1.   Along the way, the Buffs have held meetings to smooth ruffled feathers.

2.   Clinton, for his part, has moved to smooth ruffled feathers, inviting Netanyahu for talks and pledging to work closely with him.

3.   Even as Wu tried to smooth feathers, he reasserted that China intended to keep a tight rein on the Internet.

4.   He is thus well-positioned to smooth the feathers Okuda ruffled.

5.   His public appearances seem to resemble therapy sessions, with a lot of enabling payrollers around to smooth his feathers and explain afterword what he really meant.

6.   IOC president Jacques Rogge met with the Russians to smooth ruffled feathers, but now a dangerous precedent has been set for future Olympics.

7.   They have to smooth ruffled feathers when one person offends another.

8.   White House spokesman Mike McCurry tried to smooth ruffled feathers on Capitol Hill.

9.   But Laar and Kallas both have a confrontational style and would be unlikely to smooth enough feathers to become prime minister.

10.   But that did little to smooth ruffled feathers among Puerto Ricans.