Sharon Cissna, TSA-Fighting Alaska Lawmaker, Announces Bid For House Seat

JUNEAU, Alaska -- An Alaska state representative who made national headlines last year for refusing an airport security pat-down plans to run for the state's lone U.S. House seat.

Sharon Cissna says she wants to take her fight against the Transportation Security Administration to Washington, D.C., and also advocate for more economic opportunities.

The 70-year-old Democrat has a tough road, not only in challenging Rep. Don Young, who is seeking his 21st term, but also in campaigning.

Cissna has tried to avoid air travel when she must go through TSA checkpoints since last year refusing a security pat-down at a Seattle-area airport. Cissna, a breast cancer survivor, has said she considers pat-downs abuse and won't subject herself to it.

She says she and her husband plan to travel the state using a car, a motorhome, the ferry system and even a canoe. Small planes are also an option.

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Comments

[savvytravelblog]

08:58 PM on 04/15/2012

Now that's a Democrat I can get behind! Good for Rep. Cissna. We need more people like her in Congress, God knows. The more people of character like her that we elect, the better our chances of turning around the giant mess our country is in. Let's start with dismantling the illegal and unconstitutional TSA.

[fisher1949]

09:46 PM on 04/12/2012

Representative Cissna knows firsthand how invasive and abusive TSA tactics are for breast cancer victims and those with disabilities and medical appliances and will be a welcome champion for their rights. TSA routinely humiliates gropes and degrades passengers with disabilities by forcing them to choose scanners which reveal their differences and subject them to a pat down or strip search or avoid the scanner and suffer the same indignities anyway.

The scanners may improve things for those with metal joints who alarm metal but impose an unfair burden on those with mastectomy scars, ostomy appliances, insulin pumps and women wearing sanitary products.

This wholesale sexual assault on women is being sponsored by a blatantly gay woman who is herself a breast cancer victim. Napolitano claims empathy for the women being molested, but remains indifferent to women are being digitally strip searched and felt up in airports because she is exempt from this abuse.

TSA has become a magnet for sex offenders and criminals yet remains in control of our airports and permitted to harass the most vulnerable groups of society. Pistole is responsible for imposing this wholesale assault and molestation on women and children and must be held accountable for this perversity.

TSA have used fear mongering and arrogance to rob travelers of their dignity and humanity long enough and its time that the people demand sensible security that doesn’t involve fondling children and strip searching grandmothers.

[Harold Saxon]

12:44 PM on 04/12/2012

Good for Sharon. She's a smart, strong woman, and I'd love to see her succeed.

[MaxHeadroom]

10:55 AM on 04/12/2012

T.S.A. = Thousands Standing Around.

(and now add "groping" to that as well.)

[charleymyboy]

10:13 AM on 04/12/2012

The tsa is out of control.

I am retired.

When I used to fly, I wore a teeshirt, underpants, shorts and flip-flops. The "bare"
minimum

Now I don't fly anymore. I drive.

As far as Sharon Cissna is concerned, I shall donnate to her campaign to unseat one of the nastiest members of Congress.

[Vyslichajici]

08:39 AM on 04/12/2012

america is so lost it is pitiful and pathetic. the government is completely out of control.
the constitution has been shredded into meaninglessness. tsa is simply not needed. if they were serious about preventing hijackings there would be NO DOOR TO THE COCKPIT ON PLANES! when was the last time they offered that solution. oh, right, NEVER.
they are not serious about hijacking, they are serious about controlling the public like cattle.

[greytunes]

07:25 AM on 04/12/2012

Those who would cede freedom for percieved securities, deserve neither. TSA may be needed, but the TSA needs a better way to interact with the public.

[OldBear]

07:22 AM on 04/12/2012

Best of Luck

[parlimentMike]

05:22 AM on 04/12/2012

What is more democratic than a citizen running for office to fix a law she feels is stupid? Who likes the TSA except for the friends of bush selling the equipment?

It's time we question the nonsense we are being bankrupted to pay for.

[chris hatala]

04:52 AM on 04/12/2012

Sheis a closet bagger. This is some tea party ploy.

[Dogvane]

01:25 AM on 04/12/2012

Anybody who's against the TSA is worthy of consideration. Go Sharon!

[ancientgame]

01:31 AM on 04/12/2012

I'm a Democrat but this is embarrassing. This is exactly what the extremist in the gop would do.

[Dogvane]

12:49 PM on 04/12/2012

I'm a liberal independent and I'm all for it. The TSA gives the pretense of safety at the expense of our rights and dignity. They are far too intrusive and they are the only reason I won't fly anymore.

[truly moderate]

01:55 AM on 04/12/2012

Yeah.......because the organization IN CHARGE of flight security is just so horrid right?

These organizations were from the Bush admin so automatically liberals hate them (instead of realizing that air security IS important to the safety of Americans). You forget the aspects of 911 far too quickly.

[henrypapillon]

04:42 AM on 04/12/2012

I think they are getting flack from every direction, mainly because some employees have not been very smart and customer receptive when dealing with people.

[Dogvane]

12:41 PM on 04/12/2012

Yes they are horrid. I've never forgotten the aspects of 911. And this is NOT political. I don't quake with fear of terrorism. I'm not willing to have my crotch searched so that you can have peace of mind.

For all your tough talk, you republicans are so ready to surrender your rights for the pretense of safety that it's embarrassing.