TSA chief likely to face lawmakers' questions on pat-downs, body scans

CNN ^ | 17 Nov 1089 | CNN Wire Staff

[SkyPilot]

Washington (CNN) -- The head of the Transportation Security Administration will likely get a pat-down on air-travel security measures as he testifies before Congress on Wednesday morning.

The appearance by John Pistole was scheduled before controversy broke out over the past week about the agency's full body scans and pat-downs. But protest movements about the searches make such questioning likely when Pistole testifies about his agency's security efforts before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Hero pilot Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger on Tuesday joined the opposition to heightened airport security procedures, which critics have called invasive.

Sullenberger, who landed a crippled US Airways jet on the Hudson River last year, said the use of full-body pat-downs and advanced imaging scanners for airline personnel "just isn't an efficient use of our resources."

Federal transport authorities say the machines are a safe and necessary security precaution, especially following recent airline terrorism attempts.

[SkyPilot]

I have never, ever witnessed in my adult lifetime a more arrogant, intransigent, and abusive head of a government agency as TSA head John Pistole has behaved in recent days.

The "shut up and like it" approach will not stand.

Govt thugs usually even throw a bone to the public to get them off of the trail.

The TSA has behaved like the Sturmabteilung, which is probably appropriate, because that is what they and their 67,000 "employees" are.

There is a rider in the 2002 law that allows airports to opt out of the TSA after two years on an individual airport basis.

I expect Republicans to lead the charge to entice airports to do just that, and stab TSA right where they live.

[Old_Grouch]

The last time I flew was shortly after 9/11, to my father’s funeral, and I have not flown since, and will not ever fly again unless it is truly a matter of life and death. I have no confidence that even with these offensive screenings they can keep passengers safe. Passengers are disarmed and not allowed to be prepared to defend themselves. And now they have these Nazi officials pawing them. Not for me.

[SkyPilot]

The TSA has not realized it yet, but GropeGate has inflamed (and unified) the American public to a degree that has not been seen since 911 or Pearl Harbor. This time, they are not furious with Osama Bin Laden or Japan, but the US Government.

BJ Clinton, for all his faults, was a masterful politician. He would have exploited public anger to HIS advantage by now.

The Community Organizer has zero political skills. All he ever had was a lapdog media and a cult of personality among the stupid.

This scandal (and it is a scandal) will start filling the waters of the White House basement if Dumbo doesn't get it together, and quick.

______________________________________________________________________

Since the TSA molested my family, why doesn’t Obama volunteer to subject his family to the same security procedures? By: Mark Hemingway Commentary Staff Writer 11/16/10 3:05 PM EST Two weeks ago, my wife flew alone out to Colorado with our two young children. Unaware that the TSA had instituted new and incredibly invasive new security procedures, my wife called me distressed after getting frisked by the TSA. Or as my wife put it, “in some cultures I would be married to my screener by now.” She was joking, but make no mistake — my wife was incredibly disturbed by how intimate a security pat down she received. So here’s my not-so-modest proposal: If the President’s Homeland Security department is so adamant that this is the absolute best way to prevent terrorism, I think the President and his family should voluntarily submit to one of the new invasive pat down procedures. I know the Obamas don’t fly commercial at all these days, so they should probably get a pretty good idea what the rest of us are putting up with. The President and his family — preferably with DHS Secretary Janet “The system worked” Napolitano — should show up at Dulles or Reagan airport on a weekday with a camera crew in tow, as airport pat downs are typically done in full view of hundreds of travelers. All of America will to see the TSA handling the President’s crown jewels. Then a rubber-gloved federal agent will run his hands all over his wife and daughter’s privates while he watches. Then I want him to turn to the camera and tell all of America that this is no big deal and we should all be good citizens and comply with the necessary security procedures. It only seems fair

[ari-freedom]

some people have to fly every day or every week and it’s getting really nutty

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Much as I respect Sully, every time I hear “efficiency” cited as a virtue, I get nervous.
When you can say something is unjust, invasive, uncivilized, disgusting, abusive...or just plain WRONG...say that.
“Inefficient” should be for things morally neutral. You use that word, you sound morally neutral.

