The OP (or rather the article qioted) is mistakenly mixing up Airline rules and TSA procedures.
Tha airline want to see id to prevent violations of the terms under which you bought the ticket. As an air ticket is a contract between private parties, the airline should be (and as far as I know is) free to decide what id is acceptable to them. Thats aid, it is bizarre that you can OLCI with no id at all, or at a mchine with just a credit card - yet they want to see photo id when you check in at the desk.
As far as the TSA is concerned, I am totally in agreement with the OP. It's alarming that almost all of us have been willing to accept the practice of demanding id to pass through security - there is no law requiring it. I always arrive at the airport in the nick of time, so I go along with it like everyone else, as I don't have time for SSSS lines. But the fact is that you are NOT required to show id, and this should be clearly posted at every TSA checkpoint.
The number of "don't stand up for your rights because it inconvencies those of us who don't care" sentiments expressed here is very disturbing. How would you feel if others took that attitude towards rights that you wanted to excercise ?