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Harry Reid Sick of Smelling All You Tourists

December 3, 2008 at 9:20 AM | 0 Comments

We'd heard the swamptown know as Washington, DC gives off a stench every once in a while, but we figured it was coming from those scumbags that call themselves Congress. According to Senate bigwig Harry Reid, though, it's the tourists who stink up the place:

The Capitol Visitors Center, which opened [Tuesday], may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found a silver lining for members of Congress: Tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore.

"My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

But it's no longer going to be true, noted Reid, thanks to the air conditioned, indoor space.

Glad to hear we're not offending you with our underarms anymore, Mr. Leader! Good luck with that whole populist appeal thing.

Related Stories:
· Reid: We Won't Smell the Tourists Anymore [Washington Examiner]
· The Capitol Visitor Center [Official Site]
· Poltiical Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Capitol Visitor Center]

How Do I Get Inauguration Tickets?

November 7, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 3 Comments

Now that the years-long election extravaganza is finally over, DC is already setting up for the biggest political party of them all: Inauguration Day, set for January 20.

Anyone can attend the parade through Washington, but tickets to the ceremony itself are notoriously hard to come by. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies spells out your chances:

Tickets to the 56th Inaugural Ceremonies will be provided free of charge and distributed through Members of the 111th Congress. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies does not provide tickets to the public. Members of the public interested in attending the Inaugural Ceremonies should contact their Member of Congress or US Senators to request tickets.

Call Your Congressman or -woman:
Jaunted just called our Brooklyn congressman and were told we are 600-and-something on the waiting list, and the office expects to get a single-digit number of tickets. We're taking that as a "No."

Scour Craigslist:
Craigslist DC is already filling up with desperate "I've already booked my flight" pleas. Some are offering to pay up to $500 a ticket, although there's no one actually selling yet, since the tickets haven't been distributed.

Just Give Up:
If you haven't done any favors for a senator lately and can't score tickets the old fashioned capitalist way, anyone can go see the parade, as we mentioned above.

Have a tip we've left out? Drop it in the comments!

Related Stories:
· Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies [Official Site]
· Inauguration Tickets [Craigslist DC]
· Barack Obama coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies]

Ted Stevens Convicted, Still Has Name on Alaskan Landmarks

October 27, 2008 at 5:05 PM | 0 Comments

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was convicted today of seven counts of making false statements, a verdict that renders him a felon. Guess that means he won't be voting for himself on November 4!

The recent trouble notwithstanding, Stevens is larger than life in his home state of Alaska, where his name adorns everything from the Anchorage airport to a research center in Juneau.

Earlier this year, we tracked some of the senator's pet projects with our Ted Stevens' Alaska Map. Now that he's been convicted, maybe we should to add his Girdwood home (pictured) to the list?

Related Stories:
· Ted Stevens Found Guilty [AP, via AJC]
· Jury Finds Stevens Guilty on Charges [CNN]
· Jury Finds Stevens Guilty [ADN]
· Voting as a Felon [Rock the Vote]

Where Was Obama's 100,000 Person Rally?

October 18, 2008 at 4:05 PM | 0 Comments


Possible president Barack Obama drew 100,000 people to downtown St. Louis today, which doesn't prove he's going to win on November 4 but certainly shows there isn't much else going on in the city. (At least today!)

The rally was held at the Gateway Arch, which is officially part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a national park created in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt.

Seen in the background of this stunning AP photo is another part of the park that doesn't get nearly as much press as Eero Saarinen's gleaming arch. The Old Courthouse was home to two decisions that precipitated Dred Scott v. Sanford, an important decision on women's suffrage that led to Minor v. Happersett and it's the place that Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was admitted to the bar.

Related Stories:
· Possible Presidents Map [Jaunted]

Americans Abroad Travel: Election Day in Argentina

October 8, 2008 at 1:45 PM | 2 Comments

Jaunted editor Paul Brady has been hiding out in Buenos Aires and won't be back to vote in the US on November 4. Instead of just mailing in an absentee ballot, he went to the embassy for today's Voting Party...

This city is all about standing around waiting for stuff. There are lines at the bakery, lines outside the bank to use the ATM, lines at the post office, lines like you could never imagine at bus stops. So I shouldn't have been surprised when I showed up for today's democracy fest at the US embassy and there was a queue of Americans stretching way down Avenida Colombia.

At least those of us waiting to get in could enjoy the tunes from the jazz combo that Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne hired to play in the courtyard while we made small talk about our hometowns, our impressions of Argentina and why in God's name this was taking so long.

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Time for Change: Redesigning the White House

October 7, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

As you've probably heard, everyone is gaga for something new in 2008, and even John McCain and Co. have hopped on board the change-wagon.

But why stop at changing the occupant of the Oval Office? In January, the Storefront for Art and Architecture, a nonprofit urban planning group in New York, figured they would push the whole change thing as far as possible and offer up some ideas for changing the White House itself.

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Election Travel: Early Voting Means More Time for Rocking

September 30, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 1 Comment

If it's fall in an election year, the music world can count on one thing: A steady stream of alternative rockers trying to rock the vote in the Dems' direction--and a few country music stars getting excited about the GOP.

Whatever side of the aisle you fall on politically, it's always a boon for music fans, and Election 2008 has a twist--with so many states now offering early voting options, the poll festivities are getting started earlier than ever.

Ohio Democrats are taking advantage with a "Vote Early, Rock Late" concert scheduled for October 16 in Cincinnati. Local-boys-turned-Brooklyn-hipsters The National are headlining the event, which also includes indie stalwarts The Breeders. Volunteers will shuttle voters to the open-early polls in between sets.

