Date: 11/23/2010
Transcript
News Anchor: Well, between body scans and frisking, airport screeners have touched a nerve among the travelling public. The result an uproar over pat-downs. Joining me here is CNN’s national security contributor, Frances Townsend. She was the Homeland Security advisor to President George Bush, and serves on the Homeland Security Advisory Board. And from Texas, via Skype, Republican Congressman, Ron Paul. Thank you so much, both of you, for joining us here in the situation room.
I want to start off with you, congressman. The TSA has put an announcement out for travelers who are traveling over the holiday weekend, saying if you have to have one of those enhanced pat-downs, it would take place in a private area and that they could be accompanied by somebody to watch what was actually happening, what was taking place. Does that give you any comfort in thinking that perhaps people would not feel as violated, as disturbed, by that intimate process?
Ron Paul: Well, I think they should feel violated, all you have to do is look at some of those pictures. And the people are outraged over it, and they’re not feeling safer because of it, they just feel like the government has overstepped their bounds. They don’t want to be x-rayed, there are still some questions about those x-rays, there are questions about malfunctions of the x-rays. And there’s no evidence that this is going to make anybody any safer. And actually, there have been some pretty good bomb experts that actually testified that the bomb from the underwear bomber, the material he had, he had a long way to go before he would have ever been able to explode something. And yet I would say – and this is understatement – that we have overreacted to what happened over a year ago.
News Anchor: Fran, you understand security intimately from the ground up. But tell us, does this make a difference here? Is the congressman right when he says this really doesn’t matter?
Frances Townsend: No, I mean let’s be clear. The same bomb-maker who made the Christmas day Detroit attempted bomb, the guy with the bomb in his underwear was the same one who was behind these most recent packages coming out of Yemen. He’s a sophisticated bomb-maker, and the government is rightly worried because if he adapts, they may not be able to catch him. And so while there have been many problems with the way the government’s gone about explaining what they’re doing and training their employees to do it properly, let’s be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. That is, we do have to be very careful during periods of increased threats to make sure that we’re appropriately screening. Now I think the government understands they haven’t gone about this very well, and John Pistole went out on Sunday and issued a statement saying they’re going to be mindful to try to be as least intrusive as possible. I think they have a long way to go to convince the American people this is right. But what we don’t want to do is intimidate them into not doing it at all.
News Anchor: Congressman, you’re shaking your head. Why?
Ron Paul: Well, you know, we’re dealing with a created problem, it’s a manufactured problem. I mean, we got to look at it with the proper perspective. First, you can’t have perfect safety. And another thing is, the odds of any person in this country getting killed by a terrorist is less than getting struck by lightning. I mean, just think in the last ten years things have done pretty well because they put a gun in the cockpit and they locked the door. But to destroy our liberties, throw away the constitution, don’t care about the Fourth Amendment and cavelierly say, “Oh well, the people want to be safe, it’s good to sacrifice our liberties”, and on and on. But, you know, there’s no going back on this. The government gets away with a lot. They won’t pay attention to all the killing going on overseas, they get confused about the financial crisis. But I’ll tell you what, this prodding … the people have had it and they’re not going to put up with it. I think it’s a great issue to call the attention to the American people how abusive our government is. They’re supposed to protect our liberties; they’re not supposed to be engaged in destroying our liberties.
News Anchor: Frances, those are pretty serious accusations.
Frances Townsend: Well, Susan, let’s be clear. The congressman says that this is a manufactured problem. It’s a problem manufactured by our enemies and Al-Qaida who have been trying to blow up the airplanes, whether it’s in the cargo or in the passenger department.
Ron Paul: Why? Why do they want to come after us?
Frances Townsend: I don’t really care. If I’m flying on a plane I want to be safe.
Ron Paul: Ha ha ha, you got to ask that, and that’s why we’re not getting anywhere. You got to find out why. You know we’re over there fighting a war against the Taliban. The Taliban are not even part of the Al-Qaida, but we’re spending trillion dollars trying to kill Taliban creating more Al-Qaida. If you don’t ask that question, you can’t solve this problem.
Frances Townsend: The Taliban is very closely aligned to the Al-Qaida and to their methods in terms of attacking and targeting the United States. Look, when I say that I don’t care, the fact of the matter is that we have to be clear that Al-Qaida is obsessed with aviation, they want to target it, and they want to kill Americans. And so the government has an obligation to act against that.
News Anchor: Congressman, you were talking about the constitution ..
Ron Paul: Why should we get watched without our clothes on then? That’s what you’re doing. The kids are having to take their clothes off. Why does a woman have to remove her breast implant in order for somebody to be guaranteed that she’s not a bomber? This is insanity, this is not logic.
News Anchor: Congressman, let Frances respond, please. Frances, go ahead.
Frances Townsend: I agree with the congressman, Susan, that those examples that he sights are egregious, and what we hope is that those are the exceptions. And TSA has got a responsibly to ensure those are the exceptions, and that actions are taken against the most egregious violations that are not consistent with their own policies. They’ve got to be sure that people are appropriately trained and that these searches are not an opportunity for abuse. So he and I are in agreement on that; the government has a very severe responsibly to ensure that.
News Anchor: I’m going to have to leave it at that. Congressman Ron Paul, I appreciate your time as well as Frances Townsend’s. And we want to let our viewers know that we will be able to speak with the head of the TSA, John Pistole, very shortly after this break.
