Some tickets to greet Bush might still be available

Tickets may still be available for a reception for President Bush tonight at the Air National Guard base.

The reception, which is the official welcome for the president and is being organized by the White House, will run from 7 to 10 p.m. The free tickets are to be distributed by Utah's congressional delegation.

When contacted late Tuesday, the offices of Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, had already reserved all their tickets for early-bird callers. Late Tuesday, the office of Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, still had a few tickets, and the office of Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, still had tickets.

A spokesman for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, thought the state Republican Party was handling it, but Utah GOP executive director Jeff Hartley said ticket distribution was left to individual congressional delegates.

The total number of tickets available for the reception wasn't immediately known, but the White House asked Salt Lake County to supply enough bleachers for 1,000 people to welcome Bush at the airfield, Salt Lake County Councilman Michael Jensen said.

County leaders scrambled throughout the day Tuesday to find out if they could legally comply with the request. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said he wouldn't support donating county property for a political rally.

"If it's open to the public — protesters and supporters — then I'm fine with it," Corroon said.

County law prohibits such donations, but as long as the event isn't partisan, county attorneys approved the request, Jensen said.