From Holden:

This is becoming a non-story, but when Big Time Dick goes to Joplin, MO, tomorrow only the annointed few will be allowed to see him. Forget about loyalty oaths, the public never even had the chance to get tickets because none were given out:

It’s being billed as a “town hall meeting,” but a campaign stop Wednesday in Joplin by Vice President Dick Cheney will be open only to those with invitations

[snip]

Invitations were being issued, by telephone, to about 500 area residents, said Allen Shirley, regional coordinator for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

“We found out about it too late to get tickets printed and distributed,” he said Monday.

He said he and other volunteers spent the weekend on the telephone. He said invitations were going to members of the “party faithful,” including GOP supporters, volunteers, committee members and Republican officeholders.

Or maybe tickets were made available, it’s hard to know with these people:

The campaign notified the news media of the event Monday morning. Tickets were gone within 90 minutes.

Gregg Keller, another campaign spokesman, didn’t respond immediately to questions about whether passes were ever available to the general public.

Said [Cheney’s campaign spokeswoman Anne Womack]: “The tickets are largely reserved for supporters of the president, people who are open to hearing his message of optimism, people who volunteer.

“Those people work very hard to support the president, and we think it’s important that they have an opportunity to hear from Vice President Cheney.”