I guess Mr. Speaker is going to find out what it is like being on the other side of a personal injury case. Maybe he will then experience and understand what he puts others through.

Humm..very interesting, a very well thought out plan for someone who knew he was infected, a taped phone call, etc. Seems to me my dear Watson, something is rotten in Denmark.

No the toughest challange he will face is navigating this disaease. My heart goes out to the passangers on the plane, but my heart goes out to Andrew Speaker too. I think if you were walking in his shoes, you'd have stumbled too.

Yes, it is tragic that he is young and sick. Yet, that is no excuse for his behavior. He has repeatedly stated that he had to get to Denver because that was his "one shot." Well, what if this story had never broken? How many people would not have known they were exposed? Furthermore, he is young and healthy and stands a good chance of survival. How about the other people on the plane? I'm sure there are elderly, children, people with HIV, cardiac problems, kidney problems, ect, who will not survive this TB. His actions essentially may result in their death. He was thinking only of himself, possibly to the detriment of thousands. That is inexcusable and despicable.

He had a blog on his law firms website that has a gruesome fascination with fatal car accidents. One could imagine a psychopath writing it. It's been pulled, but it's still in the Google cache-- to read it, search for: "speakerlawfirm" blog, then click 'Cached'

The tone of this post was pretty cruel. I just read the Newsweek interview with Andrew Speaker and it now makes much better sense why he did what he did. The media and CDC made him out to sound like a jerk. This guy was in the Rotary Club and likely caught it in Vietnam while actually trying to do something meaningful and help others. I'm praying for his recovery and for the health of his family. The CDC really screwed up and then had the nerve to lie about it. Thats just wrong.

Two things stand out: His approval to travel was taped and him leaving the U.S. for a globe-trotting tour of Europe. You would only tape an approval if you're unsure of whether you can travel or not. He was thinking ahead in case the authorities said that he shouldn't travel. That's selfishness number one.

Selfishness number two is actually leaving the U.S. in the first place. He had TB. He knew he had TB. As a responsible individual he should have stayed home and gotten treatment and hence, not expose people in Europe and of course, the people in the commercial jets flying back home. This man is utterly selfish and self-centered. Let's just hope the people he came in contact with will not have contracted this drug-resistant form of the disease.

HE SHOULD DO JAIL TIME. HE IS SNEAKY, MANIPULATIVE, AND SELF SERVING AT THE EXPENSE OF HUNDREDS OF LIVES. HE IS A DISGRACE, MAY HIS RECOVERY BE A LONG, GRUELING AND PAINFUL ONE. AND AFTER THAT, WALK THE REST OF HIS PATHETIC LIFE WITH HIS HEAD HELD LOW SINCE HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK ANOTHER IN THE FACE AGAIN.

He should have been ordered not to travel. Some of the other facts of the case remain unclear and will be brought out as things move along but he should have been ordered not to travel as soon as it was found that he had TB.

To Joy, (comment#11)
Having earned a J.D. and LL.M. initially I had the very same response as yours, i.e. Mr. Speaker's GA Bar membership! Furthermore, irrespective of the severity of the TB and any alleged comunications pertaining to his medical condition, he obviously placed his European wedding and honeymoon above his physical well-being. Enough has been said about his self-centeredness, and selfishness, which are probably and arguably strengths for a successful trial lawyer. On the other hand, his lack of common sense, his blatant disregard for public health, his willingness to gamble with the health of the airline crew, et al, and failure to 'err on the side of caution' and perhaps loose his reservation fees associated with his extensive and lavish 'wedding' plans, only remind me that I should have pursued a medical degree rather than law! I would be ashamed to be an associate of his..."birds of a feather...."

This guy is really a selfish jerk. Regardless of exactly how his medical situation was communicated, he knew he was sick. He was only thinking of himself and not what he might be doing to others. He made the decision to take the risk. No one else had the option!

Attention bloggers, posters, and other insomniacs:
If you think the abovelisted comments are interesting, spend a few hours reading the comments on the WSJ law pages re: A.Speaker...[the infamous TB traveler] --But first a few words from your alternate sponsors: get sound sleep quickly, drink plenty of liquids, and don a Depenz (sic) and read-on! You most assuredly will learn about healthcare abroad, political science 101, microbiology vs. legal ethics, and much, much more...
Good morning and Good Luck!

As an attorney I am very disressed by TB Andy's conduct and have filed a formal complaint with the character and fitness committee of the Georgia Bar.

TB jerkwad Andrew Speaker is a self-serving puke who doesn't deserve to live is civilized society.

If Andrew Speaker was smart enough to pass the bar exam he should have known not to leave the U.S with TB without having to be ordered not to travel. His father-in-law (working at the CDC) should have know that traveling with TB is not safe. I think that Andrew Speaker was very selfish and foolish for leaving the U.S. in the first place and is tring to make exuses for his selfish actions. His honeymoon could have been post-poned until he was heathy, but he made the choice to go anyway knowing that he had TB. He seems like the kind of man that does exactly as he pleases with any regard to others around him.

Regardless of whether he's a good guy or got this in Vietnam helping orphaned children, he did a stupid, selfish thing which could potentially kill tens or thousands of people. He recklessly endangered the lives of everyone on that plane, and the people they come in contact with, too. I just hope the TB wins.

I heard that he arrived in Greece without the proper papers to marry and the official wedding did not happen.

I am so happy to read all the posts on this board. I have been in rage over this #@%#%#. I can't believe that ABC would take this man's side of the story, he should be prosecuted under the full extent of the law. This man is worse than the monkey from "Outbreak", he actually knew he had a disease and could potentially spread it to those around him. Even if no one else contracts his disease he is still accountable for the panic he has caused. The worst part is that since he is a personal injury lawyer it looks like he will use this media exposure to begin a lawsuit against the CDC, that's the part that really bugs me. I am so angry anyone could take this man's side.

Like all of us, Speaker is a product of his environment. Did you hear how he is being defended?
His father?, his friends? .... my goodness ... call a spade a spade ... that will help people to become responsible.

I do not fault him for going to Europe, although, if I was told I had TB, I think I would have postponed such a trip. Since he decided to leave early for Europe, he should have checked with the CDC. However, all of his arguments fall apart on the return. He was told not to leave Rome, in fact to turn himself into authorities for isolation. From this point on, he knows that what he is doing is wrong, it is against the demands of the CDC, and that he is potentially putting others at risk. He tries to justify it, but he can't. He snuck off to Prague and flew to Canada, to avoid US Customs at any airport. He probably wasn't aware that US Customs now requires that you present your US passport to reenter the US. He most assuredly will have to deal with civil suits. His career may be in jeopardy. Regardless, I wish him well in his treatment and pray that no one else will suffer TB from this incident.