Posted on 11/13/2002 5:30:00 PM PST by stratman1969
By Beth Ashley
Officials at the Marin Speaker Series are fielding dozens of calls from people seeking tickets to the sold-out appearance of former President Bill Clinton at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium tomorrow night.
"I've suddenly got more best friends than anybody," said Bruce Vogel, the event organizer.
Two thousand subscribers to the series presumably will fill every seat for Clinton's 8 p.m. speech on a subject not yet announced. Seventy-five others will pay $75 to have their pictures taken with him, and 40 more, who have paid $275, will spend 30 minutes at a pre-speech reception in the auditorium's Green Room.
Vogel, who presents eight programs a year in the Marin Speaker Series, says this one easily tops visits of Secretary of State Colin Powell and former President Jimmy Carter when it comes to strictness of controls and just plain buzz.
Jim Farley, manager of the Marin Center, said, "I'm going to have to get an unlisted phone number" to fend off the people seeking tickets. All tickets have been pre-sold as part of a subscription package.
Secret Service representatives inspected the facility late last week to map out security plans.
"They don't tell you what they're going to do," said Farley, who doesn't know how many agents will be on hand.
The Secret Service will monitor admission to the photo shoots and reception, from lists supplied by Vogel, who was given an absolute limit on attendance at both.
Money from the pre-lecture events will go to Marin charities chosen by Vogel; part of it may go directly to the Marin Center to upgrade the facility.
"You would be surprised how much of (Clinton's) time is devoted to charities," Vogel said. "It's magnanimous of him to do it."
Clinton is not charging extra for the pre-event fund-raisers, Vogel said, but declined to say how much money Clinton will be paid for his appearance.
Vogel picked the Family Service Agency of San Mateo to cater the reception. The same firm will cater Clinton's appearances this week in Oakland and on the Peninsula, also sponsored by Vogel.
Staff members of the agency that arranges Clinton's lectures toured the premises last week, Vogel said.
"It took about 10 minutes," he said.
But the agency is stringent in its requirements, and - through "a whole ream of contractual language" - has insisted that he keep some facts confidential. Vogel, who has presented the series for eight years and has dealt with generals, entertainment headliners, big-name authors and political heavyweights, seemed amused at the requirements but unfazed.
"My business is really organization," he said.
The press is barred from backstage events at Clinton's behest, Vogel said.
"If he lets in one member of the press," Vogel said, "he feels obligated to admit them all."
Bwwahahahahaha!
Will C-Span be there?
Veterans Memorial? This is obscene.
Someone wipe that sh*t-eatin' grin off his face!.
Disgrace to freedom - bowing before the bloody rag.
My thought exactly.
P.T. Barnam died too soon; he would have signed this "celebrity" for one of his side shows.
I just wonder if he does this at all of his events precisely because they are NOT sell-out events. I find it odd that such a media hog doesn't want cameras there. Could he be afraid that the press might report that he isn't the rock star he thinks he is?
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