Video: Michelle on the Oakland airport incident
posted at 10:37 am on October 2, 2007 by Allahpundit
I can’t believe the Bay Area’s antipathy to the military could run so deep that special plans would be made to keep soldiers from setting foot in the airport lest they taint it with war cooties. On the other hand, I’ve read MM’s post three times and still don’t understand the logic of the “quarantine.” Are they afraid these guys might have live ordnance on them? Like, a stray grenade tucked away in someone’s back pocket that everyone had forgotten about leads to tragedy when a game of grabass inside the terminal goes horribly awry? I don’t get it.
Blowback
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Meh, the Marines were better off not having to interact with the nut jobs there. Back in the Marines we once had a layover in Guam on our way to Okinawa, we weren’t even let off the plane. Much adu about nothing.
Kahuna on October 2, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Could it be, the Airport officials were afraid of ugly, from the locals. If there is one part of the nation where troops where, even in this day and age, might find themselves spat upon it would be there.
Nyog_of_the_Bog on October 2, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Seems to me one Port Authority needs to get their Federal Funding cut down to ZERO.
CrazyFool on October 2, 2007 at 10:45 AM
behavior, I meant to say, “ugly behavior.”
Nyog_of_the_Bog on October 2, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Kahuna, they did the same thing on many overseas mil-contract flights I’ve been on…but this was an entirely domestic leg, from New York to Oakland. If the TSA in New York (the port of entry) was satisfied with the customs screening they got before they left the sandbox, Oakland shouldn’t have anything to say about it.
James on October 2, 2007 at 10:57 AM
.
Being someone who always tries to *look* for a silver lining, I’d point out that at least our HEROES didn’t have to endure the SanFran Freako-area VERMIN who make the TRAITOROUS anti-military decisions around the Bay area.
.
You’d think they’d be happy giving “aid and comfort” to the Iraqi enemy by their kookball demonstrations and brainless rhetoric, but (as John Belushi once demurred) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
.
If there’s any justice, the next US terrorist attack will happen right in the middle of that left coast loony bin, and the “reponse teams” will all be members of Code Pink.
.
Keith_Z on October 2, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Hmmm…
I’ve flown in and out of Oakland’s airport a bunch of times, and its in OAKLAND folks… in fact theres a good RAIDER’s bar real close…
Believe me, Oakland is NOT San Fran… the troops would not have had any problem with the folks in the terminal…
My guess is that this decision was ONE persons… who probably DOES live in San Fran…
Don’t tar and Feather the city of Oakland, for what happens across the bay…
Romeo13 on October 2, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Extremely glad this is being looked into. It’s appalling that our troops are treated like this. Federal funding needs to be stopped to places that behave in this manner to the military or large fines need to be given for a first offense. Enough is enough.
katieanne on October 2, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Having no personal experience with the Bay Area, I stand corrected in regards to Oakland and my speculation.
Nyog_of_the_Bog on October 2, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Anybody that spends any of their vacation $$ in the bay area is ‘crazy’…
areseaoh on October 2, 2007 at 11:23 AM
If ONLY that could happen!
From your typed message, to God’s ears!
Fingers crossed, hoping for the fulfillment of a fantasy.
By the way, when will the Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush, take a stand and stand up and stick up for our troops?
William
William2006 on October 2, 2007 at 11:30 AM
If ONLY, Keith!
If only.
William
William2006 on October 2, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Yet leftist goons are accusing Rush Limbaugh, and conservatives in general now, of not supporting the troops.
Gad, they make me sick to my stomach. They really do.
Nice Deb on October 2, 2007 at 11:37 AM
Isn’t there some famous country/western group that has a song about terrorists nuking one of our coastal cities?
JiangxiDad on October 2, 2007 at 11:38 AM
Couldn’t we just sell California to Canada or Mexico and build a 30 foot wall on the new border?
Considering how much of everyone else’s tax money goes to support their burgeoning illegal population, I’d say economically it would be a wash.
Asher on October 2, 2007 at 11:39 AM
You can’t run from Jerry Brown.
JiangxiDad on October 2, 2007 at 11:39 AM
You better hurry, before Mexico just annexes it. Did you know that Mexico’s PAN party is about to hold it’s political convention in LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA???
JiangxiDad on October 2, 2007 at 11:43 AM
A repeat of 1906 would be more likely. But hey, either way would suffice.
infidel4life on October 2, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Wow…. just… wow…
Hadn’t heard that…
Romeo13 on October 2, 2007 at 12:10 PM
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Wrong Romeo. I was born in Oakland, California. Lived there for years, and later in San Francisco. If there’s any difference between the 2 anymore, it’s that Oakland is LESS safe for our Heroes than SanFran Freako.
