Were Kennedy and Lewis put on the watch list in order to harass them?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

A top Homeland Security official has apologized to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was stopped at airports because a name similar to his appeared on a watch list.

The Massachusetts Democrat said he was stopped by airline personnel five times as he tried to get on US Airways shuttles between Washington and Boston.

"If they have that kind of difficulty with a member of Congress, how in the world are average Americans, who are getting caught up in this thing, how are they going to be treated fairly and not have their rights abused?" Kennedy asked Homeland Security undersecretary Asa Hutchinson at a hearing Thursday.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/08/20/national1854EDT0708.DTL




A second prominent Democrat in Congress said he's been singled out for extra security at airports.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said someone else with his name is on a federal watch list. He said he's been stopped for intensive airport searches more than 40 times in the past year. Lewis said he couldn't buy an electronic ticket, and that he had to show extra identification to security -- which also hand-checked all of his luggage.

Months ago, he filed paperwork with the Transportation Security Administration to get off the list, but Lewis said that less than two weeks ago, a ticket agent informed him his name is still there.

Lewis is now thinking about becoming part of a class-action lawsuit against the TSA.
http://www.thewgalchannel.com/news/3670172/detail.html

[wolfgirl]

1. Why else would their

names be on the list?:(

[Warren DeMontague]

2. But "We Don't Do Politics Here at Homeland Security"...

..Remember?
:puke:

[larryepke]

3. Well, those are common names

Which is why the watch lists are so idiotic. They have the effect of the blacklists of the McCarthy era, where even someone who SOUNDS like someone suspicious is tarred, with no chance to get their name cleared.

[BAPhill]

4. Of course they did.

No surprise here.

[Toby109]

5. How many Republicans have been

"accidentally" put on the watch list?

[number6]

7. How many Republicans have been or will be on the list .?

I'll bet none, and how many Republicans got anthrax letters ...

[kskold]

6. a fortuitous mistake

It's a nuisance for Kennedy and Lewis - and no doubt infuriating.

But it also provides them with personal, first-hand experience as to exactly how and why the list doesn't work. And how impossible it is to get *off* that list. And that gives them a platform to fight from.

You don't willingly hand your opponents a mistake and say "have at it!"

Kristen, long-time lurker and occasional poster

[lottie244]

8. Just a chilling reminder of who is in and has the power.

It's called "intimidation."

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Of course it was meant to intimidate.

Two of the most vocal, anti-Bush regime Democrats just "happen" to be on the watch list? It's frightening as hell to me that they did it, left their names on the list for months and now LAUGH about it. (They laughed when Kennedy told his story to the committee the other day)

Intimidation? Hell yes! Now, put average Citizen Joe's name on the list....it will never be removed.