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VIPs head to Washington

Daniel Chacon

Published January 16, 2009 at 12:05 a.m.

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Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock

Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock

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VIPS head to Washington

* Gov. Bill Ritter is among several Colorado politicians excited to head to the inauguration next week.

Ritter obtained eight tickets from the Inaugural Committee, said Evan Dreyer, the governor's spokesman. Ritter is taking his wife, Jeannie, and the other six tickets are going to family and staff, he said.

Ritter is flying commercial and staying three nights in Washington, D.C., with friends, Dreyer said.

"This is a rare moment in history for a lot of different reasons," Ritter said. "One is obviously the historic nature of Barack Obama becoming president. Another is that America is really at a turning point. To witness the inauguration of the person who is going to lead this transformation is exciting and inspiring."

While he's there, the governor will be meeting with other governors, members of the Colorado congressional delegation and others regarding the recovery and reinvestment package and other issues, Dreyer said.

* Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who played a pivotal role in planning and fundraising for the Democratic National Convention in August, said he wanted to attend the inauguration because it's "a moment in history" that is closely connected to Denver.

"This is like the cherry on top of a great year," he said.

Hickenlooper and his wife, Helen Thorpe, will attend the event together.

The mayor was unsure where the two tickets finally came from because he requested them from the convention committee as well as from Sen. Ken Salazar.

"I think they came through Sen. Salazar, but I'm not 100 percent sure," he said.

Hickenlooper, who will be in Washington, D.C., starting Saturday for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said this will be his first time attending an inauguration.

* Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock started planning his trip to Obama's inauguration even before Obama was elected president.

Hancock and his wife, Mary, are attending the event together. He said he wrote to "several of our members of Congress" to request tickets, but he declined to say who provided them.

"I'd rather not say because I think they all had a process to give tickets to people," he said. "If someone didn't get them, I don't want to put folks out."

Hancock said he and his wife will be staying at the Club Quarters, which is two blocks from the White House and overlooks Farragut Square.

"We booked it seven, eights months in advance," he said.

Daniel Chacon