.
At least SOME of the kooks in SF speak ENGLISH!
Keith_Z on October 2, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Just some perspective. I travelled cross country, and intercontinentally more times than I care to remember, (think webbed benches and unheated c-130 cargo bays) when I was in the Marines, and we were never allowed to enter a civillian terminal.
At any stop we were thankful if they allowed us to disembark on the tarmac and sit in rows, on our packs, in the sun. We had MRE’s and water from our canteens. We were grunts and were used to a pretty Spartan lifestyle, so to us “it weren’t no thang”.
Undoubtably there are times when our forces get the shaft from the lefty kooks, but if these guys were admin or office pogies (Chaplins usually roll with H&S) they may have been making a bit more out of it than it was. Marines love to bitch and moan about how bad we got it.
Just sayin’.
Alden Pyle on October 2, 2007 at 12:17 PM
oldernslower on October 2, 2007 at 12:17 PM
oldernslower on October 2, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Blatant Disrespect. Without a doubt. Shameful.
Kini on October 2, 2007 at 12:20 PM
You are SO MUCH BETTER like this when you are angry MM. Megyn is my favorite Foxy person – she thinks like me and is quite the eye candy.
I feel like I could have a conversation with her forever. But I digress.
ThackerAgency on October 2, 2007 at 12:23 PM
And hey, it might put California back in the Red column.
Terrorism and Earthquakes are okay if it is a liberal targe/location. It’s all about the votes, right guys?
Sad sad sad
Bradky on October 2, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Many of the locals were family members waiting to see them arrive before they completed their leg to Hawai’i.
This was malicious behaviour by the Oakland Port Authority, Airport personnel and the City of San Francisco.
Kini on October 2, 2007 at 12:27 PM
Votes hell. It’s about anger at enclaves of moonbats who hate America and everything it stands for.
infidel4life on October 2, 2007 at 12:32 PM
How convenient.
Bradky on October 2, 2007 at 12:35 PM
Is there anything even worth salvaging on the lefty coast? I mean really, this disgusts me.
Viper1 on October 2, 2007 at 12:41 PM
Yeah, having just moved from the Bay Area, I can guarantee that there is no difference between Oakland and San Fran. Hatred of government, paranoid and childish theories about 9/11 and everything else, hatred of Israel – all there.
And shootings. It’s no safer in San Fran than in Oakland. The place is going downhill quick.
mjk on October 2, 2007 at 12:43 PM
There are far fewer leftards in San Jose, they should try SJO next time….
the Bay Area isn’t all like SF and Berkley, San Jose is actually pretty nice.
liquidflorian on October 2, 2007 at 1:04 PM
Can’t agree. The whole Bay Area is pretty “nice”, in terms of scenery that is. But it is a leftist loony bin, practically from stem to stern.
San Jose proper is largely a Mexican city. The surrounding suburbs form Silicon Valley. Enough said. Unfortunately, having lived there, I know of what I speak.
JiangxiDad on October 2, 2007 at 1:13 PM
For troops based in Hawaii, is there any way we can transport them around the other way, eastward from Iraq and Afghanistan? Do we have any bases in the Phillipines capable of hosting them along the way?
Bigfoot on October 2, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Clark AFB in the Pillipines was closed long ago. Back when the Dems wanted to dismantel the CIA when the cpld war ended, no more need, remember?
Alden Pyle on October 2, 2007 at 1:29 PM
cpld=cold
Alden Pyle on October 2, 2007 at 1:29 PM
Passion is a component of patriotism, my friend. A necessary component.
infidel4life on October 2, 2007 at 1:36 PM
So illegals are welcomed into this country with open arms, without medical exams and background checks and our citizen soldiers aren’t treated as well? Colour me surprised.
As for soldiers not being allowed in terminals, Alden Pyle, I’ve seen lots of soldiers when I travel out of Seatac; does it depend on the circumstances?
linlithgow on October 2, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Happened this past weekend.
Oakland’s mayor is now Ron V. Dellums–another noted Leftist.
Actually the closing of Clark was mostly due to the extensive damage to the base caused by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.
baldilocks on October 2, 2007 at 1:59 PM
One more thing: Jerry Brown is now California’s AG. Pray for us.
baldilocks on October 2, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Isn’t/Wasn’t your new AG a Jesuit? He prays for you while he screws you.