Related Stories:
· Vote Early, Rock Late [Official Site]
· Live Music Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Political Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: yacht boy]

Presidential Travel: Be the Candidate

September 15, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 2 Comments

If there was any doubt that politics and pop culture have become thoroughly intertwined, this election season has surely put it to rest. (Let's not forget that Paris Hilton has released an energy policy!)

And of course, what we see on TV determines who we want to be. So just as "ER" inspired legions of medical students and "Alias" led to a spike in CIA applications, this year's 24/7 campaign environment is sure to create a whole new generation of would-be politicians and talking heads.

And now that being a political candidate is about the coolest thing a kid could hope to grow up to be, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has jumped on the bandwagon with the new Headed to the White House exhibit. In the interactive exhibit, you get to design campaign logos, deliver soaring speeches, craft your strategy and make your way through a general election campaign. So if you think there hasn't already been enough campaign coverage, head to Philly and add to the din!

Related Stories:
· Headed to the White House [Official Site]
· Paris Hilton Love Conde Nast Travel [Jaunted]
· Possible Presidents Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: National Constitution Center]

Potential President Travel: Do Hawaii Like Barack Obama

August 17, 2008 at 3:08 PM | 1 Comment

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been laying low in Hawaii for a couple of days, taking a break from campaigning to soak up the sun and surf of the state where he spent his most formative years. But while the guy clearly has a bit of money and a few connections, his trip has been anything but extravagant. The AP has the lowdown on what the Obama family has been up to on Oahu, and how you too can experience the island like the nominee.

Obama did some bodysurfing in the waves off Sandy Beach Park on the island's south shore, a cheap and fun pastime to be sure. Take care if you try to swim in his footsteps, though: park officials warn that strong currents and dangerous shorebreaks make this a place for "experienced shorebreak bodysurfers" only. In keeping with the water theme, Obama also went snorkeling with his daughters at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, and had a family picnic and swim at Ala Moana Beach Park. Sounds fun to us.

On dry land, the family dropped by Aloha Tropical Farms (we definitely dig macadamia nuts), the Valley of the Temples, and visited his grandfather's grave at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

We could go on, but it sounds like the guy knows how to have a good time, even if the itinerary seems a tad bit over-scheduled. Oh well, I'm sure they found a few moments to chillax amid all the action.

Related Stories:
· Obama Vacation: Not So Pricey As It Seems [AP via Yahoo! News]
· Celebrity Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: AP]

Denver Gearing Up for Sex and Violence at Democratic National Convention

August 17, 2008 at 2:15 PM | 1 Comment

The Democratic National Convention is just eight days away, and the mile-high city of Denver is gearing up for four days of speechifying, glad-handing, and baby-kissing as Barack Obama officially accepts his party's nomination for the presidency. And while organizers are looking forward to a week of virtuous pronouncements, other groups are expecting the seedy side of the DNC to rear its ugly head.

News crews from CBS reportedly discovered a "concentration camp" that was built by local police to house all the protesters they expect to arrest during the convention. A warehouse on the north-east side of town was equipped with metal holding pens, fences topped with barbed wire, and a sign that warns of "electric stun devices used in this facility."

Meanwhile, an organization called Street's Hope is planning on reaching out to the 40,000 prostitutes they estimate will be in town to entertain the philandering delegates. The group aims to offer a way out for sex workers who want to leave their lives of prostitution, offering outreach, counseling, and lots of prayer. One can't help but wonder how many prostitutes they estimate the Republican convention will draw. Would they low-ball the figure to make the GOP look a bit more saintly?

In any case, if you're headed to Denver, be careful of where you protest and who you go to bed with, because plenty of sanctimonious moralists will be watching your every move.

Related Stories:
· News Crew Crashes Denver's DNC Concentration Camp [The Raw Story]
· Who Will Save the Hookers at the DNC? [Demver]
· Political Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Street's Hope]

Summer Museum Travel: Cowboys and Presidents

June 26, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 1 Comment

With plenty of hip museums in and around LA, the Museum of the American West in Griffith Park is not usually high on the itinerary. Essentially a shrine to cowboy culture, the museum's drab permanent exhibits are far less interesting than the aging Will Rogers wannabes who show up dressed in full Western gear, right down to the boots and spurs.

But this year's election-themed special exhibit is worth a trip for both Wild West lovers and political junkies. The exhibit traces how the cowboy image has shaped US electoral politics, from Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders to George W. Bush and his brush clearing in Crawford. Visitors are left with the realization that you can't get to the White House without having at least a little John Wayne in you--hence Cowboy Obama, above).

Cowboys and Presidents is on display at the Museum of the American West through September 7, before heading off on a national tour.

Related Stories:
· Cowboys and Presidents [Official Site]
· National Cowboy Museum is a Hoot [Jaunted]

[Photo: throwthedamnthing]

Political Travel: Bucharest, Here They Come

February 21, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

Until now, our coverage of Bucharest has focused on Dracula, but come this April, there'll be more scary creatures there: lots of politicians. The 20th NATO Summit will take place in the Romanian capital between April 2 and 4, carefully avoiding the prospect of starting talks on April Fools' Day.

So who and what will we see in Bucharest this April? Well, surprisingly, Russian president Vladimir Putin has agreed to show up, the first time a Russian leader has been there in six years. Along with him, the usual suspects--that is, heads of government of NATO members--will be in town, too.

Whether they'll take a countryside trip to haunt Dracula's region or spend more time at some of the sites made famous during the 1989 revolution (remember Ceausescu?), we are sure to see some pretty Bucharest churches in the background on TV. If the delegates have too much fun, we'll just be grinding our teeth about where our taxes are going.

Related Stories:
· Putin Agrees To Go To NATO Summit [Moscow Times]
· Jack Bauer Travels In The Shadows Of Dracula [Jaunted]
· New York Is Selling Dracula's Castle [Jaunted]

[Photo: mircea tudorache]