The Senator is banned

[struggle4progress]

Embassy, August 25th, 2004
EDITORIAL
By Jim Creskey

Senator Ted Kennedy, one of the most recognizable figures in American politics, recently told a Senate committee hearing he had been prevented several times from boarding commercial airline flights because his name was on a "no-fly" list meant to exclude potential terrorists, it was reported last week.
<snip>

Noting it had taken him weeks to resolve the matter, Senator Kennedy mused how difficult it might be for ordinary Americans to have their names removed if they were also mistakenly placed on the suspect list.

It doesn't take much imagination to realize that security mistakes like the kind that kept the senator from his flight could easily become catastrophic for non-citizens and particularly for persons of Muslim background. Just ask Maher Arar.

More importantly, incidents like these remind us that we have a responsibility to rigorously challenge anti-terrorist measures as soon as we learn of them. Anti-terror decrees -- especially when they are mistakenly applied -- may be more of a threat to democracy than all the actions of the world's terrorists.
<snip>

http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2004/august/25/edit/

[Eric J in MN]

1. They probably have a list of

liberal activists to consider suspicious.

[lanparty]

2. Security stupidity ...

Why are there only NAMES on the watch list. Why don't they provide physical descriptions as well??? Is this at ALL reasonable????

[Eric J in MN]

3. Do you think there is another man named "Ted Kennedy" who

is a member of Al Qaeda?

It seems more likely to me that Senator Ted Kennedy is on a list of liberal activists added to a Terror Watch database.

[lanparty]

4. I thought of that ...

It's probably something that John Ashcroft did as a joke.

[brainshrub]

5. I know I'm laughing.

Not.

[liberalmuse]

6. Jesus Christ, how on earth...

are we going to prevent REAL terrorists from striking again if our government is pulling this crap? Kennedy on the 'no-fly' list? This has got to be a sick Cheney/Rovian ploy and dammit, it endangers Americans more. I'd be asking for Ashcroft's head on a platter over this nonsense if I were a Congressman. 9-11 happened in the first place because these petty fucks were too busy playing their sick little games with liberals instead of doing their goddamned jobs!