JiangxiDad on October 2, 2007 at 2:13 PM
From experience I can say the customs inspection done in Iraq and Kuwait prior to boarding the contracted airliner to return home is one of the most painful things you can experience during a deployement in theatre. I am not kidding. If everyone got screened like that in regular airports , terrorism in the skies would be non existent. As far as what happened in days of yore, there are too many service personnel traveling everyday all around the world not to use contracted airlines and terminals. All of our tactical lift aircraft are being used currently for just that, tactical lift or actual training. There are not enough of those aircraft currently to waste taxiing troops back and forth from CONUS, hence the use of civillian aircraft and terminals.
Now if you want to look into an example of awesome
Americans check out Bangor international airport in Maine. Four times I have flown into it from Iraq and regardless of the time a day, there is always a huge crowd in the terminal to greet the troops. They give us free cell phone use to call our families and are generally there to just give us a hug. They are worthy of a good story, and are an example to us all in what it means to be an American citizen. God bless the good people of Maine.
gator70 on October 2, 2007 at 3:15 PM
Yes and not touching the rest. :-)
baldilocks on October 2, 2007 at 3:16 PM
There is no need to give Oakland, or the Port of Oakland the benefit of the doubt in this case. As an Oakland expatriat (although I still have to work there), I can tell you that Oakland is just as leftist (and anti-military, or is that redundant?) as San Francisco. Here is an excellent article from the East Bay Express (not a conservative paper) from a few years ago, that mentions the Port of Oakland’s efforts to have a company affiliated with Your Black Muslim Bakery provide security outside the Oakland Airport. Nice.
melchitt on October 2, 2007 at 3:43 PM
Wasn’t there an earlier flight that had been allowed to exit their plane to the terminal? Airport Authority at OAK keeps trying to pull an explanation out of the hat on an hourly basis. They’re starting to sound silly. I want to see them slapped, and slapped hard. If they get away with this it’ll be the norm rather than a single incident.
I’m another ex-pat, raised in the San Francisco Bay Area….it breaks my heart what’s happened to the quality of life and the pollution of too many people vs. what the environment can support.
24K lady on October 2, 2007 at 3:46 PM
Just another sterling example of the Left’s “patriotism” and “support” of the troops. They don’t think of the military as human beings, so why bother to treat them like human beings?
ReubenJCogburn on October 2, 2007 at 4:19 PM
I bet if Oakland were burning they’d have let those troops off the plane….and begged them for protection.
Cities can have karma too. The San Francisco area sure has sewn a lot of bad karma against our armed forces lately. I hope they don’t find themselves in need of them any time soon.
But then our men and women in uniform are too professional to worry about how a city “feels” about them. The difference between a lib and a soldier is that a soldier will protect you with his life no matter who you voted for….
unamused on October 2, 2007 at 4:42 PM
What I fail to understand is was not the Guevarra-Castro-Chavez-Morales-Amedinijan Oakland Airport aware that the plane had on board soldiers and Marines? Why are needed TSA checks needed again after they leave Iraq? Also, were they in military transport? Would not that mean it is American personnel returning from duty?
Oakland clearly knew what it was doing and was simply following in the tradion of San Francisco’s hatred of the military.
As always, great job Michelle! Nice interview.
The False Dervish on October 2, 2007 at 4:47 PM
PRICELESS!
And I’m wondering, too, where are the senators and representatives who should be howling voraciously about mistreating our heroic soldiers? Or is it only Rush who can be slandered and libeled on the floor of the senate?
Ok, that wasn’t a good analogy, since Oakland did do wrong, and Rush did not do wrong, but you know what I mean.
leepro on October 2, 2007 at 5:16 PM
Michelle is so hot!
Remember that Cal-Berkeley is about 10 mins up the road. SF is a mere 20 mins via the Bay Bridge. Former Governor Jerry Brown’s been running Oakland as Mayor for quite some time (although I think they’ve a new fella in there). The Alameda Naval Air Station’s been mothballed. So has Mare Island and a few other military installations. Without the regular presence of men & women in uniform, folks in the Bay Area have clearly forgotten the protections afforded them as US Citizens to be who they want to be and **** who they want to **** are in no small part thanks to these very same men & women in uniform!
I suspect there will be a ‘Position Available’ ad placed in the Oakland Tribune shortly to replace the idiot who pulled this stunt. Probably a Cal grad anyhow, so no great loss.
