Bars and Clubs to Stay Open Until 5am on Inauguration Night

Last Edited: Wednesday, 03 Dec 2008, 3:34 PM EST
Created: Tuesday, 02 Dec 2008, 10:01 PM EST

It looks like the inauguration of President-Elect Obama is going to be an even bigger party than previously expected.

DC City Council approved a fast-tracked proposal Tuesday to allow bars to stay open around the clock and serve alcohol until five o'clock in the morning on Inauguration Day.
Bar owners obviously see the decision as a huge boost. They were already expecting four million visitors to the city for Inauguration week.
Councilman Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, questioned whether the city's police force could handle the added crowds and likely DUIs and scuffles.
Four-thousand officers from around the country are reportedly assisting DC Police to cover the inauguration, but those officers will only be deputized to work Inauguration Day.
Mayor Adrian Fenty asked the council to exclude nightclubs from the plan, but they too are allowed to stay open.

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