Rand Paul Is So Full of Shit About Being ‘Detained’ by the TSA

[meegbear]

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (of the Paul Libertarian Blimp Empire) hates the TSA. It's his "signature issue" — his contentious questioning about the agency's aggressive security policies got him a lot of positive press among internet conservatives and libertarians last year. So must have been really excited, just, positively tumescent when TSA agents asked to pat him down this morning, and he refused. "Just got a call from @senrandpaul. He's currently being detained by TSA in Nashville," his communications director Moira Bagley Tweeted shortly after. The only thing is, though, Rand Paul was never actually "detained" by the TSA.

Despite the most fervent wishes of the libertarian conservative corner of the internet, Paul was not seized by Barack Obama's Black Panther stormtroopers and tortured for information about the supposed "gold standard": he set off the body scanner (something in his knee, apparently), which requires a pat down; he refused the pat down, and was escorted out of the security area. He took another flight later. Inconvenient? Sure. Silly? Absolutely? But Rand Paul was not detained.

Not that you could tell that to Paul's Twitter fan club, which accused the TSA of violating Article I, Section VI of the Constitution. (Get real, guys.) Even Paul's chief of staff doubled down on the stupid, self-righteous language of "detention":

Sen. Rand Paul's chief of staff Doug Stafford responded to the TSA's claim that the senator was "not detained at any point." "Well, I don't know what bureaucrat manuals call it, but: an innocent American citizen who was offering to cooperate while also attempting to stop an invasive search was not allowed to proceed without complying," Stafford said in an email to TheDC.

<snip>

http://gawker.com/5878427/rand-paul-is-so-full-of-shit-about-being-detained-by-the-tsa

Fodder for daddy's debate tonight?

[abelenkpe]

1. Rand Paul the fake "board-certified" ophthalmologist? nt

[redqueen]

3. OMFG

I missed that story.

How ******* stupid does one have to be to actually support this clown?

[leftofcool]

4. You didn't know that Rand Paul formed his own board?

I always figured he couldn't pass the "real" board so be formed his own but that part story was never verified. I would love to see his scores.

[redqueen]

6. Nope, completely missed that...

I'm shocked he got away with certifying himself... that's just wrong

[leftofcool]

2. Not to defend Rand Paul but he did offer to go through the body scanner again and they refused

Is this really about being "detained" or is it more about unconstitutional pat downs by the TSA. They are patting down children, grandmothers in wheelchairs and now Senators. No one, not even an asshole like Rand Paul should be groped in our airports.

[The Genealogist]

7. You're absolutely right, he shouldn't have been.

At the same time, the "little people" who fly have to go through this insulting, degrading, authoritarian process if they want to fly anywhere. I'm not sure why Rand Paul shouldn't have to endure it too, just because he is a senator. I am also disgusted that Rand Paul has created a pack of lies in this controversy that he manufactured to help his father in a presidential debate. If he doesn't like this process, he should work harder to get legislation passed to end it. He has a WAY better chance of getting rid of it than most everyone else who flies.

[MineralMan]

5. On my last trip, I got selected to go through

the scanner. It was one of those microwave ones. Apparently, they don't do well with loose clothing, so it alerted on one of my ankles, where I guess the cloth of my pants was standing away from the ankle. The nice TSA guy gave my ankle a quick feel, then wished me a good Thanksgiving. I retrieved my carry-on and my shoes and continued to my gate. Clearly I need to give up the bell-bottoms, I guess.

What an invasion of my privacy that was!

[girl gone mad]

8. Consider yourself lucky.

A gorgeous model friend was put through a degrading pat down and had her entire luggage scrutinized by two large TSA workers, who held up every piece of lingerie and threatened her when she questioned whether it was necessary.

Guess the "nice TSA guy" wasn't interested in spending more time with you.

[MineralMan]

12. Well, you're the lucky one, if you have a

gorgeous model as a friend, I'd say.

[girl gone mad]

21. I am lucky to have her as a friend because she's brilliant and kind..

I brought up her model looks because I believe that is what made her a target of the pervy TSA agents.

[MineralMan]

28. I suppose that's possible. Has she filed a complaint?

Different people have different tolerances for such intrusive security screenings, for sure. It's a difficult balance, and I'm sure there are incidents of excess, sometimes even personal, I imagine. How many TSA screeners are there? A certain percentage, as in all things, is bound to be unsuited for the job due to strange personality disorders. Not easy to screen for that, I think.

[LanternWaste]

10. Almost as bad a red light cameras

"What an invasion of my privacy that was!..."

