In case you missed it, Venezuelan RCTV is broadcasting on YouTube after being booted by the government – a testament to the sheer necessity of a site like YouTube for the democratic process. It’s hard to spin when cold hard evidence is readily present and can be uploaded from anywhere.

United States Presidential hopeful and former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani received a rather interestingly timed smiting, perhaps from the Almighty himself last night. Just as he was about to address his Pro-Choice stance and respond to Catholic criticism that he was a Pontius Pilate, lightning struck and cut off his mic.

But something else was going on among the press corps, according to bloggers. A YouTube video has surfaced showing InfoWars.com’s Matt Lepacek, who claimed to have proper press credentials at CNN’s Republican debate, being arrested at the command of Giuliani’s press secretary after asking a question.

Never mind the question itself. It was a rather audacious query about Giuliani’s knowledge of a terrorist threat prior to 9/11. And that’s something we’d rather not get into here.

But Lepacek’s arrest brings up some serious questions about freedom of the press, especially since Lepacek is being held on charges of criminal trespassing and espionage.

Yes, espionage. Apparently webcams at debates count for that.

Luckily for those wondering what they’re not seeing in the mainstream press, there is citizen journalism in the world today, where digital cameras are ever-present. YouTube is making an impact – a big one.

Hopefully, the big boys in traditional media will jump on this atrocity as an apparently innocent man is sitting in jail on trumped on charges by the New Hampshire police acting on the command of a press secretary.

A Venezuelan television station is the latest to use the video-sharing site to get around government and legal pressures.

It’s pure freedom of the press in action and a nice reminder of why the US established the principle to begin with.

Thanks, Hugo Chavez, for reinforcing what we’ve been saying for over 200 years.

Blogging for 10ZenMonkeys, Venezuelan Rodrigo Arcaya deftly narrates the angst happening right now surrounding the country’s President Chavez.

It’s a long (but worth it) read about the political climate there, and a tale of how one TV station is taking its show on the road – er, the Information Super Highway.

Chavez, not liking how RCTV was portraying him and other critical historical moments (Arcaya regales the reader with the goings on in 2002, when Chavez took control of the airwaves to tell a different tale of what was happening outside his doors than what was happening – shown in split-screen format by RCTV), booted the national network off the air, leaving only tepid, supportive and governmental channels.

The group of hard-hitting reporters aren’t taking that lying down though.

They’ve taken their channel online to YouTube, where anybody with a modem and unfettered access can see unapproved reporting.

While this is a very exciting eff-you to Chavez, it will be interesting to see what El Presidente’s next move is.

It only takes a little research to know that Google and YouTube have been soft when it comes to government pressures.

Google has folded to China, Thailand, South Korea, and Brazil in the past.

If Chavez were to block access to YouTube in Venezuela, it makes one wonder if Google would crumble again, or if the company would finally bow-up and stick it to The Man.