Now that the election is finally over, political types can get back to what really matters: slanderous defamatory gay news.
Such news is never in short supply on background, but last week DC's idle gossip made its way to America's living rooms.
On CNN's Larry King Live, comedian Bill Maher casually mentioned that (freshly retired) Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman is gay.
Is it true? Nobody knows! And that's the beauty of these things. Politics, sex, and the media come together in a weird confluence of events that make it impossible to put a stop to what is either - depending on your political leanings - a gross slur or no big deal.
Mehlman's not commenting, probably out of fear of prolonging the story further.
Maher's now shutting up about it, but he has succeeded in titilating his audience with no backlash - boosting his own reputation as an entertainer who walks on the edge of good taste.
So what's the takeaway for the American public? Pure entertainment! Astute comedians should really step up their loosely-sourced outings of possibly-gay political figures because the downside of it is slim to none. Hey, if you choose to be a metrosexual Republican activist, you just have to deal with this type of thing. Welcome to the Internet era, Kenny.
The only fishy element of all this was Mehlman's retirement announcement immediately following the broadcast. The GOP will replace him with Mel Martinez, a Florida senator who is suitably anti-homosexual. Except for the fact that a couple of his closest advisors are, um, gay.
PR Play rating:
1. Clueless
2. Ill-advised
3. On the right track
4. Savvy
5. Ingenious
