Texas bends over for TSA.

Okay, not a surprise, I guess, but disappointing nonetheless.  (Hat tip to Denninger.)

Texas legislators made a valiant stand to outlaw the invasive patdowns that the Transportation Security Administration adopted to punish as a second option for people who didn’t want to go through whole-body-imaging scanners (aka nudey scans). Texas state representative David Simpon authored a bill that would make any patdown that involved touching private parts a misdemeanor that would mean a $4,000 fine and possible jail time for TSA officials doing their jobs.

The bill passed in the House, but floundered in the Senate after the feds threatened to cancel all flights out of Texas if it passed. Texas U.S. attorney told senators in a letter that Texas didn’t have the right to pass a statute that would conflict with federal law, per the U.S. Constitution. In this case of Texas Hold’em, the legislators weren’t willing to call the feds bluff; they folded.

Jeez, it's even worse than if they'd just never blown the smoke in the first place.

Next week's edition of The Libertarian Enterprise should be lively, methinks.

In the meantime, remember your flying pasties.