US Senator Biden to visit Georgia for crisis talks

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democratic Senator Joseph Biden, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for White House hopeful Barack Obama, said on Saturday he would visit Georgia this weekend.

Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, said he had been asked to go to Georgia by President Mikheil Saakashvili for talks over the conflict with Russia.

"I am going to Georgia this weekend to get the facts first-hand and to show my support for Georgia's people and its democratically-elected government," said Biden in a statement.

"I look forward to reporting to my colleagues in the Senate and on the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the administration, about what I learn."

Biden said that he would also meet Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze and US ambassador to Georgia John Tefft.



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can turn to an expert like Joe Biden.

but yeah, their conflict is getting caught up in our politics in a particularly obvious way.

But in fairness, there are few in the Senate now that I care for. So I was not out to bash Biden here, I was just pointing out that there are a lot of US big-shot politicians suddenly anxious to visit the war zone, which tells you a good deal about how dangerous it really is to be in Tbilisi.

Just meant that Biden actually does travel to foreign countries not just for photo opps, and he for one didn't just suddenly discover Georgia. Of course, McCain has a bit of campaign familiarity with it too :eyes:

it's part of his job. it has been for years even when he wasn't running for President or a potential VP.

Like Biden or not, 1. he's the chairman of senate foreign relations, so it's his *job* to go there, 2. he's on the very short potential vp list, so he may be even more involved in the future, and 3. georgia specifically asked him to come. :eyes:

Many politicians may be anxious to go to Georgia, but how many did the Georgian President invite? He invited Biden. Should Biden have declined out of hand? I don't think so. I think he should at least give a head of state the courtesy of hearing him out.

Mr Biden is a good Democrat, I will be happy to vote for him in any role he gets nominated to. I was not happy with his role in the Thomas-Hill hearings, a matter that has had profound effect on my country, and he has annoyed me a few other times. But I realize this violates the herd-political-support-ethic, talking about my thoughts is such a candid way, and I won't do it again.

if it is any consolation. Biden's just another ambitious, self-serving politician. Better than the GOP, yes. But I hope he isn't picked as VP.

He is a master of the Senate, been there a long time, one of the true big-shots in this country. Why would he give that up for a speculative shot at running for President in 2016, after 8 years of being a political prop?

and accusing him of photo ops.

Of course you are free to disagree, to tell me what I meant, and what I can talk about, but don't expect me to give a shit. I was not "accusing" him of photo ops, photo ops are how politics is done, and I have no doubt that there will be photo ops, and you know it too, but you think it's a "bad thing" to have photo ops, or something. If you read my post carefully, you will see that I was talking about the fact that Tbilisi is a safe enough place to hold photo ops in now.

That's my commentary on that. Also as a Pakistani-American did not appreciate him lecturing on Pakistan around Bhutto's death as if he had been some kind of Amnesty International posterchild on the issue.

He is an unrepentant imperialist and militarist. On domestic issues, he's sort of OK, and he has done some good things. But foreign policy-wise he agrees with Bush's goals, and just disagrees about methodology.

preparation for his vice presidential duties.

I mean it.

He's been quieter than his usual self must have been told he's not the pick so back to usual.

Shame out of the 3 supposed top contenders he's the one I liked the most.

quieter than usual would tell me he is the pick.

if it was anyone else i might think they were out. but the entire reason for picking Biden for VP would be for his foreign policy background and it says he is going for the weekend.

And his recent visit to Georgia, and probable cogent thoughts on the situation aren't going to hurt, either.

When was the last time a ticket consisting of two Senators as candidates for President and Vice President in the same election actually won? The only thing lower than Bush's ratings are Congress's ratings. I'd announce Biden as my choice for Secretary of State and pick someone else as Veep, announced at the Convention, subject to this text message foolishness the Obama campaign has been trumpeting.

J

...If the Obama campaign was going to pick Biden, would it be a good move to announce that while he was over there?

1. Acting like he's already controlling things behind the scenes? VP in charge of foreign policy, where the president is weak? (Shades of Cheney.) Foreign Relations committee member just happens to be in high profile area for an anouncement he'd have to have known about?

Or ...

2. VP with expertise to fill in a gap in Obama's background. A hands-on kind of guy. Committee member taking his (temporary) responsibilities seriously?

But if he's just doing Obama's bidding, is he VP supposed to be a lackey? If he's expecting to be out of the legislative loop--except as president of the Senate--after December, will his committee have much to say about this before he resigns? Does this reinforce (1) or (2)

How it gets spun is mystery to me. It's easy to think it would be (1), because we want it that way, or the former, because we can't get a fair break. Which happens is less the Dem framing (with little regard to Lakoff) and more how it's perceived by both the public and the media in some sort of chaos synergy.

other purpose does his visit serve? "Support for Georgia's people" -- give me a friggin' break. How about support for S. Ossetia's people who the Georgian military terrorized?

This from the self-confessed plagiarist who gave us Clarence Thomas (and allowed Anita Hill to be savagely maligned in front of the nation).

What a pathetic excuse for a public statesperson.