TSA invokes Reagan in blogger slam

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) echoed former President Ronald Reagan in an unusually personal take down of an often-critical blogger on Tuesday.

"Here we go again … TSA seems to be a frequent and a convenient subject on Amy Alkon's blog," TSA blogger Bob Burns wrote in a blog post about the author of the syndicated blog website advicegoddess.com.

As a candidate in 1980, Reagan famously used the phrase "there you go again" to rebut criticisms from then-President Jimmy Carter in a debate during the campaign that year.

The recipient of TSA's paraphrased quip, Alkon, has frequently criticized the agency's airport security procedures. She wrote in a weekend blog post, titled "How Orwellian Are We," that the agency had hidden the identification of employees who "groped" her at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

"How Orwellian Are We? TSA Supe Roger Grant Refused To Give Me Name Of TSA Worker Who Groped Me At JFK," Alkon wrote. "He also threatened me with arrest just for asking for her first name (which she refused to provide me), and which was impossible to see, since she wore her ID badge upside down."

Burns was unconvinced, however, writing of Alkon's blogs: "The writer’s language characterization towards TSA and our employees is offensive to say the least. Name calling, insults, the whole gamut."

Burns denied Alkon was improperly screened, and he questioned her motives for seeking information about the TSA employees who were involved.

"In her latest screening incident, she’s angry because a supervisor wouldn’t give her the name of an officer who had just screened her," Burns wrote. "An officer who – by the way – by all accounts other than Ms. Alkon’s, did her job by the book.

"It is more likely that she wanted this information so she could post the officer’s name on her blog as she’s done before with other incidents," Burns continued. "In fact, she named and publicly accused one of our officers of rape after a routine pat-down in an earlier allegation." 

Alkon offered a starkly different take, writing in her blog post that "[A] good many TSA workers seem to wear their badges upside down -- I suspect, so they cannot be identified on blogs, as I identified the TSA's Thedala Magee, and more recently, another LAX TSA gropenfrau, Tiffany Applewhite."

Burns said TSA workers are largely not aware of Alkon's writing, however.

"We understand that not everybody likes or agrees with TSA’s policies and procedures," Burns wrote. "Part of what makes this country great is that we can openly complain on blogs such as this one, but I think it’s only fair that the blogger in question should be fair and accurate about what they write about and also consider the privacy of the individuals involved."

But he quickly added "I can assure you of one thing, an infinitesimal number of our employees know of Ms. Alkon. I can also assure you that reoccurring allegations like hers seem to be more self perpetuated rather than based upon reality and do nothing but detract from the mission at hand."

The back and forth comes as the AAA auto club has forcasted 3.1 million people are expected to fly during the Thanksgiving holiday. 

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