(Hughes keynoting PRSA 2007, courtesy of Josh Hallett)

Karen Hughes, "America's Publicist" is to be replaced by James K. Glassman, according to an unnamed source in an AP story story, which included specifics about her work as Undersecretary of State:

"Hughes boosted the number of Arabic speakers representing the U.S. in Arabic media, set up three rapid public relations response centers overseas to monitor and respond to the news, nearly doubled the public diplomacy budget to almost $900 million annually. Despite her efforts, polls have shown no improvement in the world's view of the U.S."

Politics aside, Glassman is an interesting choice for the nearly impossible task of improving America's image abroad. He has owned, operated and edited top magazines, hosted TV news shows, and is currently Chairman of the government sponsored Broadcasting Board of Governors.

See Wikipedia and Sourcewatch for background and links to his op-eds, and this 2003 profile in the Washington Monthly (via TPM) to learn more about Glassman's extreme brand of influence.