ALERT: Rand Paul is being DETAINED at the Nashville Airport by the TSA

[brushfire]

Maybe they found the Constitution on him...

http://securityedition.com/

The Bill of Rights – Security Edition Card is The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, printed on each side of a sturdy, playing-card-sized, pieces of metal. The cards have been redesigned with slightly rounded corners to make a card easier to carry in a wallet or pocket. The next time you travel, it’s possible that the person confiscating your mouthwash may not be familiar with the Bill of Rights.

The controversial Fourth Amendment, which makes much of law enforcement so difficult, is highlighted in red.

 

[eduardo89]

Art I Sec 6: Section 6.

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. 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; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Does not apply here. Read what you've copy/pasted. It only applies to actions during their attendance at the session of their respective House. The courts have ruled on this immunity before and it's very, very narrow. It's called the "Speech or Debate Clause" and is intended to prevent a President or other officials of the executive branch from having members arrested on a pretext to prevent them from voting a certain way or otherwise taking actions with which the President might disagree. It is not immunity from detention, arrest or prosecution.

Members of the United States Congress enjoy a similar parliamentary privilege as members of the British Parliament; that is, they cannot be prosecuted for anything they say on the floor of the House or Senate. They also enjoy the right to be present in Congress: that is, they may be in prison or jail the rest of the time, but they have the right to attend Congressional sessions, speak on the floor, vote, etc. These rights are specified in the Constitution and have been fairly uncontroversial in U.S. history. Courts have consistently interpreted them very narrowly.

Gravel v. United States, 408 U.S. 606 (1972), was a case regarding the protections offered by the Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution. In the case, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the privileges and immunities of the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause enjoyed by members of Congress also extend to Congressional aides, but not to activity outside the legislative process.

 

[V3n]

CNN headline: TSA turns away Sen. Rand Paul

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/rand-paul-tsa/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

How is detaining "turning away"???

He was 'turned away' from getting on his flight.

 

[Bruno]

Msnbc is going to cover it more this hour, saying conflicting stories.

 

[unknown]

Why are people in this forum calling it a publicity stunt ? lol

Its speculation but come on people. This was not pre-planned.

 

[sailingaway]

OK, I can hardly wait. I expect this to be good.

 

[donnay]

Debt increase filibuster? Right?

Just looked up what is happening in the Senate today:

January 23, 2012:

The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:00 p.m. Following morning business, the Senate will consider the nomination of John M. Gerrard, of Nebraska, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Nebraska. As a reminder, cloture was filed on the Reid motion to proceed to S. 968, a bill to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property.

http://levin.senate.gov/

 

[ZanZibar]

It was found Rand had balls of steel causing an anomaly in the sensors!

Thread winner!

 

[ZanZibar]

Does not apply here. Read what you've copy/pasted. It only applies to actions during their attendance at the session of their respective House. The courts have ruled on this immunity before and it's very, very narrow. It's called the "Speech or Debate Clause" and is intended to prevent a President or other officials of the executive branch from having members arrested on a pretext to prevent them from voting a certain way or otherwise taking actions with which the President might disagree. It is not immunity from detention, arrest or prosecution.

Really? Looks to me like he is on his way to DC to do official business!

 

[Lishy]

edit: Deleted my own post now that the event has been concluded.

 

[dfalken]

My respect for Rand just went up a ton.

This ^

 

[Dr.3D]

I thought members of congress were exempt from going through the TSA checks. Guess not. You never know when a member of congress will suddenly become a terrorist.

 

[eduardo89]

Really? Looks to me like he is on his way to DC to do official business!

He was not detained/arrested for anything that had to do with official business. Read the court rulings, the immunity is very narrow and would not apply here.

His detainment had nothing to do with official legislative business. The immunity does not apply here. I don't agree with the TSA at all, but if he sued it'd be thrown out right away. The courts have been very specific about what the clause actually means and it would not apply here. It's like saying he couldn't be pulled over by the cops even if he was driving with a bottle of vodka in one hand and joint in the other if he was on his way to Capitol Hill.

 

[JasonI]

I thought members of congress were exempt from going through the TSA checks. Guess not. You never know when a member of congress will suddenly become a terrorist.

From watching what most of them do I think you could label them "terrorists".

 

[unknown]

Imagine if they did this to Ron...

Can you say revolution?

 

[sailingaway]

Sad for Rand, great for the campaign. This should be used politically far and wide.

Nah, if Rand refused he knew exactly what he was doing. Which does not make it a publicity stunt (exactly) but drawing attention to an issue. Civil disobedience to the extent of insisting on his rights. But he's his father's son, he knows what it could mean, to do this. He is trying to get Americans to not accept this sort of thing.

Although, maybe Rand does feel a bit left out of things....

 

[Tyler_Durden]

If we never see/hear from him again, NDAA is working like a well-oiled machine.....jussayin

 

[AdamT]

CNN headline: TSA turns away Sen. Rand Paul

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/politics/rand-paul-tsa/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

How is detaining "turning away"???

That's called spin right there.

 

[slamhead]

"My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming."

RP twitters says he refused full body pat down after TSA scanner ANOMALY ?

He must have inherited his father's balls of steel.

 

[Tyler_Durden]

Nah, if Rand refused he knew exactly what he was doing. Which does not make it a publicity stunt (exactly) but drawing attention to an issue. Civil disobedience to the extent of insisting on his rights. But he's his father's son, he knows what it could mean, to do this. He is trying to get Americans to not accept this sort of thing.

Although, maybe Rand does feel a bit left out of things....

It's almost inspiring to do the same on a mass scale. That would be awesome!