In a WaPost article, we find that the TSA intends to extend its authority into general law enforcement, by performing a background check on each and every passenger who flies and coding passengers green, yellow and red. "The system 'will provide protections for the flying public,' said TSA spokesman Brian Turmail. 'Not only should we keep passengers from sitting next to a terrorist, we should keep them from sitting next to wanted ax murderers.' " Or people with unpaid parking tickets, no doubt.

This is ludicrous -- we should not have to be subjected to a background check to travel. How soon will the TSA institute a program of random beatings -- picking out passengers at random and beating them senseless -- to dissuade travel by terrorists. Oh, and axe murderers.