Bush guru turns on the charm

[ECH1969]

Cairo - A close aide to US President George W Bush arrived in Egypt on the first leg of a tour aimed at improving the image of an administration widely reviled over its support for Israel and the Iraq war.

US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes kicked off her two-day visit by meeting Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the head of the Al-Azhar mosque, which is the leading seat of learning in Sunni Islam.

Hughes, who was sworn in earlier this month, said she accepted the job to "more aggressively respond to rumours, inaccuracies and hate speech".

Hughes, who will not see any opposition figures during her trip to Egypt, is due to meet Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and Coptic Pope Shenuda III on Monday before flying to Saudi Arabia.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1806026,00.html

[SharonAnn]

1. Charm? Karen Hughes? What are they smoking?

[Benhurst]

10. To be fair, she does have a certain manly grace. NT

[freethought]

24. Yeah, if the 'charm' doesn't work then

she can roll up her sleaves and beat the living crap out of 'em. Beat them into liking the U.S.

[anitar1]

42. Thank You Benhurst, just what I have always thought

about her.

[zara]

2. I am charmed...in love...with Karen "the Lionheart" Hughes

gone to Muslim lands to subdue the locals as did Richard during the crusades, yet bearing a willingness to learn rather than 40 pounds of armor.

It doesn't matter that she speaks no Arabic. She is US. The Muslims should listen to her, and hear the voice of Rome, the empire, "reaching out" to conquered lands, or suzerainties, open for the picking.

: )

[Straight Shooter]

3. "Guru"? Is that bushese for "f*ckin' steenkin' liar with no morals"?

Just wondering.

[wellstone_democrat]

4. "hate speech?" huh?

I thought that they didn't believe in the concept of "hate speech?" When did they add this to the GOP repetoire? Or is this just when its aimed at the Bushites from o'seas?

[stellanoir]

5. She has all the charm

of a pit bull on crack.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. Part of the charm offensive...

...is the upcoming nomination of Spencer Abraham to the Supreme Court. Abraham, former Secretary of Energy and US Senator from Michigan.

A Harvard Law grad and former law professor, his career arc isn't a whole lot different from Bill Clinton's, which is how his lack of experience on the appellate bench will be addressed

Most importantly, he's an Arab-American -- a group the GOP had in 2000, and lost --I wonder why -- in 2004.

His nomination will be a PR two-fer, here and abroad.

[SillyGoose]

7. She's a charmer, alright.

remember this one from the 04 campaign....poking fun at Kerry for going hunting or something.

[tulsakatz]

8. something about Hughes just doesn't make sense........

I think it was about '01 or '02, Karen Hughes quit as Bush's press secretary (she had Scotty's job then) to presumably spend more time with her family. And now she's traveling around the world in an effort to fix Bush's screw ups?

I wonder how her family feels about that?

It just doesn't make sense to me that in the space of about 3 - 4 yrs, she goes from spending all of her time with her family to spending none of her time with her family.

[ochazuke]

9. Her own family couldn't stand her.

And doesn't her business card say "professional liar". Well, it would if this were the kind of world where the truth were printed on business cards.

[onager]

12. Family? There was a MUCH juicier rumor about Campaign 2K

It was all over the Internets, so I'm sure it's true.

In the middle of the 2000 campaign, Hughes suddenly yanked her young son out of school and started dragging him around the campaign trail.

She explained that this would be a valuable learning experience for him. (Right. Just imagine the attacks if Hillary Clinton or Tipper Gore had done the same.)

The REAL story: despite the general attitude of fawning and butt-kissing among the tame press corps...too many rumors were flying around the campaign plane about the amount of time $hrub and Karen spent locked up in $hrub's private quarters.

Just strategerizing, no doubt...

[Ilsa]

17. I think her first job was something like "Special Counselor to the

President, or maybe another title in Communications, and Ari Fleischer was Press Sec. I heard Rove got her kicked out and that was how she ended up going back to Tx.

[Zorro]

11. How to win friends and influence people

Send a brassy, outspoken, partisan skank as an ambassador to countries where women's rights are traditionally restricted.

I'm sure her "aggressive responses to rumors, inaccuracies and hate speech" will be very well received.

[DrRang]

18. Yep. Nuthin' male Arab leaders love more than. . .

being lectured and hectored by a woman who's 6 inches taller than they are.

