I’ve been working on what TSA really stands for and the title above is the one I’ve narrowed in on. I’d be interested in hearing yours.

A few developments. First, TSA has backed down on groping or taking nude pictures of pilots and I think it’s mainly due to one pilot, Michael Roberts, taking a stand last month. On the Hannity show the other evening, Hannity asked Roberts what his objection was and Roberts answered that he didn’t want TSA taking a picture of his penis. Hannity was nonplussed, as if, somehow, Roberts had used a bad word. What would Hannity have preferred: junk?

Second, some of these TSA people seem shameless. Check out this story about how TSA agents caused urine to drip down a man’s leg, even after he warned them this would happen, and never even apologized.

Third, “Flying Fish,” who blogs about travel tried to paint a sympathetic portrait of TSA employees by reporting on a survey he did. Here’s how he summarized it:

Each of the 17 TSA TSOs that responded to me detailed their personal discomfort in conducting the new pat downs, with more than one stating that it is likely they are more uncomfortable performing the pat down than passengers are receiving them.

“Oh,” I thought, when I read this, “good for them for at least feeling bad about it.”

Then I went and actually read their comments. I recommend that you do the same. Here are a few:

“Even worse is having to try and feel inside the flab rolls of obese passengers and we seem to get a lot of obese passengers!”
“I am attracted to men, not women and if I was attracted to women, it would not be the large number of passengers I handle daily that have a problem understanding what personal hygiene is.”
“Yesterday a passenger told me to keep my hands off his penis or he’d scream. Is this how a 40 year old man in business attire acts? He’ll scream? My 3 year old can get away with saying he’ll scream, but a 40 something business man? I am a professional doing my job, whether I agree with this current policy or not, I am doing my job. I do not want to be here all day touching penises.”

Get it? Their discomfort has to do with how icky we are and has nothing to do, apparently, with the fact that they’re violating us and our rights. And, sure enough, some of them remind us that they’re just “serving their country” and following orders.

Fourth, in his column today, George Will ran with my idea that John Tyner be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Fifth, talking about the President, Obama has weighed in from his safe perch wherever he is. Here are two highlights from the news story:

Obama acknowledged that as president he does not have to go through pat-downs and other normal security procedures at airports, since he flies on Air Force One.

“One of the most frustrating aspects of this fight against terrorism is that it has created a whole security apparatus around us that causes huge inconvenience for all of us,” Obama said.

“All of us?” Really, Mr. President?