Federal security forces ‘detain’ prominent opposition legislator…

…on his way to a mass anti-administration rally. 

The Daily Caller reports: the short version is, the TSA in Nashville detained Senator Rand Paul (R, KY) after their body scanner went on the fritz and the Senator refused to submit to a full-body pat-down. Senator Paul was scheduled to speak to March for Life this morning as part of their anniversary rally against Roe v. Wade: it’s now an open question whether he’s going to be able to, now.  As somebody noted to me privately: if this was any other Senator you could reasonably expect grandstanding, but Senator Paul is precisely the sort of person who will stubbornly force the TSA to embarrass itself by detaining a Senator on a matter of personal liberty.  Particularly since Senator Paul’s ongoing opposition to full-body pat-downs is quite well known.

In other words: this is what civil disobedience looks like.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: By the way?  As ABC News is actually pointing out, Senators have the following Constitutionally enumerated 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;”(Article I, Section 6).  Senate’s in session today; so let’s see, once and for all, whether Harry Reid’s a true Senator, or just this administration’s lap dog…

11 thoughts on “Federal security forces ‘detain’ prominent opposition legislator…”

  1. From what I gather (haven’t read it myself), the TSA is saying they didn’t detain him, just refused to let him board the plane. Which is STILL a violation of the Speech and Debate Clause.

    1. My attitude on this – and I devoutly hope that I’d have the same opinion if it was a Democrat involved – is that we do not want to go down this road at all when it comes to restricting the free movement of Senators and Congressmen.

  2. I remember a Kennedy plowing into a median at 3AM. Didn’t he try to get out of it by saying he was going to work, as a congressman, and they couldn’t detain him?

  3. I’d like to make a joke about the country being better off if we kept the Congressmen and Senators away from DC, but you’re right. The Constitution is amazingly, explicitly clear on when the authorities can detain a member of Congress. This isn’t one of those times.

  4. I’ve actually read a comment now that says that even though Article 1, Section 6 protects a Member’s right to travel to and from session without interference…that this shouldn’t mean Rand Paul is allowed to circumvent “the rules.” As if the TSA’s rules actually superseded the Constitution itself. Someone needs to take a f***ing civics class.

  5. That’s the problem. They did take a Civics class. It’s a requirement for HS graduation. Thank you public school system…

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