[truthisfreedom]

13. with the US Treasury making that empty piggy-bank noise when you rattle it

what does karen have left to bargain with?

[spooked911]

14. Guns and bombs?

[Turbineguy]

15. "Hi, I'm Karen Hughes........

and I'm here to prove we just dont' get it!"

[Orsino]

16. MiniTruth. n/t

[0007]

19. I thought Karen was going on this trip to be a quiet listener?

[Miss Chybil]

20. She won't meet with opposition figures, but she wants to change

their minds? How? Is this whole administration stuck on stupid?

[GoldenOldie]

21. World figures already have her number.

Those that she has scheduled to "charm," are not the idiot lemmings that support this BFEE.

[0007]

22. Karen needs a real cobra to play with, instead of trying to train

the worlds oldest teenage.

[Theduckno2]

23. I am reminded of a 'Three Stooges' bit.

Remember the one where the three gents were out in a boat, duck hunting? Curly accidently shoots a hole in the bottom of the boat and then with little hesitation deliberately shoots another hole in the bottom of the boat. Moe asks him why he shot another hole and Curly replies "To let the water back out!".

Is it me or after reading this post and a post on Sen. McCain's comments on torture allegations, doesn't one get the impression that these people are just as clueless as Curly?.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1805059

If you wouldn't shoot the first hole (things like waging illegal war, torture and indiscriminate destruction : Fallujah) you wouldn't have to shoot the second hole (insulting Muslim peoples with your mindless political spin and charm offensive).

:Small attempt at humor below in an otherwise humorless situation:
There is one good thing to come out of this though, NASA will be aided in its proposed trip to Mars. Using Bushco's incredible spin machine as a model, NASA engineers were able to design a much improved gyroscope. :)

[ngGale]

25. Gawd....

she will make less sense than Condi..."see the world our way, or no way.":sarcasm:

[kskiska]

26. WP: Hughes Reaches Out Warily in Cairo

Monday, September 26, 2005; A16

CAIRO, Sept. 25 -- Karen Hughes, the new public diplomacy czar charged with improving the U.S. image, began her maiden diplomatic voyage Sunday meeting in picturesque settings with Egyptian students who have benefited from American largess.

Hughes said she would steer clear of meeting with representatives of Egypt's largest opposition group, and a lunch scheduled for Monday with "opinion leaders" includes mostly people supportive of the government that has ruled the country under emergency decree for a quarter-century.

Outside the carefully vetted settings of Hughes's visit, interviews with ordinary Egyptians indicated deep anger at the policies of the Bush administration.
"You American people are 100 percent good," said Farouq Hickel, a bearded minivan driver who was walking past the Bab Zuwayla , a 900-year-old Islamic monument, restored with U.S. funds, that Hughes toured. "We have no problems with Americans. But look at what Bush is doing -- he is messing up the world." Hurricane Katrina, he said, was God's revenge for President Bush's actions.

Hughes, recently confirmed as undersecretary of state, has attracted enormous attention in her new role, largely because she is one of the president's closest confidantes. Undersecretaries generally travel with a handful of aides, but Hughes has brought along a planeload of reporters, including representatives of all five U.S. television networks, one from al-Arabiya television and a writer from GQ magazine.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092500647.html

[NRaleighLiberal]

27. Hughes.....did you have to refer to that battleaxe before I hit the sack?

Now I have to take something for my nausea.

[anitar1]

43. What a POS. She is going to the countries that USA supports.

This is ludicrous, but what else can we expect? Another embarassing incident for our country.

[KC21304]

28. What a farce ! She didn't know what

the Muslim Brotherhood was in Egypt. Sounds like another Michael Brown appointment. Good article. Thanks.

[madrchsod]

33. no shit ---the brotherhood is the money behind

a lot of shit that goes down in the world..didn`t they kill sadat? no one believes a fucking thing she says...

[grytpype]

29. She's in a bubble, just like her Idiot King.

She'll never talk to a Muslim who is pissed at us. Only a carefully vetted few who are not hostile. How fucking worthless.

[rodeodance]

30. she is projecting the simple black vs white, good vs evil that Bush does.

