You did hardly that at all. I too have been reading this thread for a long time (maybe since January), and I think you offer a refreshing insight into the issue. Your comments on the process of state record committees, and the reactions of people to them, is perfect. People have to relax a bit when submitting rare bird reports. If the people on those committees have the experience that I have (they usually do), pounding the "pavement" (i.e. dirt trails) every weekend and coming up with zilch for rare birds, they have every reason to view rare bird reports with some skepticism.
Personally, I look at the IBW report (or reports) the same way I view other reports of ultra-rare or unusual bird reports. Unless the bird is successfully staked-out for other birders, or a good photograph is taken, I'm always skeptical about it, especially if the report is of a non-migratory (or summer) bird. The only exception is when I personally know the birder is very reliable (i.e., they have a good track record of staking-out other rare birds). As for non-birders, you can't trust them at all. Not that they're "stupid, lying, or crazy" (the familiar buzzwords of the fanatical IBW believers), but it's just that non-birders lack the experience to appreciate differences in size, shape, colors, behavior, habitat, etc., that are critical in making accurate identifications. Not that they're always wrong, but you can't place much weight on their reports.
As to the AK records committee, I think they just got sucked into all the hype, and they didn't want to spoil the party. Also note that it was not a unanimous decision. I personally think changing a bird's status from extirpated/extinct should require a unanimous vote, but I guess that wasn't a requirement with the AK committee.
Good luck with your quest. I'd be out there too if I lived in the South, but I'd actually be a lot more interested in the slim chance of finding a Bachman's Warbler. I keep praying that one of the IBW searchers accidentally bumps into one. That would truly be awesome.