Posted on 01/23/2012 3:06:21 PM PST by Texas Fossil
By Sunlen Miller @sunlenmiller
Rand Paul’s Pat-Down Standoff With TSA in Nashville Ends
Sen. Rand Paul told his communications director this morning he was being detained by TSA at the Nashville airport.
The Twitter account associated with Paul staffer Moira Bagley, @moirabagley, tweeted around 10 a.m., ET, “Just got a call from @senrandpaul. He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville.”
A TSA spokesman disputed that Paul was ever “detained.” But he was not granted access to the secure area of the airport when he tried to board a flight Monday morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
He was held incommunicado for an hour and a half and missed business in Congress. Sounds like an arrest to me.
The congress and the president created this system, let them submit themselves to it like their fellow citizens do.
All sorts of good material here.
On another thread about this, a poster wrote that Rand Paul typically "dresses down" when traveling, so that he isn't as recognizable. I'm curious if he even identified himself as a US Senator, and if anyone at the TSA checkpoint was knowledgeable enough to recognize him or even his name.
Even the TSA is smart enough to realize the political fallout from harassing a US Senator. They got a huge black eye back in 2004 because Ted Kennedy was stopped repeatedly because he had a name similar to "T. Kennedy" on the secret "no-fly" list. I believe it eventually led to the "redress number" system where you can get certification that you aren't the person on the no-fly list, even though you have the same name.
BTW, there is a similar law in Texas. Every legislative session, the Texas Dept. of Public Safety issued a "blue card" to every Texas legislator. It identified them as someone that the DPS should not detain. I don't know if other law enforcement agencies honored it.
However, I don't think the DPS issues it any longer. There were some abuses of the card years ago, and I think a legislator that was DWI went on to be involved in a serious accident after the DPS didn't detain him. But, I may be misremembering it....
Sorry, did I say that. I meant the current jerk.
Not according to the TSA. They claim that once you submit to the screening, you must complete it.
What really happens when you refuse: they call local law enforcement. You wait until they get there. Then, local law enforcement escorts you back to the non-secured area.
The TSA has no authority to detain you, but they do. The cops know this, and that's why you leave immediately after they arrive.
For those curious, Article I, Section 6, Clause 1:
...shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony, and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their attendance at the Session of their Respective Houses, and in going to and from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
Liars. They denied strip searching two elderly women, then were forced to admit they had wrongly strip frisked them. Frickin' a-holes.
Let's just say you and I have a different definition of "arrested" and leave it at that.
Whatever.
NONE OF US should put up with this crap!
Yes he is. He, in the course of his duty when the Senate is in session, cannot be detained from travelling to and from the Senate. It was placed in the Constitution to prevent people using LEOs to keep lesgislators from appearing to vote. In the course of doing their constitutional duty, they are different.Rand Paul was stopped from entering the secure area and was prevented from leaving the area with the detectors.
Arrest means to stop.
(See: Arresting cable, arrested development)
If only he was as wise as Maj. ______ DeCoverley in the mess hall when confronted with such nonsense. /obscure
So if a cop arrests me, I can turn around and go home, right?
My point is, he needs to undergo the same searches as the rest of us if he wants to get on an airliner.
Section 6
1: The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.6 They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
Technically it might not apply because he was going back to attend the March for Life rally and give a speech.
Very clear, you beat me to it.
It is a clear violation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.