Bush’s inaugural ball becomes a hot ticket

WASHINGTON – If you’re fixin’ to dust off your Stetson and polish the Tony Lamas for the Black Tie & Boots inaugural ball but haven’t bought a ticket, you’re out of luck or will need the wealth of a wildcatter to get in.

The ball on the eve of President Bush’s inauguration has been oversold and because of fire code limits at the Washington-area hotel, some who ordered tickets by mail will be getting refunds instead. With space allotted for vendors and entertainers, the ballrooms and other spaces reserved for the event have a capacity of no more than 10,000.

Half of the tickets to the Jan. 19 event went on sale online Nov. 10, exclusively for members of the Texas State Society, which is hosting the ball. They sold out in 40 minutes. The remaining tickets were reserved for the political elite, sponsors and Texas State Society members who ordered by mail.

“We know some of our members won’t be able to attend, unfortunately,” said Bill Shute, chairman of the Texas-size shindig. The society was still calculating the number of tickets sold.

But not all is lost for the deep-pocketed folks who didn’t move fast enough on the $125 tickets offered to members.

A pair of tickets on eBay were being offered at $1,550 a pair on Wednesday; a set of eight was going for $6,100.

The ball’s popularity has increased through the Bush administrations of father and son. In January 1989, when George H.W. Bush became president, 3,000 people attended. In 2001, at President Bush’s first inauguration, 10,000 people came to the ball.

Bush, first lady Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney plan to attend. The president’s second inauguration is the next day, Jan. 20, at noon.

The society, founded in 1905 when Teddy Roosevelt was president, was organized to bring together displaced Texans in the Washington area. But many non-Texans became members, in part to get tickets to the ball.

Among the businesses that spent $50,000 to sponsor the ball are the American Chemistry Council; oil company BP America; pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; Tyson Foods; Union Pacific Corp., and Wells Fargo.

The ball also has at least another 23 sponsors that have contributed $25,000 each and 34 contributing $10,000 each.

Among the scheduled entertainers are Lyle Lovett, Asleep at the Wheel and country music songwriter Robert Earl Keen.

Wearing cowboy boots with tuxedos and gowns is encouraged. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said she’ll don a pair of turquoise boots with her gown.