Actually, Andy, that's not quite what happened.
The gates (slots, really) that Southwest picked up in LGA and DCA were bought by Southwest either at auction, or directly from the other airlines in question. Some were marketed or auctioned by the other airlines as a condition of approval in merger; others on their own. Regardless, Southwest bought them from willing sellers.
Just like we paid for the subleases from United at Love. Delta was certainly allowed to make a superior offer for the gates if they wanted them; for their own reasons, they declined to.
Not the same thing at all.
Here's an idea--why don't all the airlines lobby to increase the number of allowable gates at Love? That way, any airline could do what they wanted there. Southwest wouldn't object, and everyone wins, right?
Well, everyone wins but Flopgut, whose head might explode. He seems more interested in simply hurting Southwest, than in actually helping anyone else, or promoting the industry in general.
Bubba