Iowans heading to D.C. for inauguration, protests

Iowans are traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to be part of history as Donald J. Trump takes the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States.

Some, such as Trump supporter Brett Mason, of Cedar Rapids, plan to attend inaugural events, while others are going to have their voice of displeasure heard through protests.

'It is a capstone to the two years I spent leading the Republican party here in Linn County,' said Mason, 58, who served as co-chairman of the Linn County GOP. 'This is a reward for seeing it through.'

Mason, who helped candidates get elected and organized political events, will be attending the swearing in ceremony at noon, Friday with his wife Debbie, and two friends. He considers the inauguration an important turning point for the country, with a businessman rather than a politician or community organizer at the helm guiding decision making and negotiations.

Mason received tickets through the office of U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-Dubuque. Blum's office received 200 tickets, and they have all been distributed even as requests continue to come in, said John Ferland, a Blum aide.

Hot ticket

Iowa's delegation to Washington, D.C., each received an allotment of tickets.

Senators each received 393 tickets to the swearing-in ceremony, and Sen. Chuck Grassley's office is distributing the tickets through a lottery system, said Grassley aide, Jill Gerber. It was not enough to keep up with the 500 requests for more than 1,500 tickets, she said. Representatives from each member of the delegation met to go over the ticket request policy to accommodate as many Iowans as possible, she said.

The office of Iowa's lone Democratic official, Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa City, also saw a steady demand and has exhausted the supply, although a lottery system wasn't needed this cycle, said Joe Hand, a Loebsack aide.

He noted the Iowa delegation is also hosting a coffee on Thursday for anyone who is in town.

Iowa officials attending

Some of Iowa's tops leaders plan to attend the inaugural events, including Gov. Terry Branstad, who is Trump's nominee to be ambassador to China.

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds also plans to go to participate in meetings with congressional leaders, she said.

Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, is planning to take in inaugural festivities and receptions, including one hosted by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, if weather and her work schedule permit. Upmeyer expects to run into people she's met through her careers in the Legislature and in health care. She's also likely to touch base with Newt Gingrich, who she backed for president in 2012, 'but he's pretty busy.'

Upmeyer doesn't have meetings scheduled with Iowa congressional representatives or federal officials, but said 'odds are we will run into some folks we will be interested in having conversations with.'

Upmeyer, who has never attended a presidential inauguration, said she and her husband, Doug, thought it would be fun to go — once.

'It's probably like attending the Super Bowl,' she speculated. 'I'm sure it's really cool to go once. Probably once you've done that, you're perfectly content to watch on TV.'

What she has been told is to be extremely flexible 'because whether it's the weather or the traffic or whatever it is, the odds are it won't go the way you had hoped and predicted.'

Ready to protest