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A ticket to ride to inaugural

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor January 7, 2009 09:50 AM

A New Hampshire couple are among the "everyday Americans" invited to ride along on the whistle-stop tour that will take President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., the Saturday before their inauguration.

Obama's inaugural committee announced this morning that the guests include people who embody "the life of this country -- the worker who became a champion for workers' rights, the soldier who became an advocate for servicemen and women suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; those who have lost their jobs and struggle bravely to cope in economic turmoil, and those who work tirelessly to make real the dream of a better future for their children."

"Each one of these families has their own remarkable story to add to our American story, and we're thrilled they've agreed to join us as we travel to Washington," committee spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.

The invitees include Kirsten Meehan of Dover, N.H., a stay-at-home mother of two and home school teacher. She and her husband Kevin volunteered for Obama, and their 7-year-old daughter spoke to Obama at a rally, but it's unclear why they were picked, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Also selected: Mark Dowell, Crestwood, Ky; Matt Kuntz, Helena, Mont.; Jim and Alicia Girardeau, Kansas City, Mo; Juliana Sanchez, Albuquerque, N.M.; Rosa Mendoza, Las Vegas; Lisa Hazirjian, Cleveland; Roy Gross, Taylor, Mich., Shandra Jackson, Arlington, Tex.; Quincy Lucas, Dover, Del.; Patricia Stiles, Parker, Colo.; Gregg Weaver, Fairless Hills, Pa.; Tony Fischer, Cincinnati; Lilly Ledbetter, Jacksonville, Ala.; Mike and Cheryl Fisher, Beech Grove, Ind; and Randy Wehrman, LeClair, Iowa.

The tour will start with an event in Philadelphia Jan. 18 and stop for events in Wilmington, Del., and Baltimore, en route to the nation's capital. The journey by rail is a historical nod to Obama's hero, Abraham Lincoln, who traveled by train from Springfield, Ill., to Washington for his inauguration.

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