Delta Air Lines B757, in pink "Breast Cancer Awareness" livery.

I've been mulling over a situation that happened at the Delta ticket counter at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) last Friday, trying to decide if which of the two in the title happened.

Story continues below the fold.

From an email I wrote to Delta on being asked to remove my "Impeach Bush and Cheney" sticker upon boarding a flight, which I refused.  

"Please be so kind as to clarify Delta's policy regarding an article of clothing which reads "Impeach Bush and Cheney.".  I was quiet, orderly, and well-groomed at all times, and the sticker alone caught the attendant's attention.  I heard her say to another member of the crew "It's a political sticker on public transport.""

In other free speech news, I have taken the liberty of posting the recent experience of a member of my impeachment group, Cindy C., who held an impeachment sign at a Republican debate in NH.  Cindy is a fearless activist, and I am proud to know her.

I asked the policemen what was the difference between a sign with the name of a candidate and my "IMPEACH" sign with red letters that caused me to be cast off into the hinterlands?  I told them that many brave men like themselves have fought and died for my right to be allowed to hold this sign with everyone else, even if the people who were using the facility didn't approve of my message.

This is an update to yesterday's diary, in which I reported from the airport about being asked to remove my "Impeach Bush and Cheney" sticker before boarding a Delta Flight from El Paso to Atlanta.

I landed uneventfully after two more boardings.  To address the gist of many comments on this post, yes, the attendant asked me to remove the sticker, I refused, and nothing more happened, but I take this seriously.  I do not know if she was overruled, or if she simply dropped it on her own whim, but a head flight attendant in his/her official capacity is pretty much "god" to the goings-ons in the cabin, not just another citizen.  All it takes is for you to be challenged more aggressively (she could have followed me or said that another passenger complained about my sticker), for me to argue my right to wear the sticker, then for her to say I am causing a "disturbance" on the plane, and that's it.  I'm off the plane, maybe spending the night in an airport lobby or spending a couple hundred dollars on a hotel, and my trip ruined (late for work or my family reunion or whatever.)  For doing absolutely nothing wrong.  

Upon boarding Delta Flight 1674 from El Paso to Atlanta at approximately 11:40 a.m. today, I was asked by the flight attendant greeting passengers at the plane's entrance to remove my sticker reading "Impeach Bush and Cheney" from my shirt.  I refused, responding "No ma'am, I will not," and continued into the cabin to my seat.  As I moved down the aisle, I heard the attendant apparently answering another member of the crew behind me, saying: "It's a political sticker on public transport."  The flight attendant was a older woman with short brown hair who wore glasses, who spoke with a southern accent.  The only other flight attendants on the plane were an African-American woman, and a younger white woman who wore her hair in a bun.

The flight took off and continued uneventfully. I am now in Atlanta airport attempting to contact AP to report the incident and to ask them to verify that such a request was made by a member of the crew, and to request that AP obtain clarification from Delta as to its official policy on such clearly protected speech.

I have been hearing a lot of horror stories on television lately about what a hassle it has become to fly. Well, I had no idea just how bad until it took my husband 48 hours almost just to get out of the country. More below the flip.

Bush hosted Japan's Prime Minister Shingo Abe at Camp David where he signed formal surrender papers making the defeat of General Motors by Toyota official.

Obama is the first presidential candidate to receive Secret Service protection----even though the Clinton campaign has signed a pledge not to have him whacked.

Mitt Romney's camp admits they pay college students a commission for every campaign contributor recruited on campus, with a special bonus if the contributors ever heard of Joseph Smith.

Don't wonder off.  This gets better as it goes along!

I've seen a number of diaries that, rightly, stomp and scream at the current ridiculous level of CEO compensation. Nothing but a bunch of greedy bastards right? Well, not always it seems.

For economic and market commentary, go to the Bonddad Blog

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said Friday it has formally taken over the pilots' pension plan at Delta Air Lines, and it expects to be responsible for paying out close to $1 billion in benefits not covered by the plan's assets.

The move was approved by Delta's bankruptcy judge and the PBGC last year. It represents the sixth-largest pension liability the PBGC has taken on in its 32-year history, the PBGC said. The quasi-federal agency said the Delta pilots' plan is under-funded by about $3 billion, with $4.7 billion in obligations and $1.7 billion in assets.

This diary is a follow-up to my diary of November 16.

For those just hearing of this incident--

Emily Gillette, a 31-year-old woman from New Mexico, was kicked off a Freedom Air (oh, the irony!) commuter flight operating under Delta Airlines.  She refused to cover up with a blanket while nursing her 22-month-old daughter River.

(there's more...)

We all go through tough times in our lives -- both from a personal and business perspective.  Businesses consolidate, spin off child-companies, relocate.  Family members and friends move away, become sick, die.

Since 9/11tm the airlines have been especially hard-hit, their businesses taking a massive blow in one day (though their own stupidity in some cases was already helping to bring about their demise).

Freedom Airlines, a subsidiary of The Mesa Air Group and operating a commuter flight for Delta Airlines, booted a nursing mother from an October 13 flight after she refused to cover up with a blanket.

Emily Gillette boarded the Freedom Air flight in South Burlington, VT's International Airport with her husband and 22-month-old child.  There was a three-hour delay but eventually the plane readied for takeoff.  Ms. Gillette began breastfeeding her daughter.  A flight attendant approached and directed her to cover up with a blanket.  Emily thought she was being discreet enough and declined the use of the blanket.  The flight attendent allegedly declared that she was offended and the family was then asked to leave the plane.

(there's more...)