Paging Tom Daschle

So now we have a couple of fun loving tourists, just minding their own business, being arrested by the jackbooted thugs in Holland for traveling without their luggage. I mean, really, now how many times have the airlines lost luggage, right?

The real kicker for me is where the article says "The two were allowed to board the flight at O'Hare airport last night despite security concerns surrounding one of them, the officials said" and continues with the explanation that "al Soofi was found to be carrying $7,000 in cash and a check of his luggage found a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, three cell phones taped together, several watches taped together, a box cutter and three large knives. Officials said there was no indication of explosives and he and his luggage were cleared for the flight from Birmingham to Chicago O'Hare (emphasis mine)."

(Good thing for him that he wasn't an 86 year old retired Marine fighter pilot.)

Good to see the TSA is on the job! Boy, those new safeguards put into place right after 9-11 sure do make the airways safer for travelers, don't they? Remember Tom Daschle's assertion that "You don't professionalize until you Federalize"? Looks like he was spot on!

Fortunately those inspiring lads and lassies at TSA noticed when "al Soofi checked his luggage on a flight to Washington's Dulles airport for connections on flights to Dubai and then Yemen, even though he did not board the flight himself." Instead he and his friend sauntered off to Amsterdam where they were arrested by Dutch authorities on suspicions of terrorist activities.

They only have to succeed once. I wonder if anyone would notice if they did?

Now if you will, please excuse me while I go take a couple of aspirin for this splitting headache. I think I got it by repeatedly pounding my head against the desk.