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Obama's Inauguration Tix Selling For Up To $10,000

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Nov 11, 2008 10:45 am US/Pacific

Obama's Inauguration Tix Selling For Up To $10,000

Lawmaker Plans Bill To Prohibit Sale Of Tickets

CHICAGO (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Linda Gaddis (right) is among the constituents asking Illinois congressional delegation members for tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration.
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Tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration in January won't be handed out until a week before the ceremony, but thousands of people already know that they will get a ticket. Some of those people are selling them to brokers.

Because of that, a California congressman plans to introduce a bill making it a crime to cash in on the inauguration, CBS station WBBM-TV's Dorothy Tucker reports.

The chance to witness Obama's inauguration may be priceless to some people, but others are willing to pay thousands of dollars. Numerous websites are selling the tickets. The cheapest was $500. Broker service called StubHub sought one of highest prices – more than $10,000 for a single ticket.

"Do not buy tickets, do not scalp tickets, do not get swindled in this process," warns U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Chicago.

Jackson considers the purchase of an inauguration ticket a swindle because they are free. Members of Congress are giving away 240,000 tickets.

Linda Gaddis is among several of Jackson's constituents who are signing up and requesting tickets at the congressman's South Side office. Hundreds more are calling or emailing.

Jackson says he'll get about 400 tickets.

"Whoever calls, they can have them – until we run out," he says. "There's no favors in our office, we're not setting aside (any)."

He added: "I may set aside two -- one for my mom and dad. Other than that, the other 398 tickets, if we get 400, will be distributed to the public and directly to the public."

If they run out and you don't get a ticket, Jackson says you can still witness the ceremony. You don't need a ticket to stand in the mall. It'll be shown on jumbo screens like the ones at Obama's Grant Park rally.

"We will go if we have to walk," Gaddis, the Jackson constituent, says. "We intend to be there when this happens."

Even without a ticket? "Without a ticket," she answers. "We're going on the same hope he talked about and the faith that this will be done."

If you go, prepare to be patient. More than 1 million people are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony. There will be security check points, and the lines will be very long.