Terrorist news disorientation syndrome

Tell me again, Doctor -- what year did you say this was? 

The failed attack has produced a flurry of other proposals to tighten security procedures, including calls by members of Congress to more closely scrutinize passengers who buy tickets with cash, as Mr. Shahzad did.

 And while we're at it...what country?

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Senator Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, proposed stripping terrorism suspects of American citizenship...

  Or rather, what planet?

and Mayor Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg asked Congress to block the sale of firearms and explosives to those on terrorist watch lists.

Tell me again, slowly. In 2010, airlines still are not scrutinizing passengers who tickets for long international flights with cash. U.S. senators do not know that a suspect in the United States is innocent until proven guilty. And people on terrorist watch lists can buy automatic weapons without first proving that they ought not be on the list.

Okay, so Gail Collins already nailed down two out of three. I'm slow.