This image was lost some time after publication.

So, who's the latest shady character being represented by incompetent superflack Ronn [sic] Torossian's PR firm? It's Pastor John Hagee, the John McCain-supporting zealot who's currently under fire for saying "in a late 1990s sermon that the Nazis had operated on God's behalf to chase the Jews from Europe and shepherd them to Palestine." Hagee—a strident supporter of Israel, to the point of insanity—argued that Hitler was a "hunter" sent by god to help get the Jews back to the promised land. It's a good thing that he's retained the steady hand of 5WPR to help him through this controversy:

Pastor John Hagee said on Thursday that his controversial sermon, in which he said Hitler was fulfilling God's will for a state of Israel, had been "intentionally mischaracterized" and constituted a "gross example of bias." In a statement to The Huffington Post, he did not apologize for or distance himself from the sermon, saying simply that he had long grappled with how God "who controls what happens here on earth" could allow the Holocaust...

In his statement, which was provided by Hagee's New York-based PR firm, 5W Public Relations, the pastor cited his career devotion "to ensuring that there will never be a second Holocaust."

Ronn has long worked for Jewish causes and organizations. But maybe it was his flackery on behalf of disgraced evangelist Benny Hinn and FEMA champ Michael "Brownie" Brown that convinced Hagee to turn to him.

Or maybe he likes tough talkers who come with high recommendations.

Good luck, McCain! [UPDATE: And just like that, McCain has repudiated Hagee's endorsement! Hopefully not just because of his poor PR hiring practices.]

[via HuffPo]