TMOliver,
I agree, legislators are not likely to care or notice... unless we continue to speak our minds.

Something is obviously very wrong: we're taking whole-body x-rays of people, then patting them down again to make sure they didn't acquire contraband after that. But we're not screening cargo or airport employees.

As I've thought more about it, I don't agree with "letting go," but I certainly understand that argument. I would like to see 20/20 or 60 Minutes take a look at TSA expenditures, the public humiliation issue, and the absence of evidence or research to support their activities.

TV news--however tabloid--might rally the Kettles and influence policymakers.

For many people, their only routine interactions with the Federal government are the IRS, the TSA, and CBP. If legislators want to garner support, it is in their best interest to protect the public opinion surrounding the agencies with the greatest "customer contact."

When I've talked about my TSA frustrations with friends and neighbors, they are all very much in agreement that the TSA is over the top, they do not like being treated like criminals, and share a sense of humiliation. But they just roll their eyes and try not to think about it. I'd prefer that we try to change it. Interestingly, these opinions transcend political allegiances; my conservative and liberal friends all agree that it's a waste of time and money.

I'm not well-connected in the media or politics, but maybe other FlyerTalkers are.