Government Rant

Conservative web users argue that their views are being suppressed on youtube. Even heavyweights like Republican Hollywood filmmaker David Zucker can be censored.

A short film by Zucker, who worked with ‘Scary Movie 4,’ ‘Airplane!’ and other comedies, reportedly had been offered to the Republican Party for use as an ad, but it was declined. It appeared briefly on YouTube, until it was flagged as being ‘inappropriate for some users’.

On the YouTube Web site, anyone can post videos. Above is a still from a montage of some of President Bushs speaking blunders posted as ‘Stupid Bush.’

Michelle Malkin was first blogger to point out the leftist leanings of YouTube.

While bloggers played a role in the last presidential election, most advertising and message delivery still comes from campaigns, political parties and interest groups with enough money to bankroll a television blitz. But the YouTube revolution — which includes dozens of sites such as Google Video, Revver and Metacafe — could turn that on its head.

If any teenager can put up a video for or against a candidate, and persuade other people to watch that video, the center of gravity could shift to masses of people with camcorders and passable computer skills. And if people increasingly distrust the mainstream media, they might be more receptive to messages created by ordinary folks.

‘YouTube is a campaign game-changer, shifting the dynamics of how to reach voters and build intimate relationships,’ says Julie Supan, senior marketing director for the small, California-based firm, which by one measure now runs the 39th most popular Web site. ‘YouTube levels the playing field, allowing well-backed and less-known candidates to reach the same audience and share the same stage.’

Even the seemingly simple act of posting footage of a politicians interview on ‘Meet the Press’ or ‘The Daily Show’ has a viral quality, because it can be seen by far more people than watched during a single broadcast.

The internet web site You Tube is a free and open area for internet users to post and view all kinds of video content. While there is a terms of service (TOS) that users must agree to before posting You Tube videos, the truth is that there is no real submission approval process. While posting copyright protected content is forbidden under the TOS, there is no mechanism to automatically screen for copyright protected material.

Detection of such material is left to the You Tube community, but, from the incredible number of protected videos that have appeared on the site, it seems clear that the TOS are not rigorously enforced. Of course, it is the responsibility of the users, not You Tube, to post material that is legal. Nevertheless, there have been some legal challenges to You Tube videos posted in recent months.

Contributors to YouTube seem to lean to the left. There are videos of verbal stumbles labeled ‘Stupid Bush’ and ‘Bush Screwups,’ along with ‘President Bush Drunk,’ a bit on CBSs ‘Late Late Show’ that slowed down a tape of the president so it appeared as if he were slurring his words. Another shows Bush, in his Texas days, extending his middle finger. (One positive video features a group called the Right Brothers singing ‘Bush Was Right.’)

Any registered user can form a group, and the site includes one called ‘Support George Bush,’ which says, ‘Dont be afraid of your beliefs — most campuses nationwide have a liberal bias anyway . . . as does the media.’ But it doesnt crack the top 100 in terms of membership, unlike ‘Bush Sucks,’ which is designed ‘for everyone who hates Bush and all his Republican cronies.’

John Fair is a noted producer and author. He currently provides content and commentary for CampusRights.net

Government Rant

Government Rants

Copyright (c) 2006 Clay Cotton

Fact: Medicare is NOT DESIGNED to cover long term care. It was designed primarily to help with short term rehabilitation.

‘How much WILL the government actually pay?’

Medicare does not pay for long term care expenses. Medicare does cover some limited convalescent skilled nursing care and some limited home health care under restrictive, short-term conditions, but not for long term care. This short-term care is usually limited to 100 days, and to get it the following conditions must be met:

* For Medicare you must have been in a hospital for at least three days immediately prior to entering the nursing facility. This eliminates most Alzheimers and Parkinsons cases.

* For Medicare you must go into the facility for the same condition for which you were previously hospitalized, and it must be within thirty days of discharge.

* For Medicare you must be getting better each day. Once you level off, Medicare stops paying.

In any case, Medicare covers only Skilled Nursing care and does not cover Intermediate or Custodial care at all!

Susan L. McGloghlon, president of the American HealthCare Institute National Medicare Recovery Services, Inc. states, ‘There are no limits to the number of benefit periods (100 days) that a Part A Beneficiary is entitled to in a Skilled nursing Facility, provided you meet the criteria as set forth by HCFA.’

But the catch is in ‘the criteria as set forth by HCFA’. If you study the fine print, you may find that the cold hard fact is:

If you ever need prolonged, ‘long term’ care, say for Alzheimers or Parkinsons… It will not be covered by Medicare.

Medicare, HMOs, Major Medical and Medigap insurance do not pay for long term nursing home care stays.

A one year stay in a nursing home can cost anywhere from $42,000 - $191,000 per year, depending upon the nursing homes locale. Insurance can be purchased to help pay for these costs. Without it, your family nest egg can be wiped out. The well spouse can be left without financial resources for their living expenses.

Long term care issues are bound to become more contentious as budget balancers seek to slow the growth of federal Medicare and Medicaid… Many proposed cuts have already passed. If we accept the fact that the cost of long term care is going to continually rise and that programs such as Medicare are realizing marked reductions in funding, we also must accept that the responsibility for long term care expenses will rest squarely on us.’ In fact, with the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, that is exactly the message from Washington.

The message: Take care of your self, and look out for your own. Dont count on Uncle Sam.

Long term care insurance activist, Clay Cotton, writes for http://www.PrepSmart.com - The Online Baby Boomers Decision Assistance Center, where you get Free Long Term Care Insurance advice, comparative rate quotes and personal guidance, all while safely at home in your favorite pajamas and bunny slippers.

Government Rant

Government Rants