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December 30, 2008

Obama's Inauguration Committee Holds Ticket Raffle

@ 4:28 pm by Chris Good

UPDATE: This story was updated to reflect that supporters can enter the raffle without making a donation.

The Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC), the group designated to raise money for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, announced today that it will select ten supporters (and their guests) to receive tickets to Obama's swearing in Jan. 20. The catch: supporters are encouraged to donate $5.

"Make a donation of $5 or more right now. You and a guest could receive your ticket to history," PIC Executive Director Emmett Beliveau wrote today in an e-mail to supporters.

The PIC–not to be confused with the politically neutral Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), a planning committee made up of members of Congress–has repeatedly boasted that this year's inauguration will be free of lobbyist, PAC, and corporate cash. Not so for raffle money.

The committee is employing a tactic Obama used to generate cash and publicity during his long run at the White House. Lucky low-level donors to Obama's presidential bid were awarded, randomly (as far as we know), a group dinner with the candidate and tickets to go "Backstage with Barack" at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Today's e-mail employed the familiar red "Donate Now" button and directed supporters to the familiar online donation form, this time hosted on the PIC website, that propelled Obama to victory over former rival Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz).

Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe  sent a similar e-mail to supporters this afternoon, promoting the "ticket to history" donation drive.

"Supporters like you made this happen. You know that real change comes from the bottom up, not from the top down, and Barack and [Vice President-elect] Joe [Biden] want you to join them on this historic day. They want to start off this administration with the people who worked so hard and will continue to fight for change with them," Plouffe wrote.

The Obama inauguration figures to be an expensive affair, with Congress already having authorized $15 million and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) estimating a $50 million cost to the city. Supporters can enter the committee's ticket drawing without making a donation, a detail included in both promotional e-mails and on the contest's donation page.

2 Comments »

The Hill welcomes comment from anyone and will almost always post it whether it is favorable or critical, as long as it is substantive and advances debate.
  1. Tsk! tsk! - There is no catch. At the bottom there is a link if you do NOT wish to donate. Look for it, it's there.

    Comment by Allonfla — December 30, 2008 @ 8:21 pm

  2. Not everyone can go to the inauguration. Let's be creative to think of ways to take part and wish Obama well. For example, join in a global good-luck President Obama card on Flickr.

    Take a pic of yourself with a good-luck symbol and post on the Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/goodluckpresidentobama/

    Comment by Kim Peasley — December 31, 2008 @ 1:02 am

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