Word: softener
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...Hugo Chávez urged the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to end its violent campaign against the Colombian government, six months after calling for the rebels to be taken off the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Some analysts suggest that the President may be toning down his rhetoric to soften his image in the run-up to Venezuela's state and local elections in November--and possibly to avoid giving ammunition to anti-Chávez Republican candidates in the U.S. this fall...
...surprised his critics by respecting the will of the electorate when he lost last year's referendum. The need to maintain his democratic credentials is also the reason why, in the face of howls from civil rights groups, he did an about-face on Saturday and promised to soften a recent dictum that would have ramped up Venezuela's intelligence-gathering activities against its own citizens. Chavez acknowledged he could not "defend the indefensible," and added, "There is no dictatorship here...
...national finance co-chairman, and holds the prospect that others will follow them out the door. Behind the scenes, the campaign seems to be searching for stability. In mid-May, McCain sought the counsel of former adviser Mike Murphy, who suggested, among other things, that McCain and his surrogates soften the tone of their attacks on Obama. To reassure fund raisers, the campaign also held a conference call making clear that everything was under control, despite Loeffler's departure...
...list of moribund diplomatic initiatives that the Administration had hoped would revive his presidency in its fading months. Talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace, North Korean nuclear weapons and missile-defense cooperation with Russia are all in trouble, threatening any chance for a White House signing ceremony that could soften a foreign policy legacy dominated by the war in Iraq...
...growing list of dead and dying diplomatic initiatives the Administration had hoped would revivify his presidency in its fading months. Talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace, North Korean nuclear weapons and missile defense cooperation with Russia are all foundering, threatening chances for a White House signing ceremony that could soften a legacy dominated by the hard facts of the war in Iraq...