Even in GOP strongholds, demand soars for Obama inauguration tickets

On Election Day, Phyllis Hill voted for Barack Obama – not the popular choice in Collin County, where more than 60 percent went Republican. The next morning, Hill – a self-described conservative Democrat from McKinney – called her GOP congressman, Rep. Sam Johnson, to request tickets for Obama's inauguration. It's a good thing she acted so quickly. Demand was so high that shortly after Election Day, Johnson's office stopped taking requests for tickets, which it distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Even in the red strongholds of North Texas, tickets to the historic event are red-hot. Interest has overwhelmed congressional offices, with some getting thousands or tens of thousands of requests. For some Dallas-area representatives, all but one Republican, more constituents sought tickets than four years ago, when Texan George W. Bush was inaugurated for his second term. "There's more demand than supply," said Rep. Michael Burgess, R- Lewisville. The joint congressional committee that handles the inaugural ceremony distributed 240,000 tickets last week. About half went to the Presidential Inaugural Committee for staff, campaign workers and officials. The rest went to congressional offices. Each House member receives 198 tickets; each senator gets a little less than 400. Many North Texas lawmakers used first-come, first-served rules to try to spread the passes throughout their districts. Their offices reported giving most of the passes to constituents and some to staff members and local officials. People without tickets can watch the swearing-in on nearly two dozen large TV screens. Some representatives set limits of two tickets per request. The tickets are free. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, received about 12,000 sign-ups, including duplicates, and hoped her Republican colleagues could share. "I thought since they're Republicans, there would be extra tickets in those districts," said Johnson, the only Democratic House member in North Texas. There were few to spare from colleagues. Her office will distribute tickets on a first-come, first-served basis to district residents this morning. The congresswoman also is giving passes to 60 people who are flying to Washington on a chartered plane. Not even former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, Obama's nominee for U.S. trade representative, could score all the passes he needed. GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who got more than 20 tickets in the seating area and more than 200 standing-room passes, helped him out with two extra tickets. She received tens of thousands of requests; her colleague, Sen. John Cornyn, received 30,000 pleas, said his spokeswoman, Tina Gray. In a few Republican districts, demand to witness Obama take office surpassed interest shown when Bush renewed his oath as president. Rep. Joe Barton's office received more than triple the number of requests this year – 2,600 – than in 2005. Requests came from both Republicans and Democrats, said Sean Brown, press secretary for Barton. "Obviously, most of us don't agree with all the policies that will be pushed by Mr. Obama. But everybody recognizes that this is a historic event," Brown said. Allen resident Katrina Franklin, 44, declared that getting two passes was "divine intervention." Franklin, who is black, will attend the ceremony with her partner of four years. "It's like a fairy tale," the nurse anesthetist said. Franklin also got her tickets from Sam Johnson. "The inauguration is about America, and I'm more than happy to help my constituents who want to be a part of it, regardless of party," Sam Johnson said. The tickets are such hot merchandise that Congress passed a law outlawing their sale. The penalty: up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in jail. The office of Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, discovered this week that a former staffer who was on the office's ticket list was trying to hawk passes, though she hadn't received them yet. That former staffer was taken off the list, said spokeswoman Deeann Thigpen. She said no crime was committed. "Our policy is that the tickets are for personal use and not for third-party sale," Thigpen said. The office of Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Rockwall, also took back some tickets after discovering their sale on Craigslist, according to Politico. Even without her ticket, Hill would have attended the historic event. The 36-year-old, who is black, wanted to represent her late parents. "I feel like it's important for me to be there because [they] didn't live to see the day," she said. In their memory, Hill will wear a family heirloom: a full-length white fur coat.