Former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs and longtime George Bush advisor and confidante Karen Hughes [3] has taken a position with PR giant Burson Marsteller [4]. She will be working closely with former Hillary Clinton [5] campaign guru Mark Penn [6]. As CMD previously reported [7], Penn's dual role with the Clinton campaign and B-M was problematic. He was found to be working for Colombia on a free trade deal that Clinton opposed. B-M also works for anti-union clients, while Clinton was counting on labor's support. For her part, Hughes was unable to repair a badly broken U.S. image abroad. Hiring Hughes is part of a larger effort by Penn to increase B-M's "reach and expertise." Summing up the partnership, Penn said "Karen and I have had so many of the same experiences in the White House and campaigns, and have worked around the world. But we agreed that we won't let politics interfere in our business."