Congressional candidate put on no-fly list

[brooklynite]

PLATTSBURGH -- A candidate for Congress has been put on a federal watch list as a possible terror suspect, and he wants to know why.

Dr. Robert Johnson, a Democrat from Sackets Harbor, near Watertown, who is challenging incumbent Republican John McHugh in the 23rd District, said he was denied access aboard a Continental Airlines flight to Florida on Jan. 17 from Syracuse after officials informed him that he was on a "no-fly" list.

"I flew to England in December and there was no problem, then in January all of a sudden I'm on the list," said Johnson, a heart surgeon and former officer in the U.S. Army.

...snip...

Johnson said officials at the Syracuse airport would not tell him why he was placed on the list.

"Why would a former lieutenant colonel who swore an oath to defend and protect our country pose a threat of terrorism?" Johnson said.

Johnson, who ran against McHugh and lost in 2004, has been outspoken against the war in Iraq. He wonders if that is why he wound up on the list.

http://www.pressrepublican.com/Archive/2006/02_2006/022320061.htm

[katinmn]

1. "...outspoken against the war in Iraq"....BINGO.

Homeland (in)Security spends its public funds combing through emails, listening to phone calls, taking pics at rallies.

[TalkingDog]

2. Democrat challenging a seated 'pub- Anti-War- Vet.... Hmmm..let's see....

Could he be....SATAN????

I'll wager we will see a few more of these Godless Heathens barred from flying our American skys over the next (election) year.

Why make it easy for them to win?

[chelsea0011]

3. And we are suppose to believe that the only people getting

their phones wiretapped are phone calls from Osama? This former military man and outspoken critic of the war has sure as hell been flagged, probably illegally. But why should anyone be surprised. DeLay used homeland security to find Dems in Oklahoma and never but never got charged with anything. Methinks the repukes view homeland security has a private club to abuse others(read democrats).

[mopinko]

4. makes me want to take a trip, just to see

if i have made the enemies list yet. then again, i am supposed to go to my brother's wedding in july, but i don't want to have to pass through the police state to do it.
i want my country back.

[tanyev]

5. Surely Robert Johnson is a common name among suspected

radical Islamic terrorists.


:sarcasm:

[donco6]

7. Well, of COURSE. Just like John Smith, Bob Jones, etc.

Are they putting all innocuous names on the no-fly list? Brother, I sure feel safer.

[brooklynite]

9. Well, not "Bob Jones"

Could cause too much trouble for W's religious supporters.

[zbdent]

6. Don't you know what "Doc Johnson" sells?

[Warpy]

8. That net is so ridiculously wide that

every Robert Johnson in the country is now on the no fly list along with him. That adds up to hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, for every similarly common name.

Give them a few more years and we'll ALL be on the no fly list.

Fascists always make themselves ridiculous. Even as we suffer, we'll be able to laugh.