Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Inauguration ticket frenzy

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

A pair of seats at Obama's upcoming presidential swearing-in ceremony has already sold for $10,858 apiece, a ticket broker said Monday, among the highest amounts known to have been paid so far for a chance to witness January's inaugural events.

Even a view of the inaugural parade is selling for at least $495, broker Web sites report. And the tickets haven't even been distributed yet. - Newsday
Can the ticket madness be stopped?
The senator who chairs the joint Congressional committee on the presidential inauguration said on Monday that she is drafting legislation to criminalize the sale of tickets to the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama.

Responding to ads on eBay and other Web sites offering tickets for prices that reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, Senator Dianne Feinstein has instructed her staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee to prepare a bill that cracks down on scalpers.

“We have heard reports that there are people trying to scalp inaugural tickets for more than $40,000 each,” Mrs. Feinstein said in a statement. “This is unconscionable and must not be allowed.” - NY Times
And anyone saying that have actual tickets to sell is lying:
Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said the tickets would not be distributed until just days before the Inauguration. - NYT