From the Daily Caller:
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s press secretary Moira Bagley tweeted on Monday that Transportation Security Administration officials were detaining her boss in Nashville, Tenn.
“Just got a call from @senrandpaul,” Bagley tweeted at about 10 a.m. on Monday. “He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville.”
Texas Congressman and current Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul – Sen. Rand Paul’s father – placed a post on Facebook about the news as well. “My son Rand is currently being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport,” Ron Paul posted. “I’ll share more details as the situation unfolds.”
Ron Paul adds, via Twitter, that the TSA detained his son “for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner.”
I’m guessing that Rand Paul was en route to Washington for the Congressional session, in which case the TSA (and therefore the administration) have just violated the Speech and Debate Clause in the Constitution.
Looks like the marxists are voting for Romney in the Florida election.
This will fire the Paulbots up.
A Senator has to submit to the same treatment as the rubes?
Oh, my….
Speech and debate clause, like Charlie pointed out.
It’s unconstitutional to stop a Congresscritter on its way to session for ANY reason.
Well, there are some reasons he can be stopped.
Such as?
Treason, Felony, and Breach of the Peace are the three in the text. Prophylactic searches prior to airplane embarkation doesn’t count.
Why should any of us, Rube or not, have to submit to such treatment?
Rand Paul just had an interview on this. He stated he wanted no special treatment, and his protest on his treatment is that every american is treated in this disgraceful way by the TSA. He is right.
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.
Nope, He’s not on his way to Congressional session. “Sen. Rand Paul tweeted this morning that he would be speaking to the March for Life rally in D.C.”
You’re joking, right?
What’s so weird about that?
I believe that “James” is trying to claim that he wasn’t on his way to a session of Congress because he had said he’d speak at a rally in DC.
Which is immaterial, because the Senate is due to convene this afternoon and has votes scheduled. It’s like claiming that his intention to call home after safely landing in DC means he wasn’t going to a Senate session.
I believe that “James” is trying to claim that he wasn’t on his way to a session of Congress because he had said he’d speak at a rally in DC.
Exactly.
The US Senate is a continuing body. I believe it is generally understood that parliamentary immunity under the speech and debate clause applies to US Senators during their term of office and the House of Representatives except when finally adjourned.
This used to come up a lot in drunk driving cases involving congressmen…
The Senate is back in session today at 2 p.m., with votes scheduled at 4:30 p.m.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/rand-paul-in-pat-down-standoff-with-tsa-in-nashville/
Is refusing the full body pat down a “breach of the peace”?
Meanwhile it appears the TSA is denying he was detained, and merely denied access to the boarding area.
Distinction without difference from the TSA, there. Denying him access to the boarding area prevents him from getting to the Senate session, which violates the Speech and Debate Clause.
Oh I hope I hope I hope there’s a criminal penalty for this.
You tell ‘em, Comrade Terry. We all know that a sitting Senator poses the exact same risk of terrorist activity as — oh — a 19-year-old Saudi male.
He should submit to the orders of this agency of the Executive Branch, like a good little Presidential boot-licker (which is what most of our Senators have become). If he has nothing to hide, right?
No one is above the Law of the Land…except the President and his family, of course. God forbid that Malia, Sasha, or Michelle should ever have to submit to the tender ministrations of the TSA.
Quick question: Do Janet Napolitano and John Pistole have to submit to scanning/groping at TSA checkpoints? Or is that reserved solely for the flying public and their elected representatives?
Abolish the TSA. Right now, it’s nothing more than a hiring program for sub-humans who are so retarded that they couldn’t properly fill out an application at Wal-Mart.
Given the propensity of sitting congress critters to vote for truly terrifying new legislation, I rather suspect the risk is higher.
Disband this illiberal and thug bunch before its to late. They are the burgeoning problem and has to be taken care of, these people are turning into something that we have seen before and they were wearing black uniforms the last time. Defund this bunch get them out of the airports, now they are being armed with machine guns and are doing ‘roving’ stops asking for identification, you can’t even do that with illegal Mexicans but they are doing it with citizens of this country.
its already too late
The real problem is that he was in Tennessee. Tennessee and Vanderbitl fans are no friends of Kentucky, especially since Kentucky beat Tennessee in football this past season for the first time in twenty something years.
I see frequent serious requests (mine among them) to get rid of DHS and TSA. Seems that would be a popular idea if a Congressman were to put forth a bill to do that. Or is it popular only in my echo chamber?
The new sensors, which are now the only option at my local airport, are very sensitive. The threads in my blouse tipped it off and I had to submit to a full groping, even tho the TSA goon said oh, we know it’s the thread.
So many more will be patted down from now on–which is a mild way of saying having breasts and genital area searched. I had them do it out in front of everyone: I want them to see what their government is doing to them!!!!
Oh, Charlie, you know the Constitution is a relic, and we don’t need no stinkin’ Constitution nomore.
You mean somewhere in the past someone suspected that the executive branch might at some time and for some perhaps nefarious reason try to hamper the operations of the legislative branch?
Who says those old white guys didn’t understand how things really work?
Learn somthing new every day. Thanks!
whats a nomaly