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Bush Loyalist Karen Hughes Resigns
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ShareOctober 31, 2007 9:26 AM
ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Kirit Radia Report: Karen Hughes resigned Wednesday morning as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy.
In July, 2005 Bush appointed Hughes as the first Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy to "promote America's values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world."
Hughes, a former local television reporter in Texas, was a longtime communications advisor to President Bush when he was Governor of Texas. During Bush's presidency she managing the White House Office of Communication, Media Affairs, Speechwriting and Press Secretary.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Hughes' resignation this morning at the State Department.
Rice called said Hughes would continue to advise the State Department and President Bush on several projects going forward. She called Hughes a "valued counselor" and policy advisor who sat in on her policy meetings every morning.
"You have more than exceeded what I could have hoped for in taking over public diplomacy when you came. And now, as you finish, I hope that you have a sense of the tremendous contributions that you've made," Rice said.
Hughes said she would likely return to Texas in mid-December. Her family had not moved to D.C. with her, something Rice said was a great "strain," and Hughes said she was looking forward to living in the same city as her husband.
Both Rice and Hughes listed advancements in public diplomacy during Hughes' tenure, namely countering terror messages on Arab-language blogs, setting up a larger video production center at the department, creating rapid reaction units to respond to incidents, and reaching out to Muslim women in the Middle East.
Public Diplomacy was one of the central pillars in Rice's transformational diplomacy plan, but Hughes had a rocky start in the new role.
During her first trip to the Middle East after being confirmed in 2005 she struck many as ignorant and naive when she commented how surprised she was to find that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was considered so important in the Arab world.
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday that Hughes wants to spend more time with her husband. Perino said Hughes will keep in touch with the President and work on a Palestinian initiative through the end of the year.
ABC News' Ann Compton contributed to this report.
October 31, 2007 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (50)
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In that last line, it meant to read "promote America's values with a gun and bolster ideological support for terrorism around the world."
Posted by: Brent | Oct 31, 2007 9:50:44 AM
"Promote America's values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world." - If this is Ms. Hughes job description then she should have been fired ages ago.
Posted by: Sandra | Oct 31, 2007 9:51:12 AM
The texas rats that sailed in upon us with the mentally deranged loser from CRAWFORD, have been jumping ship in droves. I still think we should cede Texas to mexico in exchange for a workable immigration plan.
Posted by: daddy | Oct 31, 2007 10:04:58 AM
Why do they all use the tired "spend time with my family", or some variation? How about an honest "I can't spin enough lies to cover his butt anymore!"
Posted by: easystreet47 | Oct 31, 2007 10:11:01 AM
BYE BYE!!
Posted by: TimTom | Oct 31, 2007 10:20:18 AM
Karen's job was to spread the lies and propaganda of this immoral and illegitimate administration. Much like Dana Perino, Sean McCormack and other assorted spokespeople (professional liars), I don't know how she sleeps at night.
Posted by: John | Oct 31, 2007 10:23:42 AM
George Bush, Dick Cheany, Carl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, "CON"di Rice,"CON"lin Powell Bill oreily, Sean Hannity, Karen Hughes- promote America's values?
Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy????????
America Read All 22 chapters of Revelation in the BIBLE.
America- The greatest country in the world!
Posted by: wayne | Oct 31, 2007 10:25:53 AM
I would bet she just got feed up sweeping up Bushism.
Posted by: J.D. Miller | Oct 31, 2007 10:27:24 AM
Her lasting contribution to MidEast peace will be that stupid glossy magazine she thought of. Tho I'm sure Houston has one exactly like it.
Posted by: Flamethrower | Oct 31, 2007 10:28:51 AM
Finally, ms. coverup gets to leave too.
Posted by: mtrav | Oct 31, 2007 10:31:03 AM
The women that surround Bush(Perino-Hughes-Laura Bush) are a disgrace to all of the women in this country who have taught their children that honesty and integrity are a way of life.
The message they send and the example they set are based on lies and lack of integrity.
Posted by: Judy Stage | Oct 31, 2007 10:31:38 AM
Hopefully, they ALL will resign.
Posted by: godseyesosre | Oct 31, 2007 10:37:46 AM
I guess I'll be the only one defending Karen Hughes. I like her. I also like George Bush. That no one can see that Republicans are more sane than the Democrats is beyond me. Republicans don't destroy Democrat offices, throw pies at conservative speakers,cause constant disruptions,etc. It appalls me that this goes on. For the left wing to constantly scream they are losing their rights, they are the ones who don't give Republicans the right to speak and debate. Disgusting.
Posted by: Sheryl | Oct 31, 2007 10:39:51 AM
John: I know you did'nt have enough space to name them all. You are right.
Posted by: justice101 | Oct 31, 2007 10:43:25 AM
Amen bushist_regime.. this isn't about Republicans vs Democrats.. its about common sense and true American values vs the CONS who are running our country under the false flag of "Republican Party".. they do not stand for true Republican values!! The whole us vs them mentality is fostered by these folks to keep us fighting.
Posted by: Jeff D | Oct 31, 2007 11:00:03 AM
VALUELESS PRATTLE indeed...one of my republican enablers called a truce because he got tired of me overloading him with facts...sheryl, take the hint from a republican who has left the fold, as he tells you in his post, and take your hand off the listing ship you cling to and let it drift...the next time you want to see these losers is in the devils lair from an overlook high above the heat...get my drift OH RELIGIOUS ONE...
Posted by: daddy | Oct 31, 2007 11:12:18 AM
RESIGNING MAY WELL BE THE BEST THING SHE COULD DO FOR PROMOTING THE US IMAGE BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD, TOO BAD SHE DOESN'T TAKE THE BIG GUY WITH HER AND TOOK SO LONG TO DO IT.
Posted by: DAN SMITH | Oct 31, 2007 11:13:18 AM
The ability to speak and think at the same time is a learned science unfortunately our president Bush has not aquired that ability - D-U-H!
Posted by: angelheart80153 | Oct 31, 2007 11:13:22 AM
Excellent! Finally old school conservatives are realizing that Bush and the Neocons are just as bad as the far left. Their disdain for the rule of Law and Constitution I pray is coming to an end. You can't ignore the Constitution to "protect" America. Living free means living with a certain amount of risk. If they want us to live in a big government police state, then they are going to have to eliminate the Constitution. Not on my watch!
Posted by: Brent | Oct 31, 2007 11:19:27 AM
I'm all for giving Texas back to Mexico, Bush & party included.
Posted by: Terri508 | Oct 31, 2007 11:22:17 AM
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