Posted on 08/21/2005 5:15:00 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 - For years, President Bush has called on Karen P. Hughes, his confidante from Texas, to help devise replies to attacks from political foes. Now Ms. Hughes, installed at the State Department, plans to set up "rapid response" teams to counter bad news and defend administration policies around the globe.
The teams, to be set up in the Middle East and elsewhere, are one of several initiatives being prepared by Ms. Hughes, who took office this week as under secretary of public diplomacy. The initiatives are part of what Bush administration officials say will be an aggressive drive to repair America's poor image abroad, particularly in Muslim countries.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview this week that the units would "work to deal with misinformation and misinterpretation." During the war in Afghanistan, Ms. Rice said, the administration discovered that it had to rebut "all kinds of lies about what we were doing."
For instance, Ms. Rice said, the administration discovered that allegations of Koran desecration at the Guantánamo Bay detention center, particularly what turned out to be an unfounded report of a Koran being flushed down a toilet, were spread throughout the media in Muslim countries before the United States could respond.
"What we found with rapid response is it does have to be 24-hour and at least a lot of it has to be in the field, not back in Washington, just because of the nature of the time cycle," she said.
In addition, State Department officials say, Ms. Hughes, a former television reporter, plans to lead an interagency "public diplomacy" operating group, including top public affairs officials at the Pentagon, and to change the way Foreign Service officers are evaluated for promotion, placing more emphasis on public relations skills.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Just from the democrats alone!
What's to "repair"?
Who cares for image anyway, when we've got REAL nuts?
Couldn't have said it any better so I'll just add: DITTO!!
I think she needs to be HERE, pounding on the dems for some of their stupid statements...and asking THEM why they aren't in Crawford with Cindy, if they all want our troops home so bad...
and what they think would have happened if we had left Saddam with BILLIONS of OFF money to spend on weapons...
and what they think will happen in the future if we just QUIT...like they want us too.
We don't need to repair our image overseas...Bush needs to kick some BUTT over here!
She is going to have to silence a lot of Democrats to make the US look good.
If I had to choose between Karen Hughes and Karl Rove for anything, I would choose Karen Hughes. She's the best.
NYT drivel. There is NOTHING to repair. The image of the USA HAS NEVER CHANGED. They hated success then, they hate success not. Actually success of the USA.
Educate the UN weenies is an exercise in futility UNLESS YOU GO DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE. There is no more radio free Europe to fight CNNeurope or EUronews or even the BBC's rapid anti-americanism.
The only way to educate "the world" is to spread americanism around the world. This notion of freedom does not work in other countries is pure left wing wacko propaganda.
Too true, Democrats work overtime to get face time in the foreign press to intentionally hurt any USA's successes.
I wonder how much money is in it for the Democrats to attack the USA. Foreign donations may be illegal, but they sure work hard for them.
Hughes/Rice08 or Rice/Hughes08
Flip a coin after we elect them
There is NOTHING to repair.
Turned on a TV or seen a movie in the last (say) 20 years?
"USA HAS NEVER CHANGED"
I agree but we need to get out the story of the real america out to the the world. I'm thinking particularly the Islamic world. Think about it, say the only thing you know about America comes from Al Jazeera and the movies. What would you think?
We need to beat them the way consumer products are sold, with effective television commercials.
How about a commercial showing a couple of Islamist adults talking a kid into being a suicide bomber. After the kid agrees and leaves the room show them laughing their heads off.
Or ... a guy trying to talk a youngster into martyrdom by describing the wonders of Paradise. The kid then asks "If it's so wonderful why don't you blow yourself up?"
Hire some Mad Avenue people and go for it!
How is she going to get Hollywood to stop portraying us as depraved and corrupt (American Beauty)
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