You criticised Bush. That makes you a terrorist.

A conservative legal scholar from Princeton has been added to the Transportation Security Administration's terrorist watch list after delivering a televised speech attacking Bush's executive overreach.

Walter F. Murphy, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Emeritus, at Princeton University, attempted to check his luggage at the curbside in Albuquerque before boarding a plane to Newark, New Jersey. Murphy was told he could not use the service.

"I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list," he said.

When inquiring with a clerk why he was on the list, Murphy was asked if he had participated in any peace marches.

"We ban a lot of people from flying because of that," a clerk said.

Murphy then explained that he had not marched, but had "in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution."

The clerk responded, "That'll do it."

Murphy was allowed to board the plane, but was warned that his luggage would be "ransacked." On his return trip, his luggage was lost.

Murphy blogs about his experience here. Normally this kind of thing only happens to peace activists. Perhaps someone could explain to me how punishing dissent in this fashion aids the "War on Terror," because I couldn't be more confused.

(Via Morons.org)