Talk:Mikheil Saakashvili

MJ to add info about PR campaign and lobbyists recruited by Saakashvili eg Aspect Consulting (Brussels) and US firms, most recently the Podesta Group http://rt.com/Politics/2010-03-10/saakashvili-georgia-washington-lobby.html

Quote from Speigel Online article: 17 March 2010 by Benjamin Bidder. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,684192,00.html

"In an effort to secure a visit to Washington and a meeting with the president, Saakashvili's National Security Council has secured the services of the respected Podesta Group PR agency. The firm is run by Tony Podesta, the brother of John Podesta, the former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton who was also the head of Obama's transition team. According to US Justice Department documents, the PR professionals will provide "strategic counsel to the principal on communicating priority issues in the United States-Georgia bilateral relationship to relevant US audiences, including the US Congress, administration, media and policy community."

$1.7 Million for Lobby Work in the US

The country has also paid $436,800 to the lobbying firm owned by former Democratic Party majority leader Dick Gephardt for its services. During the summer of 2008 alone, officials in Tbilisi spent around $1.7 million on lobbying work in the United States.

A spokeswoman for satellite news broadcaster CNN confirmed to SPIEGEL ONLINE that Georgia has also intensified its US television exposure. Since mid-February, the country has been running regular ads on CNN, which is available in around 100 million American households. For some time now, Georgia has also been placing large, targeted ads in English-language magazines and newspapers."