publicysts

Why Is Howard Bragman Hating On Ken Mehlman? Because He Didn’t Pay Howard’s Coming Out Tax

Publicist Howard Bragman, whose good gay graces can be purchased with a monthly retainer fee, reserves his most biting (and Nazi-infused) vitriol for gay people who come out without his paid services. Like Ken Mehlman.

“From a PR standpoint, the announcement was executed flawlessly, but I still don’t believe it,” Bragman says when prompted to weigh in on a homosexual who isn’t paying to come out. “Ken Mehlman has never shown anything but instincts for protecting Ken Mehlman, and I wouldn’t expect him to do anything but a brilliant unfolding where he has wonderful people speaking out for him and how he’s helping gay marriage. That’s all fine and good… but I really hope there’s a special place in hell for Ken Mehlman. This man [through his campaigning for George W. Bush] was the architect of this homophobia, teenagers killed themselves, families split apart as a result of what he did. Horrible things happened. He’s as good as a Jew that collaborated with the Nazis.”

Now listen: This website hasn’t had nice things to say about Mehlman (pictured, left) — whose anti-gay activities continue — either. And for good reason: The guy helped the GOP terrorize LGBT Americans and those who support them. But Bragman has proven he has no credibility in this arena, since he regularly represents scum so long as he’s getting a check. Take, for instance, San Diego hotelier Doug Manchester, who donated $125,000 to keep gay Californians from getting married. Californians like, say, Howard Bragman.

In an op-ed, Bragman once wrote, “To my brothers and sisters in the GLBT movement and our friends, I urge you to use every legal and moral tool at your disposal to change hearts and minds. Peaceful protests, boycotts and community organizing are the tools of our trade and ultimately the things that will win this struggle.” But as soon as Manchester put Bragman on his payroll, the publicyst orchestrated Manchester’s scheme to hand $125,000 in blood money to gay groups as a means of saying sorry.

Lesson learned? Bragman will enjoy shredding you if you’re an anti-gay jerk who comes out without paying him for the privilege.

Bragman’s for-profit tactics are so wretched they’re starting to make — gasp — Mehlman look like a saint. (And make that possible working relationship with GOProud look all the more sensible.)

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