Free Republic

Much has been made about the deceptive Andy Griffith commercial ostensibly about Medicare, but subliminally about "the new health care law," including a detailed breakdown by factcheck.org and our own Elena Ives. But Griffith may just be bird dogging for a larger, more subtle effort that seems to be flying under the radar. Annnn-DEE! PSAs (that are not on the Medicare Web site or YouTube) run constantly on cable channels featuring nice old middle class codgers talking about Medicare open enrollment and warning about Medicare fraud. Each spot contains the telltale phrase "Under the new healthcare law..." then proceeds to...

HOLLYWOOD hearts Obama. Obama hearts government-directed national service. That is why you won't be able to change the TV channel all week without getting lectured about the need to get off the couch and Do Something. Creeped out? You should be. The entertainment industry, inspired by Obama's $6 billion expansion of government-volunteerism spending, is coordinating plot lines and ads to push public service. "The message will be nearly ubiquitous," reports the Los Angeles Times, "starting in the morning with programs such as 'Today' and 'The View,' and then echoed on soap operas, prime-time series and late-night shows." First lady Michelle...

How often do you hear a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on TV or radio? You hear warnings about the dangers of smoking, drinking, improper diet, lack of exercise as well as taking proactive measures of regularly scheduled screenings for early detection of diseases, etc. These are all fine and worthy endeavors.

Anyone else notice this? Recently, I've heard some public service announcements (PSAs) on the radio for the "Humane Seal" campaign. This is not associated with the Humane Society (which is also becoming radicalized), but with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). PCRM, is, of course, an arm of PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which has in the past funded the terrorist group ALF (Animal Liberation Front). My question is: why is the Ad Council giving free air time to these creeps? Especially given the somewhat misleading nature of this particular "campaign." An aside: PCRM is not...

A conservative legal group has called for insurance regulators and attorneys general in California and New York to investigate conflicts of interest they say are caused by placement service agreements (PSAs) and the practice of "leveraging." The use of PSAs encourages brokers to steer customers to insurers that will profit the broker, but not necessarily benefit that customer, according to Daniel J. Popeo, the chairman and general counsel of the D.C.-based Washington Legal Foundation. "This is a troubling trend in the insurance brokerage industry," Popeo said. "Insurance brokers are paid to advocate for their customers, not themselves." PSAs compromise a...