Selling the United States.

The consensus among George W. Bush's advisers is that America must do a better job of making friends. Millions of Muslims view America as corrupt, brutal and arrogant, indifferent if not outright hostile to Islamic concerns. Twice lately the Pentagon has floated half-baked ideas for covert propaganda campaigns to loosen Saddam Hussein's grip on power in Iraq, and to boost America's image throughout the region and even among its European allies. Those schemes didn't get far: they're too tricky, and too embarrassing when they unravel.

Instead, the Bush administration is trying a more overt campaign to win support. After pondering reams of focus-group results and opinion polls, the State Department believes it has found two themes that unite America and Islam: faith and families. Administration officials claim we're actually closer to some Muslim countries than to traditional U.S. allies. Former Madison Avenue executive Charlotte Beers, the new under secretary of State for public diplomacy, says Americans rate ...