Oberstar has stood against every bit of forward momentum since deregulation regardless of whether it turned out to have validity or not.
The reality is that the airline industry was PREDICTED 30 years to consolidate into a handful of large carriers and that is FINALLY happening.
What can be said about consolidation that IS successful is that the industry has consolidated in about the best way possible - 2 megacarriers with service to every continent and global region and strong presences in just about all of the major domestic regions, 1 megacarrier that is less widespread internationally but is still very powerful in the US, and then now a nationwide low cost carrier with access of all of the key markets - along with other niche airlines in the various categories.
The US has nothing to be ashamed about w/ the airline industry - and the problems the airline industry does have revolve largely around the government's lack of addition of capacity despite economicallly deregulating the industry, alowing millions of new passengers to fly. Hopefully, consolidation will force fares up to the point where some sensibility will return to pricing and expectations about who can travel by air.
Deregulation has been successful and part of the reason why Oberstar's continual "stick in the mud" mindset has not worked is because other people can see that he isn't in touch w/ reality. Whether that applies to other aspects of Oberstar's congressional agenda is up to others to decide but from a transportation standpoint, the world moved on and left him behind.
