Blackwater - Observers admire Erik Prince's poise. Prince entered the room at the last minute, triggering a barrage of shutter clicks from nearly two dozen photographers. Trim and tan, with his close-cropped hair neatly parted, Prince, 38, looked more like a young scoutmaster than the leader of what critics call a mercenary outfit... For four hours, Prince fielded questions and accusations about his company and the private military industry. Each of his answers ended with a "sir" or "ma'am." He showed no signs of defensiveness or nervousness - no fidgeting, no ticks, no beads of sweat.
"It was actually kind of chilling," said Jeremy Scahill, who has written a best-selling book that's highly critical of Blackwater. "I watched his hand when he poured a glass of water. Not a single tremor."
Prince, heir to a Michigan auto parts fortune, spent five years as a Navy SEAL, where coolness under fire is part of the culture. There were some on Tuesday's panel who openly admired his performance.
"You're a very impressive witness," conceded Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.
As the hearing wore on, Prince found himself responding to the same questions over and over - thanks to the fact that panel members tend to periodically leave the room to take care of other business. As a result, they walk back in, toss out questions that have already been asked and expect an answer.
Toward the end of the hearing, Prince was given the option of taking a break or dealing with final questions.
"I'll take them, and then let's be done," he said.
Update:
Laura Bush: Watch her lead! The policy charm offensive has extended to the White House press corps. Last month, Mrs. Bush took the unusual step of inviting its female members to the White House residence for an off-the-record lunch, with a curator-led tour of the newly renovated Lincoln Bedroom. Admission carried a price: a policy briefing on No Child Left Behind, led by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Mrs. Bush.
“It is a noticeable difference in her role,” said Michael Green, an Asia expert who provided briefing papers for Mrs. Bush when he worked at the National Security Council under her husband. “She’s becoming much more public, and more proscriptive. She’s not just following; she’s leading.”
Still, her signature issues are limited and she is careful never to step too far out in front, lest she cross the line into Hillary Clinton turf. Feminists have criticized her for not being assertive enough. Her public persona remains that of supportive wife, the steadying influence who got her husband to quit drinking at age 40, the witty conversationalist with the practiced smile and perfect hair who once regaled official Washington with “Desperate Housewives” jokes at the White House correspondents’ dinner.
She is the one who, with some gentle arm-twisting from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, persuaded her husband to don white tie for a dinner to honor the British queen. On the rare occasions when he slips into self-pity over Iraq, she is said to snap him out of it.
What on earth happened to Louis Vuitton? The powers that be sold Old Glamour out for the likes of Christina Ricci and some hip-hop star. Yes, they are talented artists, and I'm sure they've won over new fans for LV, but c'mon! Louis Vuitton is so pretentious now. Anyway, the high-end brand has been shelling out oodles of ugly-looking handbags so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if and when they release hideous new designs such as the Monogram Olympe Nimbus GM/PM:
Gnarly. Well I'm sure Britney Spears- along with her sick weave -will remain a hardcore fan of this high-end luxury brand!
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