FARGO - City Commissioner Linda Coates says she was shocked to learn she and her husband were among more than 40 area residents on a list of people barred from attending President Bush's speech here Thursday. She got in, anyway, and said she got an apology for what was described as the work of an overzealous staffer.

Fargo police said the "no admittance" list was not from police or the Secret Service, but was created by a local volunteer involved in the ticket distribution. White House spokesman Jim Morrell and Don Larson, a spokesman for Gov. John Hoeven's office, said they knew nothing about it.

The list included two high school students, a librarian, a deputy Democratic campaign manager and a number of university professors, the Forum reported Thursday. The newspaper said many of the names on the list are current or former members of the Fargo-Moorhead Democracy for America Meetup Group.

Coates said she originally had not planned to attend the president's speech, but got a last-minute ticket Wednesday night from Fargo Mayor Bruce Furness, who offered tickets to all city commissioners.

She said a "tall staffer," whom she did not know, came up to her and apologized as she was entering the Bison Sports Arena to hear the president speak. Some protesters were chanting "Go, Linda, Go!" she said.

Coates, whose husband, Mike, also was on the list, said earlier she had no idea why her name would be among those barred from the speech, though she has been outspoken in her political beliefs.

"I thought that was democracy," she said.

Other names on the list were James Holm, the producer of "The Ed Schultz Show," and Berrett Gall, the former deputy campaign manager for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Satrom. Holm, a staunch Democrat, said he felt honored.