Senator Blacklisted by No-Fly List

sig writes "Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) was turned down for a flight from Washington, D. C. to Boston because his name turned up on the TSA No-Fly list. He eventually got on a flight, but was again denied on his way back to D.C. It took 3 weeks of calls to Tom Ridge and the Department of Homeland Security for the ordeal to get straightened out. But what are ordinary citizens supposed to do if the Secretary of Homeland Security won't take their calls?" There's also a New York Times story.

Comments

Publicity Stunt

[CrimsonAvenger]

Sounds like Ted was staging a publicity stunt to me.

It's not like the people in Washington or Boston would not recognize him as a Senator, and treat him as such. Hell, I don't even like him, and *I* would recognize him as a Senator, and treat him with the respect due the office.

And it's unlikely that a clerk at an airline counter is going to check some list of banned passengers when a Senator that (s)he recognizes stops at the counter in front of her. She'll issue the ticket without a second thought, unless she were a complete imbecile.

Re:Publicity Stunt

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Which is only common sense. Wouldn't you rather have a braindead system with a thousand holes protecting you rather than a few intelligent people working on their own initiative *thinking* about who and how people are allowed to pass?

I don't trust intelligence myself, and these people who would let a US senator past, simply because he holds the highest legislative office in the country are traitors. You heard me, traitors.

[serious]E. Kennedy is a worthless sack of shit that should never have been allowed into office. But he's there. And assuming this isn't a publicity stunt, whoever delayed him longer than it took to recognize who and what he was, needs to be fired. Along with all their supervisors at that airport.[/serious]

Re:Our gov't at work

[Elvisisdead]

You have got to be kidding me. Ted Kennedy has been involved in so much shady stuff during his life, someone should question his ability to operate without oversight. Just because a person is elected doesn't mean that they're above established protocols or reproach for past deeds. To name a few things, Chappaquiddick, a drunkard, plagiarist, cheater who was expelled from a college he didn't earn his way into, and girlfriend-beater.

A terrorist, maybe not, but you have to admit that if someone with a name other than Kennedy had the same credentials, that they'd get on the list, too. As they should.

Re:Wrong again!

[elefantstn]

Oddly enough coming home, we got waved through Canadian Customs in about 30 seconds.

And there, at the end of your post, is the reason the American INS is so thorough with people coming from Canada.

Re:Our gov't at work

[YrWrstNtmr]

And checking the name "T. Kennedy" is merely the first step. Second level checking (full name, address, etc) would presumably clear all the other "T. Kennedys".

How would YOU do it, if not by using the name as the first level check?

Let me get this straight...

[TyrranzzX]

A SENATOR, someone who is DEFINATLY NOT a terrorist, as they are an ELECTED official, was put on the NO-FLY list, a list designed to keep TERRORISTS OFF of airplains, was put ONTO the no-fly list, by "Accident".

...

Yea, an "accident". I'd like to know what's going on there.

Re:Our gov't at work

[AKAImBatman]

I'm also driving at this point. I don't care what they say about "random" security checks, but my family and I are ALWAYS flagged. Ok, I'm a born American. My wife is originally from Russia. We've got kids in tow. Yep, we look like your typical terrorists. (NOT!) :-/

I think the only way to fix this lousy excuse for security is to state that we won't use planes until they fix the problem. For me, that means I'm driving. (Hey, road trips are fun!) For others, it might mean that they build themselves a plane. Others still might go for private charters. Whatever works best for you.

Of course, we wouldn't NEED this security if everyone carried guns like the founding fathers intended. So a terrorists pulls out his handgun. (Uzis are not the type of thing that a "normal" security scan would allow on the plane as carry on.) Whoop-de-do. Watch as three hundred other passengers pull out handguns, knives, and other assorted weaponry. If that terrorist thinks he's going to last longer than two seconds in a fire-fight, he's got another thing coming. That, my friends, is democracy in action! ;-)

Re:Our gov't at work

[killjoe]

" Oh, I agree. How his name got there, and why it took so long for a prominent figure to get off is pretty damn bad. "

Mmmm. Maybe because he is a prominent democrat and the homeland security director is a prominent republican? After all how many terrorists are named Kennedy?

Re:Our gov't at work

[killjoe]

An even worse scenario.

What if you were on vacation far away and you were put on some terrorist list. Then on your way back you were held for a while, shipped over to lebanon where people beat you on your way to a syrian prison (presumably because the US and the syrian governements have signed a "please torture our prisoners because it's illegal in our country" treaty) . Once at the syrian prison what if you were tortured daily for 10 months. And then mysteriously let go.

It could happen

Re:Big Difference

[jmccay]

You, Sir, have been watching too much Faux News. These guys couldn't care less about our way of life, except to the extent that it requires us to steal their oil to keep it operating.


If you watched more Fox News and/or listened to Conservative talk radio more, you'd know that it's the liberals that are trying to destroy our way of life. You should read the Drudge Report. You might be awakened from your liberal brain washing! From the site:

Kerry's campaign announced it had 'filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign'

This is just the tip of the iceberg! The DNC (Democractic National Committee--the Democratic party) has sent legal letters threatening lawsuits against any TV stations who play the Swift Boat Veterans Against Kerry TV add!!! They are attempting to suppress the American publics write to free speech. Key top Democrats have also sent letters to bookstores, like Barnes N Noble, suggesting they remove the book Unfit for COmmand (see here and here for more information). Just try and go into a Barnes N Noble and buy the book. The bookstores near my town have been "out of" the book for four weeks--mean while they have plenty of copies of the Bush bashing books.

You liberals will say anything to make people believe you even if it is all a pack of lies! John Kerry can prove these people are wrong by releasing his ENTIRE military records like he, and other Democrats, demanded of President Bush, but he will not release all of his record because he knows that it would prove that he is a liar! He has admitted to committing war crimes. That alone should disqualify him from becoming President!
I know I will get modded down for this, but I am sick of you liberal geeks whining! You complain about losing free speech. You say you are fighting against those that would take away free speach, but you are not. You are nothing but a bunch of whining geeks who have no idea that you have been brainwashed. It is worth it if I get modded down!