Caren Hues Image maker Date of Birth: 27.12.1956 Country: USA

1. Karen Hughes: The Woman Behind the Image
2. The Power Behind the Scenes
3. A Longstanding Relationship
4. A Personal Decision

Karen Hughes: The Woman Behind the Image

Karen Hughes, the vice chair of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, is stepping down from her role as a senior advisor to President George W. Bush. Although her official title may seem modest, those within the White House describe her as the "president's image-maker."

The Power Behind the Scenes

Hughes is responsible for Bush's image and his relationship with the nation. She reviews and often rewrites his speeches, travels with him, and ensures the quality of his public appearances. A staff of 40, including the entire press office and communications advisors, report directly to her.

Despite her lesser-known status compared to Condoleezza Rice, Hughes is widely recognized by both the Bush administration and Washington reporters as the most influential person in the president's circle. No meeting in the Oval Office involving strategic decisions, such as tax cuts or U.S. actions in the Middle East, takes place without her involvement.

A Longstanding Relationship

Of all the president's confidants, Hughes has worked with him the longest. A former Texas television commentator who covered George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign, she joined the younger Bush's team in 1994 as his director of public relations. Her image-making skills were instrumental in Bush's successful election as governor of Texas.

A Personal Decision

Hughes's decision to leave the White House is primarily motivated by her son, who has struggled to adjust to his elite private school in Washington, D.C., and longs to return home to Texas. Her husband, a lawyer, is also said to have felt like an outsider in the snobbish and cold atmosphere of the capital.

Hughes will not officially step down until midsummer, but she announced her departure now because parents were required to notify St. Albans School by May 1st whether their child would be attending the next school year.