I think you're half right. Most of it comes from the reporters themselves...another angle to the story.
But, I guarantee you, there are passengers with BDS who will react to this the way they always do: Bush/Blair are just trying to frighten people into supporting their war-mongering agenda...and then they'll start complaining about the inconvenience.
And John Dean was babbling about the "authoritarian" direction of our government on O'Reilly tonight. O'Reilly didn't cut him any slack, because he personally smeared Gingrinch and Bill Bennett in his book, and BOR does not cotton to that at all. John Dean is a true worm.