Grapevine: Legislating politeness in airports?

Lawmaker threatening bill forcing TSA agents to be nicer to passengers

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Awkward Analogy

We begin with a story that again raises the question -- when will public officials learn that it's probably not a good idea to compare other people to Nazis?

Kentucky's speaker of the House did just that to make the point that Democrats really want to unseat Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

With recent polls showing challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes in a dead heat with the Senator, Democratic Speaker Greg Stumbo said the race quote -– quote -- "Reminded me of the feeling our troops must have had when they liberated the European nations following World War II. Can you imagine what it felt like that you were liberating a country? Well, you're about to liberate your state from the worst reign of misabuse that we've seen in the last 30 years."

Senator McConnell's camp tells "Special Report" -- quote -- "I think we can all agree that this type of disgusting rhetoric has no place in our public discourse."

All About the Benjamins

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says allegations from Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his new book are just a money-making ploy.

Reid accuses Gates of being quote -- "out to make a buck".

In "Duty," Gates writes that when Reid and other lawmakers spoke out against the war in Iraq, it made troops deployed in war zones feel like their lives were on the line for nothing.

Another reason Reid might be irritable -- Gates writes that Reid encouraged him to spend defense money on research into irritable bowel syndrome.

Quote -- "With two ongoing wars and all our budget and other issues, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry."

Mind Your Manners

And finally, legislating politeness.

Congressman Gerry Connolly is warning TSA screeners to learn some manners.

The Virginia Democrat is threatening to introduce a bill forcing the agents to be nicer to passengers.

Quote -- "There's no excuse for someone barking orders continuously at the public at any airport in America...I'd lose my job if I treated the public that way and rightfully so."

Connolly suggests throwing in a "please" or "thank you" would go a long way.

A TSA official says he agrees with the congressman that customer service is important.