Update for Iowans with Purple or Blue Tickets: Redress Being Discussed
According to WaPo's Sleuth, redress for disenfranchised ticket holders is being talked about. After offering to give personal tours of the Capitol to compensate those who were left out in the cold on Tuesday, Senate
Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, [Congress's top law enforcement
official who was in charge of security at President Obama's swearing-in
ceremony] told the Sleuth, “I heard from someone in the tunnel who was insulted by my offer….I'm not sure what it will take, but we're open to suggestions,” he said.
One idea being floated loosely on Capitol Hill by a group of House senior aides who are bearing the brunt of complaints from furious and disappointed constituents is to have some type of event for the screwed purple and blue ticket holders at the White House, a chance for the brokenhearted to see Obama.
Gainer said he hadn't heard that idea, but would be happy to discuss that or other options. (Click here to read the entire article).
The “decidedly unhelpful” Committee Chair, Dianne Feinstein, has arranged for ticket holders to receive a special souvenir packet including the inaugural program and photos of Obama and Biden (uh…I think we already have those – they came with the tickets). But some feel this won't exactly cut it. For some great drama, check out this video link of the tunnel and the chaos in the streets and at the gates. Or you can google “purple and blue ticket holders.” There is plenty of video out there.
If you were a purple ticket holder, click on the link to the facebook group, “Survivors of the Purple Tunnel of Doom.” There are over 5000 members now. Their founders have met with Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, who now acknowledges the so-called “purple tunnel of doom” on inauguration day was a “major security breach.” They will likely have the most up to date info.
While purple ticket holders are getting a little more attention for their extra hardship of having had to wait inside a dark, damp tunnel designed for cars, blue ticket holders otherwise have a near-identical story. Here is a link to one of the best videos we've found showing the travails of the Blues. Jeff Wheeland, who made the video must have been standing about the same place we were. His timeline and story are almost exactly like ours.
As always, if you know any disenfranchised ticket holders, please pass this information on to them.
Blog For Iowa 