No experience? No problem.

In the Bush Administration's first giant step toward repairing Islamic perceptions of the U.S., our new "good will ambassador", Karen Hughes, met yesterday in Cairo with five high-school kids who had previously lived in America for a year, and a handful of college students who were "all recipients of scholarships from a U.S.-funded program".

Attagirl, Karen!

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that once again, the White House has unapologetically chosen the wrong person for an important job, rewarding political loyalty instead of demanding qualifications and experience from those holding the nation's top positions. I find it terribly disturbing to read phrases like "carefully vetted settings", and "asked to leave", and "steer clear of meeting with representatives of Egypt's largest opposition group" in a description of someone whose stated task is to examine the root causes of Islamic anger at the ol' Red, White and Blue.

Sounds suspiciously like one of those carefully orchestrated Town Hall meetings that were a hallmark of the Bush reelection campaign. These guys just don't like to hear opinions that differ from their own, do they...

Oh, I'm sure Karen is a nice enough person, and she sure looks like the quintessential "mom next door". But are we really supposed to believe that there was no one in the nation better qualified to boost America's image in the Arab world? No one who could speak the language, or knew something of the culture, or had actually been to some of these places? The Post writes,

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.

Cliffs Notes? Are you f#%king kidding me?!

Of course none of this comes as any real surprise. The blatant, unprecedented cronyism of the Bush Administration has been a danger to us all since the word "Go". From Homeland Security to FEMA, from Safavian in Procurement to Gottlieb of the FDA, Mr. Bush has continually mismanaged the nation, filling top government positions with individuals cast in his own mold. Unqualified. Uneducated. Unbearable. Unaccountable. A new Time Magazine exposé asks the question, "How Many More Mike Browns Are Out There?" Shamefully, the short answer is "Too many".

Ms. Hughes described the goals of her mission in these lofty terms:

"Many of the differences and many of the concerns are deep-seated, and I'm probably not going to change many minds... But if I make a connection with a person or two who I can keep following up with after I leave here on my trip, I would consider it a success."

Thanks, Karen. And, thanks George. Bold plan. At that rate, our problems in the Middle East should be solved by the time John Roberts retires.