Regarding Senators and airline safety regulations — let me put this photo of Ted Cruz in context with a story about then-Senator John Kerry

It was just after 9/11. My first year in DC. All the airport security stuff was new and onerous and weird.
/1

I had to fly to Boston for something. The flight was slightly delayed. Waiting at the gate was Senator Kerry — who had a computer bag, a smallish overnight bag, what looked like an empty gym duffel bag, several newspapers. He was in a suit, obviously with a first class ticket /2

The flight gets ready to board and Kerry is chosen by some TSA agents for the extra, annoying, at-gate security screening where you basically have to disrobe in front of everyone while your underpants and widgets are pawed thru at a folding table by annoyed TSA agents. /3

The agents clearly have no idea this is a US Senator (despite the lapel pin), or who John Kerry is. They picked him because he was closest to the table when they set it up.

This presents a dilemma for John Kerry /4

Kerry clearly ran straight from Senate votes to flight. He is slightly in disarray, just wanting to board, relax. He’s clearly inwardly annoyed at the extra delay in boarding

BUT it’s just after 9/11 security procedures put in place, and he knows he needs to be a good example /5

Kerry looks around the gate area, smiles, says, “sure thing, no problem!”

He sighs deeply, picks up things, walks to table.

One TSA agent paws thru every item and compartment while the other disrobes and frisks Kerry.

He has on his best “all of the show” tolerance face /6

Finally he is allowed to redress and put his things away. There are a million cords and papers and electronics. It takes forever for some very small bags. He keeps fake smiling the whole time.

Then, the one agent says: “Sir you have too many bags.” /7

Ordinarily, with no audience, he could just say, “it’s ok, I’m in first class, they don’t care.”

But not right now.

She says again: “Sir it’s an important rule now, only two items per person or you can’t fly. You can check one.”

They are all soft bags, not checkable /8

By now, first class has boarded. So Kerry calmly looks at his bags, says, “so if I just put that bag in the other bag, it’s ok?”

The lady seems flustered, but ultimately concedes that combining bags is ok.

Kerry puts *both* his other bags in the empty gym duffel, zips it /9

“Good to go?” He smiles to the crowd. The TSA ladies wave him on. He tucks his papers under his arm and strides thru gate. By the time I board, he is ensconced with a fizzy water, reading his papers. /10

The moral is: grown-ups behaving like grown-ups and providing a good example to others even when it is annoying & uncomfortable used to be standard fare for leaders — especially when the nation was facing a crisis & needed to understand these strange changes were important /11

The QAnon-winking-don’t-tread-on-me LARPers and their sad political reps are a cancer to the durability of the republic

If John Kerry can get dismantled in a crowded, sweaty airport, Ted Cruz can wear a mask. /12

@threadreaderapp please unroll thx