"A Pursuit of Happiness Thing": Security Chicken, the Daddy State, and the Case of the Wizard v. TSA

"This is an American free country, we got a pursuit of happiness thing, you're consenting, you're adult…."  (Peter Boyle as The Wizard, from Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, 1976.)

A lot of words have been written and spoken about the new airport security measures. I might as well add my simple two cents' legal dino tender.  (Read more after the jump....)

Threat level orange

Well it certainly won't be a surprise to anyone who thought the Bush administration was using Tom Ridge's color coded threat levels to keep his poll ratings up every time they needed a boost - like right before an election. even though he was quoted in 2004 as saying

"We don’t do politics in the Department of Homeland Security."

Ridge's new book contains at least one bombshell of a revelation according to MSNBC's Chris Matthews - yes indeed Ridge was pressured to raise the level days before the 2004 election even though there was no threat. He refused.

In rather dry and understated language he explains that he now had proof that the main concern of the administration was politics and not national security and this was the moment he decided he had to get out.

The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege...and How We Can Be Safe Again is due to be released September first. That should give the Republicans enough time to launch a smear campaign.