Sex, Lies, and the TSA

Great example of how the TSA's attempts at spin on their blog are alienating people. They keep quoting the CBS poll that found that 80% of the people are in favor of scanners (if you don't tell them about the naked photos or radiation risk or lack of effectiveness), and ignoring the CBS poll from the next day that came to the opposite conclusion -- that 80% opposes the scanners once they know the fact.

obviously both are unscientific internet polls but repeatedly citing the one and not the other is just so transparent ...

Weak. TSA isn't citing a poll about it's pat-down searches, which is what caused the recent uproar. The CBS poll has an overwhelming majority of respondents --- 83% of Republicans, 81% of Dems --- in favor of using +full body+ [em. orig.] digital x-ray machines.

(They'd have gotten I think a lower rate if they had worded it more aggressively --- "Some airports are now using imaging machines that allow TSA agents to electronically see through clothing" or the like.)

The problem we have is not that the TSA is lying; it's that people aren't well-educated about what these machines are actually doing. It's counterproductive to whine about numbers that the TSA is right to be citing; all you'd be doing is further obscuring the real issue.