Professor who criticized Bush added to Terror Watch List

[MattTheSkywalker]

It just keeps getting worse and worse; but don't worry, the War on Terror is to protect you. Your rights won't be infringed.

A top Constitutional scholar from Princeton who gave a televised speech that slammed President George W. Bush's executive overreach was recently told that he had been added to the Transportation Security Administration's terrorist watch list. He shared his experience this weekend at the law blog Balkinization.

Walter F. Murphy, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Emeritus, at Princeton University, attempted to check his luggage at the curbside in Albuquerque before boarding a plane to Newark, New Jersey. Murphy was told he could not use the service.

"I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list," he said.

When inquiring with a clerk why he was on the list, Murphy was asked if he had participated in any peace marches.

"We ban a lot of people from flying because of that," a clerk said.

Murphy then explained that he had not marched, but had "in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution."

The clerk responded, "That'll do it."

Murphy was allowed to board the plane, but was warned that his luggage would be "ransacked." On his return trip, his luggage was lost.

Murphy is a decorated Marine who served in the Korean War and was a reservist for 19 years. Mark Graber, who presented the blog post, adds that there were other reasons that Murphy was an unlikely terror suspect.

"While he holds some opinions, most notably on welfare, similar to opinions held on the political left, he is a sharp critic of ROE V. WADE, and supported the Alito nomination," he wrote.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Profes...d_to_0409.html

[Standtall]

Is this really the whole story?

I wonder if basing the "reason he is on the list" on the word of some clerk at an airline is what you would consider "credible"?

[yinyin]

Originally Posted by Standtall

Is this really the whole story?

I wonder if basing the "reason he is on the list" on the word of some clerk at an airline is what you would consider "credible"?

It's actually not even basing it on what the clerk said... merely his account of what the clerk said.

[4sigma]

"I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list," he said.

Murphy was allowed to board the plane, but was warned that his luggage would be "ransacked."

So how was he allowed to board the plane if he was denied a boarding pass?

It sounds like he is on a "dig through his luggage with a fine toothed comb" list and that some TSA employee then mishandled his luggage.

Maybe we shouldn't have federalized the TSA?

[SamTheEagle]

Without commenting on the story itself because I know nothing about this professor or how accurate this story is, being against abortion isn't exactly something I would consider to be proof-positive that someone isn't a terrorist.

[Standtall]

Originally Posted by SamTheEagle

Without commenting on the story itself because I know nothing about this professor or how accurate this story is, being against abortion isn't exactly something I would consider to be proof-positive that someone isn't a terrorist.

Being a critic of Roe V Wade is not the same as being against abortion.

[SamTheEagle]

Originally Posted by Standtall

Being a critic of Roe V Wade is not the same as being against abortion.

Good call (though usually in the media, the two are used interchangably). I still think the point stands.

On the other hand, I like the implication that only a non-conservative could be a terrorist.

[Pseudolus]

Did anyone besides Prof. Murphy hear the clerk say this? And, assuming it happened as reported, is there any evidence this clerk had any clue at all wth he/she was talking about?

Some good discussion of the case here:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2...tml#1176093702
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/200...ing_the_p.html
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/200...r_today_i.html

[MeanActuary]

Originally Posted by Pseudolus

Did anyone besides Prof. Murphy hear the clerk say this? And, assuming it happened as reported, is there any evidence this clerk had any clue at all wth he/she was talking about?

He's only a decorated war veteran and a Princeton professor. Why would we trust him?

[Pseudolus]

Read my second sentence. Thank you for your anticpated cooperation.