by refusing the invasive TSA pat down. This will never go away unless homeland security chief Janet or one of her/his kids gets touched in such a way.






Sen. Rand Paul's office says he was held by the Transportation Security Administration on Monday, although TSA officials deny characterization he was "detained" at Nashville Airport after an incident at the security gate.

Paul's father, presidential candidate Ron Paul, tweeted early Monday, "My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming."

Moira Bagley, the senator's spokeswoman, told Fox News that Paul (R-Ky.) called her after he went through a "full body screener," described to her as a body-imaging machine, and was stopped for an anomaly around his leg. The senator lifted his pants leg to show nothing was there and offered to go back through the machine, but the TSA official said no, only a full-body pat down would suffice.

Bagley said Paul refused, resisting on the grounds that it infringes on his rights and "private property."

Paul's office said that the TSA official told the senator to sit down in the security area and was not given an indication of when he would be allowed to leave. Security then escorted him out of that area, but let him remain in the airport. He missed his flight.

A law enforcement official said Paul was not detained, despite claims to contrary. According to TSA, Paul triggered an alarm during routine airport screening using "millimeter wave imaging technology," which creates a generic image to protect passenger privacy. When an alarm occurs a yellow box indicates where on the body to look for the anomaly. An individual is then patted down.

"When an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport. Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling," Greg Soule, TSA spokesman said in a statement.

Bagley said Paul was "not carrying a weapon." Since the incident, he has boarded a flight to arrive in Washington Monday afternoon.

Pat downs are an issue near and dear to Paul's heart. In a hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last year, Paul repeatedly asked TSA Administrator John Pistole about pat downs after a little girl was videotaped getting an invasive pat down.

Paul's father, who is a 12-term Texas congressman, has also called for defunding TSA. On Monday, his campaign issued a statement from Paul saying the actions against his son are an example of wasted federal spending.

"The police state in this country is growing out of control. One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities. The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe," Paul said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/23/sen-paul-stopped-by-tsa-at-airport-law-enforcement-denies-it-was-detention/#ixzz1kJMaZR2z

I guess I don't get it. I was on a lay over in Chicago and went outside to smoke and came back in and had to go through the scanner. I set it off and they guy asked me to step out, told me I had set it off, and told me I needed a quick pat down. I wasnt sent to the security room, I got patted down, they couldn't find anything so they put me through again and again I set it off. Turns out I had left a dime in my pocket. I wasn't mad or upset about it, it was my fault for leaving it in there when they asked twice if I had everyting out of my pockets. I, like them, didn't even feel it in there. The whole process of scanning, patting down, rescanning and then checking my pockets once more, took maybe 5 min. I just don't get why it's such a big deal to get a pat down. When I was arrested at 15, the pat down I got was just short of a full cavity search now that I could see getting upset about. That was some REAL groping and grabing. The pat down I got was no worse than entering a concert. With the way people talk about the TSA I was scared to death of flying. Turns out it was just a bunch of people getting in a fuss about something they have SEEN in a video or HEARD about and never experienced, but what's new.

Are you kidding me? Who would wanna touch Janet.......

Rand Paul should be removed from the Senate. Thinking he is above the law and trying to break the law. He is a a$$hat just like his dad.

NOOOOO, it is NOT ok to be groped just to board an airplane!!!

The problem here is that its essentially illegal to operate a commercial airline in the US that doesn't conform to the TSA standards.

If you don't care if you are scanned, fine, go ahead and fly on an airline that scans you.

I don't want to be scanned or patted down. This is an invasion of my privacy. I want to be able to choose to fly on an airline that doesn't scan me or pat me down - but this impossible.

Our country would be a better place if all of our senators were as principled as Ron and Rand Paul are.

LOL......yes, principles.....as opposed to an ethic committee and fines..........lol Lpdon, you'll never win an argument trying to claim RP has no principles.

I didn't say he didn't have principles, I said he's a lunatic.

TSA needs to disappear! I will never fly anywhere because of it. This is not Israel, there is no need for this here. May Rand Paul serve this country for many, many years, PAULTARDS UNITE and Ron Paul FTW

Civil disobedience against fascist gangs like the TSA is not a crime.

Prove it......or else it's just your opinion, not factual.

ETA: It should be noted that Rand was acting well within his rights as a Senator under Article I, Section 6 of the US Constitution.

Not when the laws invade a citizens rights and privileges. I don't like being touched at all or my space invaded by another, unless I give express permission. I think this comes from being abused. I wouldn't submit to it either, nor will I ever.

Rights don't apply here because nobody has a RIGHT to fly, but it is invasive and congress made sure to include in this bill/law that they are not to be subjected to TSA at airports, they bypass them and get right on the plane.

It's true that noone has a right to fly. However, the ticket holder has a right to the service he's paid for.

True, and if he/she goes through the dog and pony show (TSA)bucking the system they will get what they paid for.