Man faces $11K fine for refusing TSA screening - Chicago Tribune

An Oceanside man who blogged about a confrontation with security officials at the San Diego airport could be slapped with a civil penalty of up to $11,000 for violating federal law, a Transportation Security Administration official said Monday.

"What he's done, he's violated federal law and federal regulations which states once you enter and start the process you have to complete it," said Michael Aguilar.

Aguilar, the TSA's federal security director in San Diego, told reporters at a news conference outside Lindbergh Field Monday, that the agency has opened an investigation, which could result in a civil penalty because the man refused to complete the security scanning process.

"Once a passenger has entered into that screening process, he cannot opt out of it,'' Aguilar said. "We conduct our screenings under the auspices of the 4th amendment...constitution of the 4th amendment that allows us to do administrative screenings and searches."

John Tyner, a 31-year-old software programmer, was headed to South Dakota for a vacation when TSA officials directed him to a full-body scanner in the airport security line.

He refused the full body scan and opted for a traditional scan and pat-down, Aguilar said. However, Tyner refused to submit to a "groin check,'' which led TSA agents to eventually deny him the ability to board his flight.

According to Tyner, he was escorted from the security area and was given a full refund for the ticket at his airline's ticket counter.

After getting the refund, Tyner was approached by a TSA official who said he must submit to the full screening process before leaving. Tyner said he was threatened with a civil lawsuit if he left the airport, but he was also told that no one was forcing him to stay. He then left.

Tyner recorded the entire event on his cell phone's video camera, which he turned on after being directed to the scanner. He posted the audio and his account of the full event on his blog two hours after leaving the airport.

Because Tyner recorded the interaction, Aguilar said it is possible his behavior was "intentional,'' meaning the interaction might have been staged.

"I don't know if it was an actual set-up," said Aguilar. "But we are concerned that hte passenger did have his recording taking place prior to entering the checkpoint. So there is some concern that this was intentional on his part."

Despite the publicity Tyner's blog post has generated, Aguilar said the TSA has no plans to change its screening practices, and that every piece of the screening procedure is there for a reason.

"We want to be sure that everyone on a plane can be assured that the people with them received the same screening process,'' Aguilar said.

Aguilar said any passenger can opt out of the full body scan and instead choose a pat-down, and that the TSA has a procedure in place that blocks out the groin area on a full body scan.

"It ensures the official never sees the image on the display screen,'' he said.

Aguilar called rumors that groups might be planning an intentional slowdown of security screening on the day before Thanksgiving "irresponsible.''

"We have a commitment to public safety, and a commitment to our mission to protect the freedom of movement of passengers,'' he said. "We're not going to allow anyone or any group to detract from our mission.''

View the original article here

Pelosi Faces Likely Leadership Challenge From Moderate Democrat - Fox News

Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, facing a growing rebellion against her bid to become minority leader, is likely to be challenged for the post by a moderate Democrat.

North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler, who has been sending signals since last month that he would run against the San Francisco liberal if she didn't step aside, is expected to launch his leadership bid on Sunday when he appears on CNN's "State of the Union." He's also appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday.

Shuler, a former NFL quarterback, told the Clay County Progress this week that he had no choice but to leave the sidelines.

"At this point, no one has come forward, no one in leadership for a long time," Shuler told the North Carolina weekly newspaper. "It will be very tough. It is probably a race we can't win. But we need a moderate voice in the Democratic Party."

Shuler's spokeswoman did not return an e-mail seeking comment. Neither did Pelosi's office.

The challenge comes as House Democrats just avoided a messy leadership struggle between Reps. Steny Hoyer of Maryland and James Clyburn of South Carolina for the No. 2 post of their new minority. Pelosi brokered a deal that will allow Hoyer to become second in command while Clyburn receives a new position that will be labeled the third-ranking post in leadership.

But several Democrats, most of them moderates from conservative districts, have made clear that they won't support Pelosi's leadership bid after their party suffered historic losses to Republicans last week. 

Democrats lost more than 60 seats, with a few races still up in the air. Many of the defeats came in conservative or swing districts and many of her critics are lawmakers who barely survived.

