Special interests prey on Inaugural

“We thought this would be a great way to market the fact that BGR is bipartisan and reach out to the Democratic side of Washington,” said David DiMartino, a vice president of BGR Public Relations. “There are Democrats here now.”

Blue might be the most popular color on Inauguration Day, but green comes in a close second.

Among the environmentally friendly parties planned is the Green Inaugural Ball on Jan. 17 at the spacious Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Former Vice President Al Gore is honorary chairman of the event.

An Inaugural Peace Ball and a Health Care for All Blue Diamond Ball are planned as well.

“It’s a way of making sure that your issues are dealt with in the next two or four years,” said Brian Hennessey of the nonprofit Vineeta Foundation, which is co-organizing the Blue Diamond event that will support Mr. Obama’s vision of universal health care.

These parties are being structured so that lawmakers can attend without breaking new rules that restrict their socializing with lobbyists. Many of the invitations include a menu of “heavy hors d’oeuvres,” for example, because lawmakers cannot accept full meals from lobbyists under the rules.

The Poker Players Alliance is hosting a private, invitation-only event to honor “our new poker player in chief” starting at 11 p.m. on Inauguration Day at a well-known local cigar bar. The fine print of the invitation, sent to some lawmakers, notes that the event “conforms with the congressional ethics committee rules.”