Homeland Security Says No to Private Screeners: TSA Thugs to Continue Groping

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, TSA chairman John Pistole was said he was going to start looking for answers to calm the controversy of the TSA groping Americans who simply want to board a flight. If his first step an any indication of what is to come, it appears the TSA isn't going to back down from touching your junk.

After 9/11 airports were given the choice to hire either a private firm for security or use the TSA thugs. That program is coming to a stand still after a Florida airport decided they were going to kick the TSA out of their terminals.

The Screening Partnership Program allowed airports to replace government screeners with private contractors who wear TSA-like uniforms, meet TSA standards and work under TSA oversight. Among the airports that have "opted out" of government screening are San Francisco and Kansas City.

That program now no longer exist. Airports will now be required to employ the TSA for their security without the option of kicking them out. Figures right? Why is it Congress didn't have a say in this matter, but once again it appears legislation is coming from the bureaucracies?

I say this because it was Republican John Mica (FL) who was informing airports of the opt out clause. It wasn't Mica or any other member of Congress who decided the opt out was no longer a viable option for airports. It was Pistole and Big Sis Janet Napolitano.

So this really puts in perspective how the strong arm of government is going to be used to control common American practices like travel. I guarantee you, when the time comes for DHS/TSA expansion, train stations, bus terminals, and all the rest of the places DHS has plans to employ their police state thugs to patrol won't have any opt out room. This is the first solution of Pistole since the Thanksgiving outrage of the TSA last year, and it's one that favors the TSA and not the traveler.