Party elections, which occurs behind closed doors, are scheduled for Wednesday.

Pelosi's quick postelection announcement that she would run for minority leader startled many Democrats.

Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma told Fox News last week that voters sent a message that they want the Democratic Party to move in a new direction.

"They want someone to lead the party who is going to be bipartisan," he said. "This is very disappointing for a lot of us in the center."

Pelosi told NPR on Friday that she decided to run so she can finish what she started.

"My motivation for running is to be in the strongest possible position to create jobs, to continue the work we did in the previous administration, to preserve Social Security, to protect what we did for health care reform and Wall Street reform," she told the network.

She also blamed the high unemployment rate for last week's election results.

"We didn't lose the election because of me," she said, adding that she believes she has been widely attacked because of her effectiveness as speaker.

"The reason they had to try to take me down is because I've been effective in fighting the special interests in Washington, D.C.," she said.

On Friday, 31 female House Democrats, including two members-elect, endorsed Pelosi for minority leader in an open letter.

"As the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has borne the brunt of unfair criticism and attacks, but her record of accomplishment speaks for itself – particularly to women," the letter reads, citing her record-high promotions of women into committee chairmanships, among other things.

"At a time when the incoming Majority is expected to threaten the progress we have made for women and families, we need Nancy Pelosi as Democratic Leader to help us stay unified and fight back," the letter says.

But even some longtime supporters of Pelosi have said she needs to step aside as the party leader.

"I voted for everything she asked me to vote for," said Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J. "You know, sometimes in this business it's difficult to know when to move on."

"With all the losses that we had with governors and all the redistricting that's going to be done, we don't need the target," Sires said, referring to the once-a-decade House redistricting process about to begin nationwide.

View the original article here

Senate leader Harry Reid faces possible historic loss - Reuters

 

Nevada Senator Harry Reid acknowledges supporters during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 22, 2010, after President Barack Obama spoke.

Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON | Sat Oct 30, 2010 5:54am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Harry Reid, a key ally to President Barack Obama, is in danger in Tuesday's election of becoming the first U.S. Senate majority leader in 58 years to be booted out of office by home-state voters.

A Reid defeat -- to a favorite of the anti-establishment Tea Party movement -- would be a repudiation of Obama, who made several trips to Nevada to try to bail out his fellow Democrat, widely viewed as tough but not charismatic.

It would also be a sign that the political brand of many experienced senators -- those who deliver results through back-room dealings rather than fiery oratory -- is not as powerful a draw for voters as it once was.

But above all, it underlines the importance of the economy and unemployment in these elections. Nevada has the highest jobless rate in the country, at 14.4 percent compared to a national average of 9.6 percent.

"In a sense it is a configuration of the stars," said Stephen Hess, a congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "If any of these factors weren't there, I don't think it would be a close election."

Anti-Washington ire fanned by the weak U.S. economy has made Reid a top Republican target and put him in a razor-close race with Sharron Angle, a darling of the Tea Party movement.

"You know, Harry's not the flashiest guy, let's face it," Obama told a crowd of about 9,000 people in Las Vegas this month. Laughter then turned to applause as Obama added: "Harry Reid does the right thing."

The right thing in Obama's eyes has been to play a major role in shepherding the president's agenda through Congress, including his landmark overhaul of the healthcare system.

But those legislative achievements have brought few visible benefits to Nevadans, where the rate of home foreclosures is also the highest in the country.

Nevada's Senate race has been among the nation's nastiest with Reid and Angle exchanging barbs, and polls showing voters view both of them unfavorably.

DISDAIN FOR REID

Democrats celebrated when Angle won the Republican primary, predicting that her views -- which include privatizing Social Security -- were too extreme. But disdain for Reid is so strong the race remains too close to call.

Eric Herzik, who heads the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno, thinks Reid, 70, will scrape out a win, as he has in a number of close races before becoming the Senate's top Democrat.

"I'm sticking with my early prediction. It will be close, it will be ugly and I think Harry Reid wins," Herzik said.

Reid spent six years in the House of Representatives and 24 in the Senate, becoming Senate minority leader in 2005 and rising to majority leader two years later.

View the original article here