another news bit on Biden's travel schedule

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/16/biden-heads-to-georgia/

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and thought to be on Barack Obama’s short list for vice president, is headed to Georgia Saturday night.

His spokesman, Elizabeth Alexander said, “At the request of Georgian president (Mikhail) Saakashvilli, Chairman Biden is heading to Georgia this weekend. He is leaving this evening and will be there Sunday.”

No other Senators are traveling with him.

In a statement, his office said he will meet President Saakashvili, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, and U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft. He also will meet with residents who fled the fighting.

Biden said in the statement, “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. I look forward to reporting to my colleagues in the Senate and on the

Friday night or really early Saturday? They're half a day ahead of us in time, right? Doesn't it take most of a day to get to Eastern Europe? 48%er may know.

And he must be going by some private charter plane or somesuch? Or else it would take forever in transfers and how would he get flights on short notice?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/campaign-surrog.html

Campaign Surrogates Take U.S. Campaign to Georgia

August 16, 2008 6:32 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: It is less than a day since Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended her quick trip to Georgia, and President Bush has continued his pressure on the Russian government to honor a cease-fire with Georgia. Now, surrogates for both the men seeking to succeed President Bush will head to the former Soviet Republic to show their solidarity with that country's elected government as it seeks accord with Russia.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee left today for a quick trip to Georgia at the request of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, according to a statement released by his office, and will also meet with Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze and U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft. He is undertaking the trip in his capacity as a member of Congress, but Biden is often mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Sen. Barack Obama and has spoken as a surrogate for the Obama campaign on a number of occasions.

“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.”

Close on Biden's heels will be Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., Sen. John McCain's closest allies in the Senate. Their trip was announced before Biden's, but the senators will not leave until after Biden. Representatives from both their Senate offices would not say when, exactly, for security reasons.

It could be important in the campaign for the Obama camp that Biden gets to Georgia first. Lieberman has talked about Georgia at McCain campaign events, accusing Obama of having a "moral neutrality" when he should have been more forcefully standing up for Georgia.

This is not the first battle in the international relations war of the surrogates.

A couple of people here have mentioned it -- and he and McCain have been talking almost daily?

Do you know anything about that?

and of course one of his campaign advisors was Georgia's main D.C. lobbyist until recently. Georgia is a pet project of GeorgiePres so maybe that's the source of more connections? Others would know a lot more than me.

on edit - the fact that Pres. S. called Biden may indicate he's realizing (a) Bush and McCain won't really back him up (b) oh yeah, American election in a few weeks, better make friends with some Dems.

coming.

Biden will be back in the US by midweek. I think Obama already decided and that Biden is our Veep!

of an SFRC Chairman trip since President S. invited Joe, it would be pretty impressive if Obama's VP was on a first name basis with most of the world leaders!