There's politics and there's good data. yesterday was politics. Notice that LaHood was addressing tower closings but aiming it at airline passengers and talking about giant delays and using words like 'calamity.' Most of the towers being closed have very little to do with airline passengers, nor do many of them have enough IFR activity that it would ripple back in the system. He was asked about why the tower closings would impact airline travelers when the "big" towers aren't going to be closed and he danced a bit. He didn't answer the more pertinent question of controller staffing at centers and sectors. My guess is the immediate impact of the sequester will not be felt on airline passengers; it'll be felt on GA. Flight following? Not a chance. But you can't get the American people all worked up and panicked by talking about flight following, or anything else involving GA. It was political gamesmanship yesterday. Nothing more. It's the way the game is played.