(Host) Vermonters by the thousands are already lining up for tickets to the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama in January.
David Carle, spokesman for Senator Patrick Leahy, says the interest is extremely high.
(Carle) Far, far higher than in past years, and the enthusiasm is every bit a match for getting tickets. People know this will be a moment in history and people feel a strong interest in touching it in some way.
(Host) Carle says that so far more than two-thousand Vermonters have contacted Leahy’s office for the free tickets.
Among Vermont’s three-person congressional delegation there are about one-thousand tickets to be distributed, mostly for standing room at the West side of the Capitol.
Those without tickets will be able to attend the inauguration, but they will be much farther away on the Mall where large television screens will be installed.
The process for deciding who will get the tickets is still being determined.
The congressional delegation itself will be just yards away from the new president during the ceremony. And Leahy Spokesman David Carle says the senator may have a role of his own.
(Carle) He is an accomplished photographer and has often been asked by publications like USA Today or RollCall or Time Magazine or others to use his vantage to take behind the scenes photos up there, and my guess is he’ll be doing it again.
(Host) Vermonters who want to be on the list to get tickets should contact one of the congressional offices.
Several million people are expected to be in Washington for the inaugural events on January 20th.