Need A Ticket For Obama Inauguration?

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CHICAGO (AP/IRN) - Almost 200 tickets are up for grabs through U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) for those who live in the 14th congressional district.

There's been a high of volume of ticket requests for Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration. Foster says some tickets will be given to community leaders and others through a lottery system.

Two tickets will be given to each recipient.

According to Foster some tickets will be given to ``community leaders and those who worked hard for change on behalf of President-elect Obama.''

The rest of the tickets will be distributed through a lottery system.

To participate, send an e-mail to Fosterinauguration@mail.house.gov or call 866-777-6670 by Friday.

THIS IS ONLY IF YOU LIVE IN 14th CONNGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Be sure to include a name, name of the guest, address, e-mail address and a phone number.

Ticket winners will be notified late next month.
  
Phone calls are coming in by the hundreds to Illinois politicians, with the goal being finding tickets to the inauguration.

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who plays basketball occasionally with President-elect Barack Obama, says he's leaving his voice mailbox full in order to avoid more calls.  Giannoulias says he has been getting up to about 250 calls and text messages a day from people—some of whom he hasn't seen since grade school—who want tickets.  He also says he has received resumes from folks who are "pretty high up" in both the public and private sector who want to be a part of the Obama administration.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) says he's getting calls too, since he took the state Senate seat Obama previously held. Raoul says he hates to disappoint people, but he has no pull whatsoever in getting inauguration or inaugural ball tickets.