The Second Coming of Karen HughesJohn Brown
Posted August 9, 2007 | 05:45 PM (EST)
Bush's propaganda czarina Karen Hughes -- her official jawbreaking title is Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs -- has had her ups and downs since being sworn in her State Department position in September 2005. When the long-time Bush confidante rejoined the "mission-accomplished" team in her new international-image-polishing job (she had been, among her previous capacities, a member of the secretive White House Iraq Group that led our country into war), some public-diplomacy veterans hoped that her close relationship with the President would make "engaging, informing, and influencing key international audiences" (the State Department's definition of public diplomacy) more successful than it had been during our Commander in Chief's first term.
But Bush Kampaigner Karen's first public foray into world affairs -- her infamous "listening tour" to the Middle East in the fall of 2005 -- was ridiculed by both the US and international media as an illustration of her ignorance (she disclosed, to an Egyptian opposition leader, that our Constitution cites "one nation under God") and lack of cultural sensitivity (she offended some Saudi women by reproaching them for not having the right to drive). After that disastrous overseas venture, she seemed to keep a lower profile, and by 2006 was practically off the media radar screen, especially during the Second Lebanese War. When she did engage in rare (for her official position) public events (many directed to American audiences to show them how good we US citizens were because of our compassionate-conservative aid to less fortunate foreigners) she was not infrequently criticized, including by the right-wing media, which accused her of being too accommodating to Muslim organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Hurricane Season Again?
Surprise, surprise, but in recent weeks Hurricane Karen (is this still her nickname in the White House, even after Katrina?) has reemerged in the press, with considerable positive coverage, although some negative media comments about her continue. The second act of this minor American life began on July 15, with a sympathetic article on the Under Secretary by Nicholas Kralev in The Washington Times. Kralev -- citing various sources (including Hughes herself) -- said the Ambassador (yes, that is what ex-TV reporter Karen is now, due to her current position) was more aware of the nuances of US foreign policy, was strongly supportive of educational exchanges, had incorporated public diplomacy into the "consciousness" of the State Department, and was streamlining the bureaucracy "to handle public diplomacy issues more efficiently." The article ended by citing Mark Helmke, senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that "Hughes is finally helping State get its act together on public diplomacy."
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