.....Hughes acknowledged that she faced "a huge challenge" but said she would focus on stressing the compassion of the United States to highlight the contrast with violent extremism. The administration's policies offer "education, opportunity, freedom of speech and expression," she said. "Terrorists, their policies force young people, other people's daughters and sons, to strap on bombs and blow themselves up."

Hughes traveled first to the 1,000-year-old al-Azhar University for a meeting with Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, a Sunni Muslim leader who is close to the government and has spoken out against extremism. A recent fatwa , or decree, by Tantawi -- saying normalization of ties with Israel was theologically acceptable -- has generated controversy and anger in Egypt. Local media speculated that the cleric issued it because the Egyptian government recently deployed troops to guard the southern part of Gaza after Israel's withdrawal.

At Bab Zuwayla, Hughes climbed a tower to gaze over the city skyline. "It's magical," the former television reporter said. "A thousand minarets -- and satellite dishes."

Then she sat down with five high school exchange students who had spent a year in the United States. Ahmed Gammal, 18, lived in Hudson, Ind., and said no one in the small town knew anything about Egypt. "When I said I was from Egypt, they asked, 'Do you ride camels or live in pyramids?' " he said. "They were serious.".

[rodeodance]

31. my gawd-she uses Cliff notes!!

...Hughes betrayed some nervousness in her first diplomatic foray, which will also take her to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. This is her first visit to any of the countries, and as she spoke to reporters she clutched briefing papers that appeared to be the diplomatic equivalent of Cliffs Notes. Turkey was a "democratic state," and Egypt was the "most populous" country in the region, the document said.

Asked if she was meeting in Cairo with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hughes turned to an aide and indicated she was not sure of the answer. The aide whispered back, and Hughes replied, "We are respectful of Egypt's laws."...

[GoldenOldie]

32. Hughes just getting a free world -wide trip from American taxpayers

This sorry woman the same cut of cloth as the FEMA Director Brownie, is no more qualified to talk with foreign leaders than my pet dog Lulu. It is Georgie's payoff for being a good soldier in his army. Foreign leaders, who are far more educated and understanding of the world laugh at this little puppet sent to talk "diplocmacy," with them. They will play the game and laugh at the little puppet and the American people for being so dumb.

You can dress them up, but they still are a pig.

[MO_Dem]

34. Her first visit? Her FIRST visit?

So, she knows NOTHING about what she's supposed to be doing! :wtf: Just like her boss and all the rest of the administration.

[cire4]

35. Ten bucks says US image will be much worse in 3 years....

Karen has spent her entire life in West Texas...If she knew anything about the rest of the world, she wouldn't be part of Bush's crime cabal.

[MissMarple]

36. It's all politics and shadows and mirrors for Karen.

I think she may have just walked into a wolves' den.

And, I'm like, so sorry for you, Karen. :eyes:

[kskiska]

37. And it doesn't help being a 6-ft.-tall woman

in the Muslim world.

[anitar1]

44. I am not sorry for her.I hope they savage her. n/t

[gratuitous]

38. It's so nice of the Post to provide a friendly headline

Looks to me like it should read that Hughes reaches out wearily instead of warily. At least they note that she's totally incompetent to do her job, but those details are tucked away a few paragraphs down.

[EC]

39. So her role is to set up meetings with countries that don't like us

but, to only meet with the ones that have favorable opinions of us...sound familiar? Just foreign town hall meetings......


Yeah, that'll work...

[ngGale]

40. This visit is just for more....

US propaganda, thus her herd of reporter's following. Photo Op's again, only speaking to friendly people.:nuke:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

45. Mike Brown used to groom and curry Karen

and trim her hooves, when he was in charge of the International Arabian Horse Association. Another member of the Bush circle of cronies.

[ElectroPrincess]

49. ROTFLMAO ... Oh, shame on you Wil-Bur!

Pssst! Come closer? :P

As a young girl I think I wanted to be a horse woman.
Karen Hughes

[tanyev]

50. Bite your tongue.

Karen Hughes is no Arabian. More like a Belgian or Clydesdale.

[aaronbees]

41. Karen Hughes is as charming as...

a bed of nails. Eeek!

[ladylibertee]

46. Aww smooches! (sarcasm)

[ElectroPrincess]

47. Please spare us the FANGs ... where's my cross and holy water?!? ...

:puke:

[ladylibertee]

48. LOL. Why , look at Laura Bush.Nice outfit LOL (sarc)