U.S. politicians fear YouTube postings

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Finding themselves on the popular YouTube.com Web site where embarrassing videos are posted has become a major fear for U.S. politicians.

While the site features videos of people doing stupid things by accident or on purpose, it also contains many political bloopers, whose existence races through cyberspace as fast as broadcast campaign ads, CBS reports.

One of the most recent victims to the site's popularity is U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., who's running for re-election in November. He had a substantial lead in the polls but was caught on camera using a racially derogatory term for an opponent's operative.

Another victim of YouTube exposure was U.S. Sen Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., a three-term senator seen in a posting kissing U.S. President George Bush. He lost August's Democratic primary to anti-war candidate Ned Lamont.

Bush strategist Matthew Dowd told CBS there are drawbacks to the YouTube phenomenon, as it causes "people and politicians to actually be less authentic, because they worry about what's going to get caught on the Internet."