"push the lift" is not physically correct in any way, IFMU. I truly hope you didn't find such logic in any aero discussion!
Sorry, I was being obtuse. I find the idea of a prop stripping the lift out from under the rotors as ridiculous. The canard example was to point out that in a long-ez the wing is right by the propeller, so shouldn't the lift be stripped out from the wing too? I was talking about the type, not the little surface waaay out front away from the prop.
Using 'ground cushion' as an example, I would say yes.
I think the ground cushion works at any speed. It is a function of height.
-- IFMU