back to article DHS chief accused of using no-fly list for political payback

Arizona's state treasurer is not-so-subtly accusing President Obama's Homeland Security chief of abusing America's "no-fly" list to satisfy a personal vendetta against him. State Treasurer Dean Martin told Arizona CBS affiliate KPHO that his name suddenly appeared on the government's list of those banned from US commercial …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Megaphone

    WHAT A SURPRISE!

    Gee, who'd a thunk that could ever happen?

    I mean, just like Britain's compul- er, voluntary ID cards, we all have so much faith in our public servants, that we just KNOW they would NEVER abuse their positions.

    </sarcasm>

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Personally...

    ...I suspect Clark Gable... a ne'er-do-well if ever there was one.

  3. jake Silver badge

    Bitch.

    If it's true, she's a tiny little person who needs to be out of Washington ASAP. And a complete bitch, to boot. I thought we left THAT kind of shit behind with the last administration.

    OK, I hoped, not thought. I'm a realist.

    She's still a tiny little person if true, and needs to be gone.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Love It

    The clowns at DHS strike again. So using a common name is suspicious eh? What about using an uncommon name? Frequent trips --- you know like weekly round-trips between major airports -- those are suspicious too. Since I travel a lot I have to allow even more time in case I get pulled aside for extra checks. Once my luggage seemed to small(I fold and compress so I can carry-on) that had to be searched as well. Mind you, stuffing it all back in the bag while trying to make the flight was up to me. All this hassling of passengers and they still are not screening all the checked luggage and cargo or actually maintaining secure field perimeters. It is all for show.

    THere -- I fell better now.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Security?

    So the worlds most needed security organisation (most needed because they piss off the greatest number of other nations) can't tell the difference between people with the same name? And they didn't think of this, despite the fact that people have been using the same names for thousands of years?

    But what, it's OK you say, you just have to say a frequent flyer number and you can bypass all the holdups?

    And they PAID someone for this?

  6. Number6

    More Cases Needed

    What we need is a lot more high-profile people being targeted by the no-fly list so that at some point there will be a call to abolish it or spend enough money on it to do a proper job and it will attract widespread support. Imagine the fun if you could get "John Smith" added to the list.

    Any system that manages to ban a baby nine months old from flying (yes, it happened) is obviously fundamentally broken.

  7. Niall 1

    Common Names

    And I used to deride celebs for calling their spawn things like Fifi-pixie-belle-peaches-blossom-whats-her-face. Maybe they're on to something.

  8. Pete 2 Silver badge

    What's the point

    ... of having power if you can't abuse it for your own petty, vindictive, personal reasons?

  9. Norfolk Enchants Paris
    Coffee/keyboard

    And in related news

    Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin orders a tin foil hat, and blames humans for "global warming"

  10. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    frequent flyer

    i particularly like how the DHS muppets falls back to the *verry* secure frequent flyer system for clearing him. Isn't that system supposed to be much less secure than the state sponsored one?

  11. kissingthecarpet

    Lucky he's not been pulled

    by the filth in dear old Blighty - try telling a copper your name is Dean Martin - you will then spend ages sitting in a cell while they "verify your ID"

  12. lukewarmdog
    Stop

    @Pete 2

    Totally agree, that is some perk.

    "So it pays well AND I get to mess with people? Suhweet!"

    Remember, never name your kids after well known terrorists, it's not big, it's not hard and it's damn straight not very clever.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The list should not exist

    It always was, at all levels, abused for all reasons. That list should be killed. There should be no super-secret blacklist of people without judicial process.

    People who are somehow such a threat that they cannot board a plane, even after being searched, yet not such a threat that they can be prosecuted for anything.....

    I know Fox will scream if you remove it, but Fox will scream no matter what. They're running some anti-America agenda there.

  14. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

    Finally - a good reason for ID cards

    If you have a common name and want to fly without hassle, buy a fake ID with an unusual name. Forgers can charge extra for names known not to be on recent no-fly lists.

  15. John Savard

    Serious Issue

    It should be enough to provide reliable identification, like a drivers' license, that can be linked to one's social security number, to show one isn't the Dean Martin they're looking for.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @bitchy

    <ahem/>

    I hate to break into your "Faux Noose" moment, but I seriously doubt that The Janet did it. I suspect that it was one of the staffers she brought with her. These staffers can be rabidly loyal, and often pull stuff like this. It is sometimes with the tacit approval of their bosses, but seldom at their orders (unless you were a member of the Cheney Administration).

    I'm surprised that you're so pissy about this. It's common knowledge that the DHS terror list was a tool of Republican policy.

  17. Mad Hacker
    Thumb Down

    This happened to Ted Kennedy

    Yeah, they are just having fun with each other. BTW I live in Arizona. And I can say that Janet may not have been perfect but the Republican administration that took over is already destroying the state. They've pulled funding for education, so much so there are questions as to whether they have violated laws that require kids to have access to education.

    On the plus side, as a concealed weapons permit holder, I can now carry a concealed and loaded handgun into a bar. That was passed Monday. I still can't carry one into a school but they are working on that. On the down side the new Gov. vetoed a bill to legalize fireworks in AZ. She lost my vote with that one.

  18. I didn't do IT.
    Flame

    TSA Frequent Flyer Miles

    So, a "frequent flyer number" will allow someone to bypass searches mandated by the super-secret "No Fly" list? What frequent flyer number? Is this the number given to you for customer loyalty from a particular airline? Which one is vetted by the DHS?

    Is this the ClearPass system... which doesn't exist anymore because the company went under?

    What about the frequent flyer miles that come off my credit card? IS VISA the gateway to travel nirvana?

    Or... like everything else about DHS... are we not high enough on the clearance list to know? Oh, I trust you... as far as my boot goes up YOUR butt...

  19. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    DHS = FAIL

    no fly list = fail

    airport theatre = fail

  20. Jeff Deacon
    Black Helicopters

    I'd love to travel to the States ...

    ... but this sort of lunacy means that I will never risk it.

    By the way what is the organisation in US airports with black shirts as their uniform. It wouldn't be the DHS would it?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Re: Black Uniforms

    > By the way what is the organisation in US airports with black shirts as their uniform. It wouldn't be the DHS would it?

    No. The TSA used to wear white, but now they wear blue.

    http://afrocityblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/cavity1.jpg

  22. elderlybloke
    Big Brother

    American loonies

    They must have become Muslims , as I have read that travellers have to remove their shoes before they can get on a plane.

  23. Bug

    Captain Obvious

    The whole idea of the no fly list is a complete joke. As if "real terrorists" now would use their REAL name to board.

    Dumb. Good thing their tactics didn't work in forcing us to chew on our own leg. Fly paranoia and the like.Oh wait...

  24. skeptical i
    Stop

    Doubt Janet knew about this until the news called her for comment.

    Think about it. You're smarter than the average bear, win the governorship of ... Arizona ... and have to deal with people who may or may not have the brains god gave dog food as part of your day-to-day (including the monkeyshit fight that is the AZ Legislature -- the same "small gubmint" crowd that brought us the right to bring guns into bars also thinks that women can't decide for themselves whether to terminate a pregnancy and that they need a 24-hour "cooling off" period). The opportunity comes to move on to bigger (yes) and better (maybe) things in DC. Would you even waste your time on petty payback to folks not worth the calories spent picking up a phone? Please. Janet's got bigger fish to fry.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    bypass no-fly list

    Don't worry if you are terrorist Dean Martin, just get treasurer's frequent flyer number (who bothers protecting those?) and add it to your booking!

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