the smaller it gets the more important it is to be able and willing to sit down and negoiate. Diplomacy is extremely important. If it comes down to a choice of negoiations or war I believe strongly in avoiding war. I have seen war up close and personal and I can tell you that it is not something to take lightly. I will grant you that diplomacy is not always going to work but to dismiss it as naive is just wrong. From your post it appears that you do not like Obama and that is your right but in view of the world situation today don''t you think it might be reasonable to give him a chance before you call for his head on a platter?

[hatesthecolt]

laurieleemoo, in the first place you present an extremely simplified version of Obama''s foreign policy proposals. May I give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were being facetious?

But second, and more importantly, how in the world can you support the last 8 years of the ultimate in simplistic diplomacy: saying FU to the world and we can do whatever we want. Where has that gotten us except up to our necks in two wars and with most of our former allies either laughing at us or despising us.

[element51]

I don''t give a ***** if he is green with red stripes. I voted for him because I believe he is capable of getting the job done. I am tired of feeling that I am not a part of government. It''s supposed to be government of the people, by the people and for the people. It''s time that we have a leader that will tell us the truth and speak to us like we are adults. I know that the job ahead will be very difficult but I think Obama can rise to the occasion. We won''t always like what he says but I think he will try to do what is best for America. America is at a cross roads. We must come together as one nation and stop this partisan bickering. If we continue to fight and to let hate run rampant we are doomed. So hold Obama to a high standard and let''s help him in any way we can. He is not the enemy, he is our president.

[antoniof123]

First of all it was 53 percent to 46 percent the final count.

Second the truth is this 45 percent will always vote Republican and 45 percent will always vote Democrat. So in reality only 10 percent decide the election.

Sorry but that is you nut cases fault you put party over country.

The real change is that Obama is black and that is a first you are living in what I hope begins a trend that the 10 percent get angry and make the decisions each election to rid us of your ilk.

[laurieleemoo]

I think Obama is extremely wet behind the ears and extremely naive. By the way....his thoery of diplomacy in the world....such as wanting to sit down and talk to the terrorist and terrorist nations (i.e. IRAN)....I don''t know....somehow in my head....a picture of a black Mr. Rogers.....

Yes...Mr. Obama...our black Mr. Rogers wants to ''Welcome everybody to the neighborhood''. It is truly laughable!!

[laurieleemoo]

Well of course....a star-studded event....and how many are coming out to see their favorite star. I''m sure you all can have common sense to figure that into your calculations...so if I were Obama, I would not let it go to his head....the liberal media has made it too big already.
And one last note....The american people did not vote Obama in because they love Obama.....we all know the majority were voting against Bush and the republicans...you bozo Obamarama''s....actually...I think in fact...BOZO THE CLOWN would have been voted in as President before ANY republican would have been.

So...in essence....the people are giving Obama WAYYYYYYY more credit than he deserves. What is so great about him?????????

[ohohoh1]

I dont trust people who got their PhD in government affairs from Harvard either...

[ohohoh1]

Those elections are strong majorities/landslides...Obama had the majority, but it wasnt a strong one... whats wrong with keyes?

[ohohoh1]

Strong Majorities...
61.1% LBJ over 38.5% Goldwater
60.8% FDR over 36.5% Landon
60.7% Nixon over 37.5% McGovern
60.3% Harding over 34.1% Cox

Thats just because alot of people decided to get out and vote this year...he did get a lot of people to vote for him but so did mccain...it just so happens that more voted for Obama..and whats wrong with keyes?