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I love the good Dr. He’s a truth teller through and through. That said, 5:17 may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. When he’s trying to say “You’re already throwing the baby out with the bath water,” and he just gets completely tongue-tied, and you can tell the ridiculous women he’s debating get completely confused. LOL
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I love the good Dr. He’s a truth teller through and through. That said, 5:17 may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. When he’s trying to say “You’re already throwing the baby out with the bath water,” and he just gets completely tongue-tied, and you can tell the ridiculous women he’s debating get completely confused. LOL
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so the dept of homeland security doesnt “really care why they’re attacking us.” nice.
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Ending a govt. program is always described as “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” I’ve got a better phrase “flush the turd down the toilet!”
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Dumb capital B with and an itch!!! She already gave up her freedom for a little safety!!
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By the way; As long as some of you CONTINUE to believe the 9/11 ‘official fairy tale’, and this PHONY ‘war on terror’, stuff like this will happen and grow. THE PATRIOT ACT WAS WRITTEN LOOOONG BEFORE 9/11. They simply waited for the event:
“We’ll protect you from those evil terrorists!! Now just sign here and give up your rights”
EVERYONE here needs to watch ‘End of Liberty’ on youtube. It WILL wake you up.
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I believe it was 1974, physicist Werner von Braun, of the German missile program, told an associate that the US would have it’s ‘Cold War’, then there would be a phony ‘war on terror’, and THEN – get this – the US government would proclaim a manufactured THREAT FROM ALIENS – which, we’ve been told, DO NOT EXIST.
Anyone catch the growing newscasts and reports, & gov’ spokesholes NOW WORKING “POTENTIAL ALIEN THREAT” into interviews and soundbites?
The US government is simply OUT OF CONTROL.
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I hate Ron Paul, he is a selfish little TWAT!
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I have not flown for years and years, do they still have these enhanced xray machines in the u.s.?
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I have not flown for years and years, do they still have these enhanced xray machines in the u.s.?
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lol i love RON PAUL — but he was too flustered to say “Baby out with the bathwater!” lol — but either way he is right on (AGAIN) wih this issue and there is NO defending the TSA unless you are a complete moron.
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The only thing we should sacrifice is the Fed, they are traitors, liars & should be jailed permanently, their “black budget” uses trillions of dollars on unspeakable projects. Including suppressed advanced technologies that will solve global problems.
Which is why Bernanke won’t tell Congress or the public the truth of the Feds spending. Know this the truth will be told & there is nothing that will stop it.
Go Ron Paul
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“Why do they want to blow us up?” “I don’t care why.”
that pretty much sums up american security policy.
Ron Paul 2012!
»crosslinked«
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Whenever they argue with Ron Paul, they always say, “He wants to throw the baby out with the bathwater” just like the guy said who Ron destroyed on the Fed Reserve video I just watched. Fran needs a reality check – as in to stop being a sock puppet.
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The only thing these government propaganda droids (see Fran Townsend) ever seem to say when presented with a tactful question is “but.. but.. teh terrorists want to hurt us!” It was ridiculous that she actually said that she “doesn’t care” why groups like the taliban want to attack us. GET EDUCATED BEFORE YOU SPEW YOUR UNINFORMED OPINION ON TELEVISON.
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“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
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“Former Bush Homeland Security Adviser” She has no credibility, why is she even on?
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This woman abuses the phrase “let’s be clear.” It’s supposed to be reserved for moments when you can offer actual, sober insight. It is not to give a fearmongering mouthpiece a momentary boost in credibility so that she can carry on spouting propaganda to a too trusting public.
Ron Paul 2012! If we can just get him nominated there is no way he doesn’t win over the public when he finally get’s a chance to call Obama out on the big stage!
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I’m scared. Molest me.
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I don’t like the new TSA searches that grope people, although I am concerned about terrorists. Is anybody with her? Anybody at all?
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One more thing…. FUCK THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND “SECURITY”,
Those are the same dumbasses who blamed Canada for “allowing” the 9/11 terrorists get into the US.
How about everytime something happens in the US, DON’T blame Canada without reason, just take responsibility for your lack of effectiveness.
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Taliban very closely tied to Al Qaeda? They are very closely tied to the US too…
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Enhanced pat downs? What is that like enhanced interrogation techniques? Geez RP 2012!!!!!
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Someone should have tossed that broad out with her bath water!!!
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if all the passengers on the jet were hillbillies with shot guns there would be no terrorist threat cuz they would blow the terrorists head off. if a stupid person owns a gun and there shouldn’t be guns on an air plain then the guns that should be there could take them out. let the airlines handle their own business.
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If he wins president im tatooing his face on my back lol
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“Why do they want to blow us up?” “I don’t care why.” This is precisely why the terrorists are “winning”, if you will. We’re giving up everything we cherish for fear of inciting terror when the real problem is what we’re doing overseas.
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The host seems confused and under control…. 6:01
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I agree with everything I’ve ever heard Ron Paul say except getting rid of Welare and Social Security etc and only because there aren’t any jobs left for everyone and I know or a fact he will be killed if by some miracle he wins. Who can tell me otherwise? I am worried he being a part of the 2 party system may very well be another shill and may rip out social security, medicare and etc and then be assasinated. Who in their right mind thinks he could be allowed to win and just take office?
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