Spence1097

I quoted "Detained" in the headline because we know TSA is not suppose to detain anyone. Who knows what they did, here's a couple links, apparently he refused a full-body patdown:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71818.html

http://www.wlwt.com/r/30277502/detail.html

CaveatEmpty

another/more: dailycaller.com/../report-tsa-detains-sen-rand-paul-in-nashville

popcorn, anyone ?
/.

cordelli

Sounds like a well orchestrated publicity stunt, everybody ready, set off the scanner, refuse the patdown, coordinated social media posts, etc.

The media really needs to get a handle on what is and is not news, somebody setting off a scanner and refusing a patdown it not news.

Michael El

I'm surprised a Paul would even go through the NoS in the first place. Maybe we can get some political traction here.

chollie

But TSA's reactions might be...

Interesting that he was able to make a call. I would have expected TSA to keep him separated from his belongings until this is finally resolved.

FlyingHoustonian

When it is a US Senator it will be news.

chollie

He apparently asked to be re-scanned.

Anyone know if BNA has BSX or MMW? Seems like if it was the latter, he should have been able to view the screen and see the location of the 'anomaly'.

RatherBeOnATrain

They also timed it perfectly for the story to get traction. The incident happened on Monday morning, the day before the State of The Union address.

From The Tennessean:

But Rand Paul's office claimed Rand Paul set off the full body scanner and then refused a full pat down.

A posting on Ron Paul's Facebook page also claims Rand Paul was detained at Nashville International.

Source:
The Tennessean
Ron Paul's son, Sen. Rand Paul, allegedly detained by TSA in Nashville
9:26 AM, Jan. 23, 2012

studentff

I hope this gets legs. I hope some TSA manager that gets named in the press demands that Sen Paul leave the airport and has him escorted out by LEOs. The potential for humiliating TSA is enormous, and Sen Paul is enough of an individualist and a liberty-lover to make a stink about it.

IANAL and I don't know where Sen Paul was headed on this trip (though DC for tomorrow's State of the Union seems likely), but I hope there is a Constitutional issue here too:

If Sen. Paul or any other Congressman is en route to DC, what business does TSA (or law enforcement) have with them at all? Refusing a grope is not Treason (also defined in the Constitution) and not a felony to my knowledge. What did the framers mean by "Breach of the Peace?" Does TSA screening (even without BDO voodoo) constitute being "questioned?"

As much as I want Congressmen to suffer from TSA abuses to motivate them to be stopped, I could easily see constructing an argument that Congressmen going to/from DC during sessions should be completely exempt from any sort of screening by TSA.

chollie

You forget...the Constitution doesn't apply at the checkpoint.

Wonder if the checkpoint video has entered 'malfunction' mode yet?

swag

ABC News article http://news.yahoo.com/rand-paul-pat-...-abc-news.html says

That seems normal enough. The only reason this is news is that Sen. Paul is in a position to take actions that may eventually affect TSA.

studentff

I wonder if TSA threatened him with an $11,000 fine like they do others who refuse this patdown.

Countdown to spin from Bloghdad Bob at Propaganda Village in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...

FlyingCowboy

I can just hear the "law and order" types now: 'Well it doesn't matter if you're a senator. I don't care who you are, you're subject to The Law.' .....

Well, see, that's the problem right there. TSA "doesn't care who you are". As a security agency, what they should be most focused on is "who you are" -- no rational system of security can exist absent this primary concern.

Instead, we have a 'security' apparatus focused on cupcakes and colostomy bags.

Maybe the "irregularity" they noticed was a senator with some back-bone...

eastport

That's more evidence that the TSA considers their checkpoints a constitution-free zone.

The story linked to indicates that he was headed to D.C.

If that's correct, what happened was unambiguously a constitutional breach.

Some might argue that he needed to go through the WTMD, but I wouldn't. Nothing could be done even if an alarm was triggered unless there was a clear indication that he was committing a felony. A very clear indication, not just a faint suspicion. He shouldn't be detained longer than briefest period needed to check his identity.

This isn't a theoretical slippery slope argument. That section of the constitution is explicit because of repeated incidents.

If I recall correctly, a U.S. congressman can even refuse a speeding ticket on the way a session. The LEO must follow and present the evidence to the Sergeant at Arms. The ticket will likely be paid or contested as normal, but the threat is censure in the legislative branch not arrest by the executive branch.

In this case if the TSA agent had a problem, they should have escorted the Senator on the undelayed flight to D.C. and taken it up with the Doorkeeper of the Senate. Then a Senate committee could decide if they are going to establish a rule that their members must give up their explicit, constitutionally established privilege to the executive branch. (In D.C., that would be the punchline to a joke.)

Boggie Dog

And the Constitution is the law of the land. Seems the Senator was on his way to vote during a Senate session this afternoon.

Seems TSA is in violation of the Constitution in this case.