Biffstir on October 2, 2007 at 5:38 PM
Folks, we need to look at Michelle’s links here. The first one, “Invasion,” is really important. Once you get to the Amazon site, hover your mouse over the graphic of the book. A small pop-up will appear. Near the bottom of that pop-up, where it says, “Browse Sample Pages,” choose “Excerpt.” It will give you what looks like the entire 1st chapter.
READ IT!!!
leepro on October 2, 2007 at 6:05 PM
OOPS! Last post posted at wrong thread!
Sorry, y’all.
:(
leepro on October 2, 2007 at 6:07 PM
Wrong. The Phillipine government wanted the US to pay 1 billion a year for “rent” to keep the Subic bay and Clark bases open. the US balked and then the volcano finished Clark off. Decision not to continue rent was made during Bush 1 admin. Cold war was not an issue.
Bradky on October 2, 2007 at 6:22 PM
So wishing for the death of hundreds of thousands of fellow American citizens is patriotic. Guess you and I have different definitions.
By your logic the libs in the towers deserved what they got.
Bradky on October 2, 2007 at 6:31 PM
When my son returned from Iraq, he and his fellow marines (100+ of them) arrived by charter at Chicago’s Midway airport. They were welcomed as returning heroes by the airport staff and travelers and not treated like sh*t as they were at Oakland. They received a state police escort to Great Lakes where we waited, with “position updates” every 10 minutes or so. They offload their buses, walked into the auditorium where we waited. Formed up and delivered the cutomary formalites before being dismissed.
That’s when the shouting and hugging began…..
georgej on October 2, 2007 at 6:47 PM
Bradky, you are an asshole. Maybe you should stop doing ligature masturbation.
“…go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” Samuel Adams
georgej on October 2, 2007 at 6:49 PM
The previous message of mine was made in response to Bradky’s October 2, 2007 at 6:31 PM posting:
“By your logic the libs in the towers deserved what they got.”
georgej on October 2, 2007 at 6:51 PM
You would think by now that you would mind your own business. You don’t like being called out because you have expressed posts in the past that (a) wish for eradication of muslims, (b) wish for the imprisonment of all democrats and destruction of their headquarters, (c)encourage violent action against newscasters with whom you disagree.
You claim the moral authority card because your son is in uniform, yet want the very constitution he so bravely fights for to be tossed into the toilet like yesterday’s trash so you can fit the new constitution into a mockery of its former self.
Yes George, that is you. A pathetic little man angry at the world because you are a nobody, with only enough guts to man a keyboard and hurl insults and wish for the destruction of our democracy.
Having a moron like quote the founders is as laughable as it is sad.
Bradky on October 2, 2007 at 10:50 PM
This is not acceptable at any level at any time! I’m going to write my Senator and House Members and the White House and demand action! These pricks on the west coast need to start being sanctioned for this behavior! They want to treat our best this way? Fine, they will NEVER get one cent of my money for anything!
sabbott on October 3, 2007 at 9:12 AM
Thanks Michelle for the expose of what I am considering the last straw.
As an airport executive, this whole thing is a case of irresponsible passing the buck and the appropriate agency not taking responsibiity.
The TSA does not communicate or work well with others within their own department. A recent GAO report that found of all the agencies of the DHS the TSA and one other get the lowest marks in productivity and customer service.
This battle began when TSA, created prior to DHS, became manned by an inordinate number of fired airline employees. These people now considered themselves the cure all for poor airport security, when the fact was that the airline security caused the boxcutter hijackers on board.
Again, Airport Security is not a problem. Prior to 9/11 airline security failed because the carriers did not want to look worse then they were at the checkpoint and let many things go by so the customer would not complain.
If the customer complained, the media blames Airport Security that has been doing a great job protecting every inch of the airport except that last 36″ the passenger passes through the metal detector and X-Ray machines. This process was the responsibility of the air carrier and now is the TSA responsibility.
Further, the TSA is responsible for telling the airport what to do when asked regarding a security question, and local TSA management claims to be the final authority on how to handle an issue such as this.
The record should show that the airport asked the TSA the question and the TSA told them what to do. Also, if the TSA was instructed that the plane was cleared why did they not right the wrong-again they do not accept responsibility for errors they want to always blame someone else.
Thanks for allowing me to vent, and as a 25 year USAF veteran, 20 years in civilian aviation, a PhD in Organizational Leadership, an MBA, and a Masters in Aeronautical Science the fact stated can be referenced by going to the GAO web site and searching the many reports of Homeland Security, especially the TSA
MSGTAS on October 3, 2007 at 10:39 AM