Members of North Dakota's congressional delegation say the number of requests from constituents is skyrocketing for tickets to see President-elect Barack Obama become the 44th president on Jan. 20.

"We're getting a lot of requests from virtually all corners," Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan said. "I'm finding out I have friends I didn't know I had."

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty said the city was bracing for as many as 3 million people to be on - or at least near - the National Mall when Obama takes his historic oath of office, according to the Associated Press.

A select few will have an intimate view of the ceremony by scoring a ticket from congressional members, who each get 198 of them to dole out to constituents.

Don't bet on scoring a ticket online, either. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who chairs the joint committee that oversees the inauguration, introduced legislation on Monday that would make it a federal crime to resell tickets to the ceremony. Web sites such as eBay also have stopped the sale of inauguration tickets at Feinstein's request.

Sen. Kent Conrad's office has already surpassed its allotment of tickets several times over, spokesman Sean Neary said.

"The senator has received requests from more than 1,000 people to date, which is a dramatic difference from 2004," Neary said. "There are lots of North Dakotans coming to D.C."

Sandra Salstrom, a spokeswoman for Rep. Earl Pomeroy, said his office has received "hundreds" of requests for tickets to the event, which "has generated an unprecedented interest in North Dakotans and people around the country."

More economic stimulus?

North Dakota's senators are advocating measures they say would either kick start new economic development around the country or prevent the nation's top automakers from collapsing and cutting jobs.

Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said Wednesday that Congress should introduce a new stimulus package next session to fund road and bridge projects that could help create jobs and economic growth.

The budget committee heard testimony from economists who told senators, including Conrad, that such a package would need to be about $100 billion to $400 billion.

Conrad said the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials estimates there are 3,000 "ready-to-go" highway projects that could be contracted within 90 days, noting North Dakota has $300 million worth of potential projects.

Meanwhile, Dorgan said he would support a $25 billion bailout to the nation's three largest automakers. Conrad and Pomeroy say they are waiting on more information before deciding to support or oppose the idea.

Dorgan told Fox News in a Sunday interview that he supports a bailout for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Corp., which would come from the $700 billion bailout package that he voted against in October. Conrad and Pomeroy both voted for the measure, which passed.

"This is not just about an industry or three companies," Dorgan told Fox News. "This is about jobs - 350,000 direct, probably as much as 3 to 5 million jobs in total, reflecting that industry."

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., appeared in the interview with Dorgan, saying a $25 billion loan to the automakers wouldn't fix the industry's troubles and that they are in need of a new business model.

"But $25 billion - what does it pay for?" Kyl said. "Maybe five or six months' worth of their bills, and then they're right back where they are, and the taxpayers have nothing to show for it."

On Wednesday, Dorgan said he is not a "forceful advocate" for an automaker bailout package, but said he would support one as long as it had restrictions and guidelines that would direct how the money is spent, something he said the original bailout didn't have.

He said he wasn't sure if any measures would make it to the Senate floor before the 110th Congress wraps up this week.

Salstrom said Pomeroy needs "to see the details of any particular plan before deciding to support or oppose it."

Neary said Conrad will "reserve full judgment until he sees the legislation."

Dorgan is reappointed

Dorgan was reappointed as chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee during his party's caucus meeting this week.

The committee helps the Democratic Caucus with legislative research, oversight hearings and conducts its weekly policy lunches.

He has held the post since 1999.

(Reach reporter Brian Duggan at 223-8482 or brian.duggan@bismarcktribune.com.)