[onewhippedpuppy]

Total grandstanding.

"Look people, look what we are doing for you! Look what we are doing to keep you SAFE! Those mean, nasty big businesses were putting your lives on the line, but your friends in Congress will protect you! Look how effective we are!"

This way the look like they are really helping the public, without pissing off anyone during an election year. The airlines take the fall, because they are the ones who cancel flights. The media plays right into their hands, because the morons know nothing about aircraft, and want to sell their "flying deathtraps" story on the news. Exponential stupidity, that's all it is.