Reid draws numbers for inauguration tickets
WASHINGTON -- After receiving more than 5,000 requests for passes to the presidential inauguration later this month, Sen. Harry Reid on Friday called on chance to help distribute some tickets. Reid pulled six numbered slips from a cowboy hat, the first batch of what was to be a lottery for 1,000 tickets to President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in. "There is no other way to do this fairly," Reid said.
As Senate majority leader, Reid controls large blocs of admissions although his office declined to say how many. Even before the lottery, a number of passes were given out to Nevada groups and others in Reid's favor, aides said.
Reid worked from a hat containing 1,500 slips, each of which was numbered to correspond to a ticket hopeful catalogued in a thick sheaf. Five hundred slips were to be pulled, and each winner would be offered two tickets, aides said.
