Biden To Embark On Fact-Finding Trip To Southwest Asia

[babylonsister]

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/01/05/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4700277.shtml

Biden To Embark On Fact-Finding Trip To Southwest Asia
Posted by Brian Montopoli


Vice President-elect Joe Biden, in his capacity as outgoing Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "will depart later this week with a bipartisan Senate delegation to visit countries in Southwest Asia," according to a statement from his spokeswoman.

Details of the delegation's itinerary are not yet being released, for security reasons.

"The purpose of this trip is fact-finding: in the coming months both the Executive and Legislative branches will carefully review U.S. policy toward this region, and the trip will allow its participants to bring current and first-hand information to these reviews," said Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander.

Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry and Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins and Lindsey Graham of the Senate Armed Services Committee will join Biden on the trip.

"The fact-finding delegation will make it clear to foreign leaders that they are not there to speak on behalf of the U.S. government, or convey policy positions for the incoming administration," Alexander said. "The delegation extends its thanks to the Bush Administration for their cooperation in making this trip possible."

[Clio the Leo]

1. God speed Silver Fox!!! NT

[wyldwolf]

6. Charlie Rich?

[Jennicut]

10. Yeah, I hope he is safe in Pakistan, Afganistan or India

One never can be too safe traveling as the future VP or Prez but something tells me no one will directly go after him like they did Dick Cheney.

[Cha]

2. This is all very encouraging..I

know we're in good hands with Biden heading this fact finding trip.

[karynnj]

3. It is interesting that Hillary Clinton is not included -

As the likely incoming Secretary of State and a current member of the Armed Services Committee (with Reed, Collins and Graham) you think that she would be there with Biden.

Kerry was just there last month - where he was there as the incoming SFRC chair and unofficially as a representative of Obama. Graham, Lieberman and McCain were there a week or so before him. I don't think Clinton has been there within the last year.

[Still Sensible]

4. I believe it is precisely because

they don't want anyone on the trip to seem to be speaking for the new administration and they felt the incoming SOS would be more on the spot to do so if she were along. Just a guess.

[karynnj]

8. But they are led by the incoming VP

and the Obama team went out of its way to officially say before and during Kerry's December trip that Obama had asked Kerry to report back to him and that he valued his insights - essentially giving a double dimension to Kerry's role. That as chair of SFRC and as an unofficial Obama surrogate.

The reason I was intrigued was the NYT article on the expansion of the State Department, which spoke of the diplomacy being done often by special envoys. This would suggest that HRC would administer a big organization in DC more than be a diplomat overseas. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/us/politics/23diplo.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=state%20department%20Clinton&st=cse

[RollWithIt]

5. That would be a protocol violation....

Clinton didn't have a leadership role in the ASC. This is a Senate trip for the leadership of that committee. Not to mention Senate members never travel with SoS, especially one who hasn't been confirmed and won't be until after Jan 20.

[karynnj]

7. She is on the Armed Services committee - which is the same as

Collins, Reed, and Graham - and none of them are the in the leadership. In fact Biden, Collins and Kerry are the only two who have chaired any committee. What about the fact that Biden is to be the VP - couldn't you say the same about him? The Congress doesn't travel with the VP either.

It just seems that it is strange that Clinton is not going as it would be a good way to meet the leaders and participate in the discussions with many of the senior foreign policy experts - everyone going on that trip has more foreign policy experience than Clinton.

[RollWithIt]

9. reread what I said....

I said she didn't have a seniority leadership position. All of the people on that trip did. Seniority is a big deal in the Senate. And actually, it would be very bad protocol to have a Secretary of State on a "fact finding mission" "that doesn't speak for US policy."

[karynnj]

11. Reread what I said

Neither Graham or Reed have leadership positions. And, just like Biden, who is as more "VP" than she is SoS, she would not yet be SoS. The interesting thing in the reason for the trip was that it would provide both the executive and legislative branches with information. Collins is ranking member on homeland security, but does not have a leadership role on any relevant committee. Here is a link to the members on the Armed Services Committee - none of them have leadership roles - and they are not on SFRC. http://armed-services.senate.gov/members.htm Look at the list - which is in order - and you will see that it is NOT the leadership who are going - or it would have been Levin, McCain and inhofe or Lieberman. (Late last year McCain, Lieberman and Graham were on a trip. Kerry (independently) also went to the area in December.)

I KNOW that seniority is a huge thing in the Senate - and lack of it was one reason HRC was willing to give up the independence of her seat.