[Never on my watch]

I have no more words to describe the outrage I am feeling about this assault on private citizens.

This matter, IMO, is the first real test for the new Congress. They need to get some stones and put a halt to this now. And Pistole needs to go...

Actually, I want them to set up one of those xray machines at the inquiry, with the display available for all to see, and have each member of Congress and the Senate to walk through it.

[Never on my watch]

What I hear the pilots unions saying is ‘you don’t need to grope us like you grope the cattle’. They are not saying the practice is wrong and should be stopped unilaterally.

[swpa_mom]

The abuses will end ONLY when a Muslim woman refuses to allow to be fondled by the TSA. The TSA will claim they could not allow the “Arab Street” to see Muslim women being disgraced in such a fashion. You just watch.

[hadaclueonce]

Vote with your feet, Do Not Fly.

[OCCASparky]

CAIR has already told them to refuse. They also claim that whole body scanners are a violation of Sharia law. Big Sis has basically said they can go right through.

[swpa_mom]

That doesn’t surprise me. Maybe everyone should claim to be Muslim.

[Tzfat]

What I hear the pilots unions saying is ‘you don’t need to grope us like you grope the cattle’. They are not saying the practice is wrong and should be stopped unilaterally.

Not true. We are against the process, period. One step at a time...

[TSgt]

It’s already happened.

CAIR: TSA Can Only Pat Down Muslim Women’s Head, Neck
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/cair-tsa-can-only-pat-down-muslim-women%E2%80%99s-head-neck/

[BulletBobCo]

Another way to protest these “pat downs” would be to insist that Pat Downer dons a clean pair of gloves prior to the frisking. Also a family member of mine has a latex allergy and requires latex free gloves.

[relictele]

This is the face of the lifelong bureaucrat ("law enforcement" background notwithstanding) who cannot fathom that there may objections to decisions made in the DC vacuum and which have nothing to do with security and everything to do with staging a power play.

This is the look of surprise when a bureaucrat is called upon to construct a logical case for the policies implemented willy-nilly by an indolent, undereducated lot whose snappy periwinkle uniforms can't disguise the fact that they had dim employment prospects elsewhere.

[PA-RIVER]

Last I heard, they are going after that young guy from San Diego who opted out, saying he is faceing an 11,000 dollar fine.

They forgot who runs the show. We the people call the shots, and our congfress is about to unload on these pricks.

[relictele]

The grim irony (as Tyner himself pointed out) is that the TSA threatened him with fine/suit if he did not return to THE VERY AREA FROM WHICH HE HAD BEEN ESCORTED.

The TSA’s goal, such as it is, had been met i.e. Tyner did not get on a flight. Despite this, the TSA’s you-will-submit dander was up and they launched into all manner of bully-boy tactics. Note that in the narrative the one REAL law enforcement type, a city/county cop, could only shake his head and laugh at the tinhorn TSA.

[bvw]

This morning on the NYC talk radio John Gambling Show “Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security” Peter King (R-NY) said that there was no alternative to the naked scanners and the indecent pat downs, including lifting bras, that there was no way to get around it.

The ELITES continue to see every and all Americans as a real threat, a likely mad bomber or terrorist.

I am happy that REAL hero and AMERICAN NON-ELITE Captain Sully has come out AGAINST this abuse of the rights of free men and women.

[savedbygrace]

IMO, the only exceptions to the Do Not Fly rule would be emergency travel and trips that take more than one day to drive each way.

Actually, I’d say that if two people are traveling, a two day road trip costs less than the airline tickets. If two people are doing a road trip for business, one of them can continue to work while riding, using cell phones and iPads (or equiv.)

For me here in the Midwest, that covers almost all travel in the lower 48, figuring 600 miles of driving per day. That’s easily doable on the Interstates, but if your trip requires a lot of non-Interstate driving, the formula needs to be adjusted down a bit.

But that’s just me.

[PA-RIVER]

Obama is a different politician. America has never seen anything like him. In his mind, he is God.

Being raised as a Communist in Indonesia, he probably thought he could get away with anal probes. This has probably got him laughing at us.