A U.S. president or president-elect has never attended the Illinois State Society Presidential Inaugural Gala since the group upgraded its inaugural reception to a ball, starting in 1989 with the first Bush.
But the society, which now has one of the hottest tickets in town, is hoping President-elect Barack Obama will make an appearance at its $1 million affair at the Renaissance Washington hotel on Jan. 19.
"He came four years ago as a senator," said Jeanne Jacob, a past president of the society.
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