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Posted on 01/23/2012 12:12:45 PM PST by neverdem
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Senator Rand Paul was on his way from his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky to Washington, D.C. Monday morning, when he caused some kind of “anomaly” in a body scanner at the airport in Nashville. Agents of the Transportation Security Agency declared that he would have to submit to one of those legendary full-body pat-downs, but before a single rubber glove had snapped into place, Senator Paul refused. He wanted a new scan instead, but the TSA agents really had their hearts set on that pat-down.
This ended with Senator Paul parked in a cubicle while his plane took off. The TSA insists he was not “detained,” according to a CBS News report. Perhaps Paul exclaimed that he wasn’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition, and the Comfy Chair had to be dragged out.
Coincidentally – it has to be a coincidence, right? – both Rand Paul and his father, congressman and Presidential candidate Ron Paul, have been very critical of the TSA, and enhanced pat-downs in particular, as CBS News notes:
In a June 2011 hearing, Paul told TSA administrator John Pistole, "I think you ought to get rid of the random pat-downs. The American public is unhappy with them, they're unhappy with the invasiveness of them."
After reports surfaced of young children getting intense, random pat-downs, Paul said in the hearing, "It just really just shows that no one is thinking... We need to be doing better police work and doing less of the universal giving up of our freedom to live our life the way we would like to live our life."
He suggested there should be a "trusted traveler" program in which people who travel frequently and are known to be not a threat, like congressmen, don't have to be searched...
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Unfortunately, that’s the bottom line, isn’t it.
There is a VERY important reason for that clause as well... Do you know if Rand Paul specifically mentioned that section of the Constitution? It would be wise for him to do so. Was there a vote, or even a meeting that he missed as a result of this “custodial detention” of a sitting Congressman? The reason the section exists is so that politicians can’t trump up inane charges against each other to prevent testimony or votes on specific issues in Congress.
This is much more serious in the case of Rand Paul than a violation of his basic 4th Amendment Rights - what he seems to be complaining about on behalf of all Americans which I am definitely grateful for.
I’m sure he doesn’t want to appear to be singling himself out for special treatment - however, according to the Constitution as an elected member of Congress those ARE his rights accorded to him in order to assure the performance of his duties of office. They had no right to prevent him from boarding that plane unless they could prove he committed a felony. Of course, had he refused to sit where they told him I suppose they could argue that it was a “breach of peace” on his part.
Anyway, I do think Rand Paul should make special note of the allocations made for Congressmen in regards to the law as written in the Constitution, alongside his complaints on behalf of his constituents.
I guess Senator Paul wasn’t able to attend the March for Life because of this. Or maybe that was this reason this happened?
American started the test on January 17 at LAX and I was diverted to the old Pre-9/11, Pre-shoe bomber inspection: leave the belt, shoes and jacket on. Unfortunately, fewer than 1% of frequent flyers signed up, so this morning one of the lines was for the Pre-screen and everyone else was queued up in the line with the X-ray.
They really need to publicize this more before they decide the program doesn't work.
American started the test on January 17 at LAX and I was diverted to the old Pre-9/11, Pre-shoe bomber inspection: leave the belt, shoes and jacket on. Unfortunately, fewer than 1% of frequent flyers signed up, so this morning one of the lines was for the Pre-screen and everyone else was queued up in the line with the X-ray.
They really need to publicize this more before they decide the program doesn't work.
Yes. The newest version of “your papers, please,” circa 2012. See how easy it is to be maneuvered into accepting government control in exchange for not being inconvenienced?
This particular congresscritter happens to be a fierce and vocal critic of TSA procedures; last year, during a Senate hearing, he grilled TSA Administrator John Pistole for the way a 6 yr old girl was groped by the TSA. He wasn't expecting special treatment. He expects, as a citizen, NOT to be subjected to police state tactics which have never once snagged an actual terrorist.
It is my dearest hope that once this regime is ousted and Carney is traveling as a private citizen, he gets a full body cavity search. To ensure that air travel is safe, of course.
What does your hatred of Ron Paul have to do with the topic, i.e., a US citizen being detained for refusing to be groped by TSA agents?
Yes, this is another way to participate. Unfortunately, I hadn't reached the necessary milestone (in flight miles) last year to participate this way.
I forgot that AA just started at LAX. There are also a couple of other airports (and airlines) starting pilots later this year.
They really need to publicize this more before they decide the program doesn't work.
I've been telling all the people I work with. Some of them are already enrolled in Global Entry, and didn't realize they could use it for TSA Pre-check.
Oh, for Pete's sake, Mary, it's his Dad. Let's be realistic.
What did I give up in exchange? $100. Nothing else. All of the information on the Global Entry application came straight from my passport. And TSA pre-check is simply an extra benefit.
I don't like the TSA any more than anyone else. But, this is one program that makes sense: they aren't wasting their time on people that they have already screened, repeatedly.
Excellent! I doubt that Boner has the required body parts to do it, but it’s an excellent idea.
Rinos best realize they have created an intolerable police state monster. The people have had enough of their supidity, corruption and political correctness.
I take it they nabbed a US Senator because there were no snow birds on the flight to keep the agents busy with a strip search?
Rinos should be ashamed of themselves going along with and often creating and pushing this ongoing
Federal crime against the constitution and people of the United States.
Newt should slam Obama for this incompetent outrage known as TSA.
I don’t hate Ron Paul. I just think he is the eccentric uncle and stark raving bat crazy on foreign affairs. And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
As for Rand, he refused to cooperate with the TSA and that’s what caused the whole controversy.ie, he brought it on himself.. I imagine there was a little “Do you have any idea who I am?” going on.
No thanks to both Rand and Ron.
You're just the kind of victim they like: no arguing, no complaints, no sense that your constitutional rights are being violated, to say nothing of your dignity.
Sorry, some of us still expect to be treated like human beings.
Rand Paul fueled the controversy himself.
That’s what I’m talking about,,,not the TSA.
Whiners and drama queens/kings like you are a big part of the problem. You’re probably the type who makes a lotta noise but doesn’t do anything about that which bothers you.
How? By objecting to being treated like a slave? Go-along-to-get-along types like yourself will ensure that all of us will be subjected to increasingly tyranny in the near future. If everyone spoke up like Rand Paul, instead of bowing their heads like sheep about to be sheered, we could go back to merely being wanded, instead of being cooked in the scanner and/or molested by leering goons.
He didn’t do anything more than request to go through the scanner again. A request anyone would make who didn’t want their johnson felt up by some TSA pedo-goon.
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