all-encompassingly

The AP (5/14, Pickler) reports, “A lawsuit was filed in federal court Wednesday on behalf of more than 15,000 students who paid thousands to attend President Barack Obama’s inauguration but reportedly were left out in the cold.” The complaint “filed in Washington says Vienna, Va.-based Envision EMI promised middle, high school and college students across the country special access to the inauguration, parade and a black tie inaugural ball on Jan. 20.” However, “the lawsuit … says once the students got to Washington, they had no tickets for the inauguration or parade. And the balls they attended were not official events connected to the inauguration.” While the company “has said it would refund students $1 million…the lawsuit says that would only reimburse each attendee about $65” and “students were charged $2,380 to $2,620 and also had to pay for travel to Washington, formal wear for the ball and in some cases extra meals not included in the base cost.”

Students who paid to attend inauguration sue

The New York Times (5/14, A19, Seelye) reports that “the suit said the companies solicited students to attend ‘educational inaugural conferences’ and promised exclusive access to view the inaugural ceremony and the parade, attend an official black-tie gala and visit with celebrities, politicians and White House staff.” However, the “ball turned out to be a ‘glorified prom.'”

Suit Is Filed Over Event For Inaugural

Somehow, this lawsuit feels like some sort of metaphor for widespread buyers’ remorse over electing Obama, considering the president’s hastily-broken campaign promises of “Transparency”, “No Lobbyists”, “Hope”, and “Change.”