http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081113/ap_on_el_pr/inauguration_turnout
WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration is expected to draw 1 million-plus to the capital, and already some lawmakers have stopped taking ticket requests and hotels have booked up.
Some people are bartering on Craigslist for places to stay for the Jan. 20 ceremony when the Illinois senator takes the oath of office. They are offering cash or even help with dishes for residents willing to open up their homes.
The National Park Service, which is planning for an inaugural crowd of at least 1 million, will clear more viewing space along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. Jumbo TV screens will line the National Mall so people can watch the inauguration and parade, park service spokesman David Barna said Thursday.
The District of Columbia's delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, is urging planners to use arenas and stadiums to help with overflow crowds wanting to view the ceremonies on big-screen TVs. She is also urging churches to hold viewing parties.
"You can't judge by past inaugurations. It's going to break all the records," Norton said. "They're going to come with or without tickets. ... It's each man and woman for himself."
The city's police chief, Cathy Lanier, said organizers brought in an additional 3,000 officers from forces around the country to help with the last inauguration. This time, the request probably will be for about 4,000 officers.
Because of a lawsuit, people should have more standing room along the crowded parade route. War protesters sued after President George W. Bush's last inauguration, forcing the government to open up more free public viewing space between the Capitol and White House.
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled in March that the park service violated its own rules by giving preferential treatment in ticketing for bleacher seats along the parade route for supporters of the government over its critics. Friedman wrote the inauguration "is not a private event."
New rules to be issued Monday will lower the number of ticketed bleacher seats along the parade route from 20,000 seats to 8,700, leaving much more of the route open to people without tickets, Barna said.
Seat tickets had sold for between $15 and $150 in 2005 to help pay for the inaugural parade. Details for the 2009 parade tickets have not been set because Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee, which organizes the parade, is being formed.
There will also be designated "free speech" areas for protesters along the parade route, Barna said.
The inauguration has been designated a National Special Security Event, giving the U.S. Secret Service the lead in coordinating all law enforcement agencies to secure the event. There are 58 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together.
The largest crowd ever recorded on the National Mall was for President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 inauguration. At the time, the park service estimated 1.2 million people descended on the area. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan's inauguration drew about 500,000 people, and President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration drew about 800,000 people, according to park service estimates.
Of course, the crowds can always thin out. Ronald Reagan's second swearing-in ceremony had to be moved indoors, and the parade was canceled when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees (with a wind chill at 10 degrees to 20 degrees below zero.) John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 came with a blanket of snow; still, 1 million people turned out.
Congressional offices are reporting tens of thousands of requests for the 240,000 free tickets for the inauguration ceremony. As of Thursday, the office of Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., had received 26,000 requests. Webb sent a letter Thursday to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who heads the Joint Congressional Inaugural Committee, requesting that Virginia's proximity to Washington be considered in its allotment.
EBay Inc., the parent company of listing and sales sites eBay, StubHub and Kijiji, said it will not allow tickets to the inauguration to be sold on its Web sites. The company made the decision after meeting with committee representatives, eBay spokeswoman Nichola Sharpe told The Associated Press.
The inauguration will come at the end of a four-day holiday for federal workers, following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 19. Many area schools and some universities have canceled classes or are considering it.
___
Associated Press writers Kamala Lane in Washington, Joe Mandak in Pittsburgh and Steve Szkotak in Richmond, Va., and news researcher Judith Ausuebel contributed to this report.
Today, November 4th, 2008, we are the government. For these hours while the election polls are open WE are in charge of the direction of our great Country.
In this moment, and only in this voting moment, WE become the law, WE become the supreme authority in our Country. WE become supreme over every office, Court, Legislature and Exeuctive.
Today, November 4, 2008, WE, the electorate, become the principal institution of these 50 States United.
This right to vote is the magnificent gift our ancestors gave us -- too often at the price of their blood, sweat and tears. PLEASE do not let their sacrifice be in vain.
VOTE!
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/10/28/story_counted_votes.html?sid=102
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nearly 1.5 million Ohioans have requested absentee ballots ahead of November's election, and millions more are expected to hit the polls on Election Day.
To deal with the large number of absentee ballots, elections workers are doing everything they can prior to Election Night, except count the votes, 10TV's Cara Connelly reported.
"The ballots or electronic results are all kept under double lock," said Matt Damschroder with the Franklin County Board of Elections. "A Republican key and a Democrat key."
No ballots can be counted until 7:30 p.m. on Election Night, but elections workers are preparing in other ways.
"Before Election Day the Board of Elections then opens all of those envelopes, separates the ballot from the identification envelope, and then begins scanning them through our high-speed absentee tabulator," Damschroder said.
Absentee ballots will be ready to total right at 7:30 p.m., busting the common myth that they are counted last, Connelly reported.
"They are actually the first results that we report on Election Night," Damschroder said.
Thanks to the large number of early voters this year, elections workers anticipate that they will have more results earlier on Election Night, Connelly reported.
After the absentee ballots are counted, votes cast on Election Day get their turn. Electronic votes and paper ballots are delivered by hand to the election warehouse shortly after polls close. With more than 500 cars arriving, the deliveries create a massive traffic jam.
"They come with the presiding judge or voting location manager who's from one political party Damschroder said. "They also then have a ride along with someone from the opposite political party."
After the votes are delivered, the counting begins.
"Electronic results are then uploaded to a central tabulating system," Damschroder said. "That central tabulating system is not on the Internet. It's not connected to any network. It's a stand alone system that's just for our tabulation."
After being delivered to the warehouse, paper ballots are collected again and taken to Memorial Hall where they will be counted.
"We'll have absentee up between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.," Damschroder said. "We will probably have our first Election Day electronic results between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m."
Elections officials said their goal is to have Franklin County votes 100 percent counted by 11 p.m., Connelly reported.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for continuing Campaign 2008 coverage.
©2008 by 10TV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Speculators are behind rising oil costs
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008013898_oiltrade24.html
Jonathan Alter w/Keith Olbermann discussing FISA bill. Point is made that although Obama is against telecom immunity the larger idea of the bill was more important. Also Jonathan Alter points out that until we pass this bill we are opperating outside of the Constitution as we've been without a FISA court since last August.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5buTpjp3lqk
Wittmacck-Ekborn Syndrome
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/restless_legs_syndrome.jsp
The Russert Rainbow
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curiouslee/2591737594/
MONEY BOMB FOR BAILEY!!!!
Bailey was on the blog yesterday talking about being an Obama Organizing Fellow. She was trying to get some movement on her FR page.
Lets show her some Obama love for all of her hard work.
BAILEY "Obama Organizing Fellow" MONEY BOMB!!!! http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/public/gGvTW4
MY GOAL IS TO GET ONE DONATION PER DAY.
YOU CAN BE THAT ONE SPECIAL PERSON TODAY!
No amount is too small & I'll be oh so thankful & have a big goofy smile on my face!
MY FR PAGE
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/Obamakim
Thanks!, Kim
I mentioned this up blog a way's but I thought it would be great if we could surprise Lace when she returns from moving into a new house with a LOADED FR page!
LACE KING'S FR PAGE!!!!!!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/LaceKing
Let's show her how much we appreciate & miss her!
Here's from Lace's Blog:"I'm moving to Wisconsin Saturday morning and will not be back online until at least next Tuesday. I may be offline until the following Tuesday; I'm not entirely sure yet."
