McCain adviser connected to lobby for Georgia

Before I refer you to that article, check out this Guardian Newsblog;

How much is the west, and specifically the US, to blame for the war between Russian and Georgia?

Quite a lot, according to some commentators, who happen to be American. Steve Clemons at Washington Note sees a "high quotient of American culpability".


He argues that when Kosovo declared independence earlier this year, the price of Russian cooperation on other global issues rose considerably and that chances of a clash over Georgia's breakaway border provinces increased dramatically

More on the Newsblog



well well well...this came to me via Enigma (tipping my hat).. ;

WASHINGTON — John McCain's top foreign policy adviser, Randall Scheunemann, lobbied for the nation of Georgia for four years, including for about a year after he joined the Republican senator's presidential campaign staff in early 2007.

Georgia has paid Scheunemann's firm, Orion Strategies, LLC, nearly $900,000 since 2004, including $200,000 for an eight-month contract that began on May 1, two weeks after McCain issued a strong statement criticizing Russia and supporting Georgia.

Read the rest of the story at McClatchy Washington Bureau


There is a lot of interest from literally all over the world with the connection of oil and Ossetia and Russia and Georgia so how about this twist?

BUT..how do you think this matters? Do you think it's the fact it got lobbied for OR that an American firm was involved with the lobbying of a nation that sits on top of oil?
How would the US feel if Russian (nay, they're still commies!) influeces were busy in their backyard say..Venezuela or someplace..

Anyhow, it's not just the advisor;

Bounds said that McCain returned to Georgia in 2002 to urge then-president Eduard Shevardnadze to conduct free and fair elections, and when those "badly flawed elections" led to a revolution, McCain became a strong supporter of newly elected President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Orion's filings with the Justice Department's Foreign Agents Registration Office indicate that Scheunemann and his partner, Mike Mitchell, had more than 40 phone conversations and meetings with McCain, his Senate chief of staff Mark Salter and his foreign policy aide Richard Fontaine, on behalf of Georgia, which is seeking membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

.

And lo...

The briefings picked up in the summer of 2006, when Scheunemann briefed McCain and his aides several times before McCain took another trip to Georgia, this time with Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Burr of North Carolina and John Sununu of New Hampshire. Scheunemann joined them in Georgia, where they met with Saakashvili.

Saakashvili has been criticized for authoritarian tendencies following a crackdown on demonstrators last year, but McCain has been a staunch ally, sternly criticizing Moscow for its backing of pro-Russian, separatists.

On April 17 of this year, McCain issued a stern statement assailing "Russia's moves to undermine Georgian sovereignty." Two weeks later, Georgia gave Orion a $200,000 contract extension

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(update; sorry, forgot to link to the actual article..click HERE)


Now in the post below..there is an Israeli interest in this whole thing..pls read the whole thing and take a minute to ponder 'what it all means'.. (I'll let you think for yourself, how's that)

Ah..American politicians and their strong-armed 'friends'..



Georgia and South Ossetia; Propaganda war goes on..

figured I'd add something interesting. Normally, people, I mean, Westerners are used to seeing it from their perspective and tsk tsk at the news or complain to the tv that it's all propaganda.. I thought it was interesting that they used the term frequently and freely. Here in the US, I wished they would use the term more often but somehow it gets cloaked under the guise of 'patriotism' etc..