Almost as bad a red light cameras.

I imagine many people have the firm belief that an invasion of privacy is not predicated on how comfortable that particular bit may feel at the moment, but rather on ethical convictions.

However, I do realize that we often trivialize and minimize those things we ourselves are hunky-dory with that may yet give others pause for concern. And I imagine minimizing and trivializing those things says much more about ourselves than it does the actual discussion at hand...

[MineralMan]

13. Yeah, those red light cameras.

We had them around here. They're gone now, but they did lower the accident rate at those intersections.

We had another one of those intrusive security cameras here in St. Paul, too. Lucky for the little girl who was abducted. They caught the guy before he could harm her because of that camera.

Good results and bad results. Sometimes, they go hand in hand, it seems. I'm just glad I didn't have a dagger in my sock that day at the airport, you know.

[HipChick]

17. I get selected to go through the scanner each and everytime..so far,my requests for a male TSA agent

to follow up with a pat-down...keep getting denied...don't know why..

[MineralMan]

26. Hmm...maybe I should apply. Which airport do you fly out of most often?

[Matariki]

24. Those scanners *aren't* good for you

or at the very least there isn't enough reliable information available to prove that they are harmless. A friend of mine whose worked in a field dealing with radiation explained how those things work - and he scared me from ever going through them again.

You can be sarcastic if you want. But just because you only had someone feel up your ankle doesn't mean that other people haven't been given more violating pat downs.

[woo me with science]

9. The TSA is an abomination.

Coming now to highways and train stations near you.

[ProSense]

11. Rand

Paul is a loon.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002207091

[woo me with science]

18. Irrelevant to my post,

Last edited Mon Jan 23, 2012, 08:59 PM - Edit history (1)

unless you are trying to argue that he should have his crotch groped BECAUSE you decided he is a loon.

[ProSense]

19. The

"Irrelevant to my post, unless you are trying to argue that he should have his crotch groped BECAUSE he is a loon."

...OP is about Rand Paul. As for the other point, maybe he should take his own advice when it comes to women.

[woo me with science]

22. ...

[Arctic Dave]

14. Fuck the TSA. They are shitstains all.

The sooner they are dismantled the better. On this issue, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

They are never going to be my union brothers and sisters.

[NNN0LHI]

15. So who would you like to turn the job over to after they are dismantled?

[Arctic Dave]

16. First, the amount of "security" should be removed.

There is no reason for full pat down searches or under clothing screening. Metal detectors are more then sufficient. If there is any reason for a more intrusive "search" the airport police should used. But we all know TSA has nothing to do with being safe or lawful. It is harrasment plain and simple.

[hugo_from_TN]

20. When you are not allowed to proceed and escorted out you have been detained.

First definition from dictionary.com

1. to keep from proceeding; keep waiting; delay.

[True Earthling]

23. Rand Paul is NOT full of shit... he WAS "detained"

de·tain (d-tn)
tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains
1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard.
2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement:

The same exact thing happened to me a few months ago. I chose to be scanned instead of the pat down. I've done this 3 or 4 times in the last few years without incident. However this time I was pulled aside after the scan and told I must go through a pat down. I was told there was a "shadow" on my left buttock. The TSA agent said it was probably a machine malfunction. I protested and said I would be happy to go through the same scanner or a different scanner again. He replied that it was not an option and that if I wanted to fly I would have to be patted down. It became clear that they have their rules and there's no way to get around it. I don't blame the agent but the rule and procedure suck. I believe I should have the right to not be patted down if there is a less invasive alternative available. I don't think that's silly.

[NNN0LHI]

25. This didn't happen to you until just a few months ago?

Did they just begin patting down people at the airport a few months ago? Or was this the first time you had been on an airplane in over ten years?

I have been under the assumption people have been getting patted down all along. Thought they just started using the scanners recently. Was I wrong about this?

Don

[True Earthling]

29. Not sure when the new rules took effect but the backscatter x-rays started showing up in airports

a couple of years ago. Before that there were random pat downs using a metal detector wand. Once the backscatter x-rays were installed, random travelers were pulled out of line and given a choice of a full hands-on pat down or the backscatter x-ray. I always chose the x-ray. The incident I described was my first experience with the full body hands-on pat down. BTW - I've been flying 3-4 times a year for the last 20 years.

[KatyaR]

27. But his "detainment" got him the front page and breaking news space

and took the spotlight off the others.

I'm sure he did it on purpose.

[applegrove]

30. What an entitled ***hole!