Inauguration plans? Think tent

Hotel rooms in the greater Washington-Baltimore area are sold out for the days surrounding President-elect Barack Obama's January inauguration, a St. Petersburg travel agent says.

"I couldn't find a single room yesterday,'' says Markus Mittermayr, president of St. Petersburg Travel Center, who checked for rooms from Sunday the 18th through Wednesday the 21st. "I think maybe somebody up there has blocked out all the rooms. I've never seen anything like this, where there is no room, not even for $500 or $800 a night.''

One of his clients, Yvonne Henderson, plans to bring two buses of people from Birmingham.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion,'' says Henderson, 53. Her father, who was active in Birmingham politics, recently died at age 98. "There's no place I'd rather be on the 20th of January than in Washington, and I am going to dedicate it to my dad.''

Henderson says she is working the Internet to find hotel space, anywhere in Virginia or Maryland. "I don't care how far away it is. Birmingham is much farther.''

U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young has already received more than 500 requests for tickets, says chief of staff Harry Glenn. The joint House and Senate committee that will dole out tickets to members of Congress has not yet decided on the allotment, but in the past, each member received 100-200 tickets, Glenn said. After weeding out requests from outside his district, Young's office will hand out the tickets on a first-come basis, Glenn said.

About 240,000 tickets will admit people to seats and standing areas in a secure area from the Capitol building west toward the Mall. As in past years, other areas farther back along the Mall will be open to the public without restriction, Glenn said. Large-screen television sets placed along the Mall will show closeup views.

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Comments

[Chuck]

I can't think of a more useless job than "Travel Agent".

INTERNET! HELLO!!!!

[D Staffer]

Maybe Paula Dockery can get a room since she raised the Democratic Party of Florida over $100k to use against a Senator in her own party. Can you say Benedict Dockery?

[Holly]

With times being so uncertain, people are losing their jobs, the banking and mortgage meltdown, the media sure can cook up the "mob mentality," that somehow, this event is going to be better than the second coming of Jesus Christ. Wake up, people and get a grip on life! Obama is not the Messiah. He's simply going to get thrown into the government machine, spun around, chewed up, and spit out!

Obama smote the McCan-anites and Palin-istens..he is the one. LOL

Don't the repiggies have a "big tent" that they don't use anymore? Perhaps they could donate their "big tent" to the Inauguration Committee.

[ScoutDad]

Hotels ARE NOT sold out -- just very, very hard to come by!!

Here are some tips:

Stay at least 4 nights. Most hotels have minimum stay policies in effect for the Inauguration.

Stay at least an hour away from DC. There are some places, as far out as Baltimore, that are available. You'll want to drive into a burb that has a Metro Station, then take that into town.

I'm trying to keep an updated list of hotels with availability: http://resideorob.blogspot.com/2008/11/hotels-for-obama-inauguration-in-dc-are.html

hahaha...little repiggies don't got no big tent no more...just a crappy little yurt...oooooh, little repiggies...

[Bill]

Enjoy your next 24-36 months. Even with the drive-by media swooning over BHO and portraying everything he does as the right thing it will only take that long to figure out this shallow pitiful example of change. Every single person in this country needs to put one of their pay stub's from this week ( for those who do work ) in their sock drawer and pull it out once a year and compare it to the one from 11/11/08. You'll get the awnser as to who will be the next President in 2012.

[Rhonda]

Bill, funny you should mention the pay check stub. I am a RN and fortunate to have a job in which I've held onto a paycheck the last 8 years (narrowly) my husband has been laid off for about 3 years now (with no real prospect of a job) due to the economy and I am looking forward to any change that comes about from Obama. I worried about my job security while the Republicans were in office. Again, I am one of the lucky ones and looking forward to continuing to be blessed with the new administration.

i'm staying with friends -- all i need now are inaguration tickets!!

last time i did this i through eggs at bush's motorcade -- really looking forward to this one

[The Truth]

Man Bill you would have thought the Repubs didn't run up that 5 trillion dollar debt in 8 years listening to you. Soar Loser. People are going mad worrying about there jobs and you are talking about look at your pay stub. Where i work some haven't gotten a raise for six years and just happy to stil be working. Blame Obama why don't you. I mean he only has to clean up the biggest mess in Presidential History. You make me glad i Voted for Change.

[TJ]

I'll stick to the TV. It is free and I will get a close up view without wasting money or comfort. Who the heck wants to be in Washington in the middle of winter anyway? Not me!

I’m watching it on TV… more comfortable seats, cheaper beer, and instant replay!

[Sanity]

Typical Republican comments. I live next door to one, and he is the prototypical self-centered, righteoues republican. (He is also bipolar and an alcoholic, but that's another issue).

He, like most of you idiots, thinks only of himself, lives with perpetual anger, is mean spirited - but goes to church on Sunday by God.

Yes We CAN - Get Used to IT Repluplicans (and T.S.)

[Dave]

One of the greatest, most historical moments in American history, and Republicans just are sitting around angry at their fellow countrymen. How sad for them.

Be angry at yourselves, Republicans. Not only are you refusing to enjoy this wonderful moment, your hero G.W. Bush is the reason it even existed.

The Republican Revolution is over, and you LOST.

Go Obama!

6:18
I am a Democrat who voted for Obama, but I cannot afford to travel to Washington DC. Just because people express their desire to stay at home doesn't mean they don't support President-Elect Obama. Republicans, Democrats and Independents who did not vote for Obama and are not going to travel to Washington aren't necessarily anti-Obama.

Frankly, being able to afford the trip albeit historic doesn't make you any more of an Obama supporter than the next person, or the woman who mailed Sen. Obama her last $10 for his campaign.

It's comments like yours that stink of the elitism that make you (and many elite democrats) no different from the "rich" republicans you love to hate.

Have some humility about the President-Elect, what he stands for and the civil rights, equal rights and the struggle people before him suffered in order for Obama to be possible and for him to be a reflection of a country that honors hard work and doesn't belittle the mass who are not as fortunate as you.

Have fun in Washington.

I think it is the Republicans obligation to treat Osama with the same level of respect that the Demoncraps showed George Bush. We should show him the same amount of hatred they did, deride him and scream at the top of our lungs about every single thing he does, just like they did for the last eight years.

Now Osama wants to bring all the terrorists from Guantanamo Bay here and give them the same constitutional rights we have for their trial.

Yes, once a terrorist lover, always a terrorist lover.

Every time someone uses the term 'repiggie,' even after their candidate won the presidency with the votes of a lot of those same 'repiggies,' I'm reminded that the party of ignorance and intolerance does not have an elephant attached to it as a symbol.

6:53 didn't you ever wonder why the Democrats are represented by a donkey?

[Cherrybutter]

There's still rooms avaiable at www.GaylordNational.com There over $600 a night.