Foreign Travel by 2008 Republican Presidential Prospects in 2005

Foreign Travel by 2008 Republican Presidential Prospects in 2005
January 2006-Overseas travel can broaden and deepen a potential candidate's understanding of the world. There is nothing like being on the ground, seeing conditions first hand, and talking to the local people. Senators and congressmen travel overseas as part of congressional delegations (CODELs), on informational visits, to attend conferences or deliver speeches. For governors the purpose is often a trade missions. Those in the private sector have business and other interests that may prompt overseas trips. Five Republican Senators are frequently mentioned as possible 2008 presidential candidates. Sen. Frist is the Majority Leader, Sen. Hagel serves on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Allen serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. McCain serves on the Armed Forces Committee, and Sen. Brownback is chairman of the United States Helsinki Commission. Among the three Republican Governors seen as possible 2008 candidates only Gov. Pataki went on a trade mission in 2005. Former Mayor Giuliani, who earns speaking fees reported to be on the order of $100,000 and who heads the investment firm Giuliani Capital Advisors, was the most prolific traveler. He made at least ten international trips to deliver speeches and pursue business opportunities. In terms of destinations, each of the Senators made at least one trip to Iraq in 2005. Africa was not a favored destination; of frequently mentioned '08 prospects only Sens. Brownback and McCain visited.

ALLEN
Feb. 10-14 IRAQ and ISRAEL (Tel Aviv).
Nov. 19-26 "Security, Innovation, and Freedom" mission to discuss security, commerce, and human rights issues with government officials, business leaders, and educators; accompanied by wife Susan. Nov. 19 ENGLAND (London). Nov. 20 PAKISTAN (Islamabad). Nov. 21 INDIA (New Dehli, Bangalore). Nov. 22 Through THAILAND (Bankok) to CHINA (Shenzhen). Nov. 24 CHINA (Shenzhen, Beijing). Nov. 25 CHINA (Beijing, Hong Kong). Nov. 26 TAIWAN (Taipei).

BROWNBACK
Jan. 7-13 With Sen. Corzine assesses tsunami damage in INDIA and SRI LANKA.
Feb. 24-28 IRAQ on “CoDel DeMint,” led by Sen. Jim DeMint, also stopping in KUWAIT and GERMANY.
Nov. 30-Dec. 6 With Sen. Durbin visits with religious leaders, local officials, and aid workers in the CONGO (DRC) Dec. 1-3, examines post-genocide situation and reconciliation efforts in RWANDA, and focuses on conservation and anti-poaching efforts in KENYA.

FRIST
Jan. 4-14 Jan. 4-7Leads a delegation to tour and assess areas affected by the tsunami in SRI LANKA. Jan. 7-8 KUWAIT and IRAQ. Jan. 9-11 Affected areas in Chennai, Southeast INDIA. Jan. 11-12 PAKISTAN. Jan. 12-13 AFGHANISTAN and BAHRAIN. Jan. 14 BELGIUM.
Jan. 26-28 World Economic Forum in Davos, SWITZERLAND.
April 6-8 Leads a 14-member U.S. Senate delegation to the funeral of Pope John Paul II, ITALY and VATICAN CITY.
May 1-6 May 1-3 ISRAEL and the West Bank; May 3-4 JORDAN; May 4 LEBANON; and May 4-6 EGYPT.

GINGRICH
no response

GIULIANI (Note. Information compiled from news reports and may not include every trip.)
Feb. 1-6 Feb. 1-4 JAPAN (according to Yomiuri Shimbun "to give lectures on business investments...and hold talks with Japanese companies"). Feb. 4-6 Beijing, CHINA at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and Beijing State-Guest Entrepreneurs' Club. One purpose of the China visit was to introduce his company with an eye toward helping on security for the 2008 Olympic Games.
June 2 Gala keynote speaker at the Canadian InfoSec summit at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, CANADA.
week of June 6-11 "Tech Business Week" conference in Santiago de Compostela, SPAIN.
July 6-7 ENGLAND July 6 Speech on leadership at the Local Government Association conference in Harrogate; July 7 in London for business meetings (he was having breakfast at a hotel when the bomb attacks took place nearby).
Aug. 30-31 At the Forbes CEO Global Conference at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
Sept. 21-22 ISRAEL (press conference at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv on the evening of Sept. 21; speech at Ness Technologies "Leadership Through Information Technology" conference in Tel Aviv on Sept. 22).
Oct. 3 Speaks at the "Leaders in Scandinavia" conference at the Radisson in Copenhagen, DENMARK.
Oct. 18 Attends fourth annual "International Congress - USA and European Union Days" event at Zofin Palace in Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC.
Oct. 31 Speech at the annual convention of the Ontario Hospital Association in Toronto, CANADA.
Nov. 21 start Business meetings re. Giuliani-Sage Capital plan to build two biodiesel plants in Spain, in Madrid, SPAIN.

HAGEL
six days in May/June Examines regional security, economic development and energy issues in TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA, GEORGIA and UKRAINE. Travel with U.S. European Command Deputy Commander General Charles Wald, USAF.
10 days in Aug./Sept. Examines U.S. bilateral relations, regional security and energy issues in ITALY, LIBYA (Tripoli), RUSSIA (Moscow and Irkutsk) and BULGARIA (Sofia).
Nov. 27-Dec. 4 Leads codel to ISRAEL, JORDAN, SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT, IRAQ, LEBANON and EGYPT to examine political, economic and security conditions. (Also on the delegation Sen. Carper and Reps. Snyder and Tauscher).

HUCKABEE
no overseas trips (Asian trade mission scheduled for Sept.canceled due to illness of Lt. Gov. and issues facing the state).

McCAIN
Jan. 29 Speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, SWITZERLAND.
Feb. 11-12 Feb. 11 Leads a delegation including Sens. Clinton and Graham and six House members for discussions with President Victor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko and Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvynin in Kiev, UKRAINE. Feb. 12 Speaks on "Security in the Middle East" at the 41st Munich Conference on Security Policy at Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, GERMANY.
Feb. 17-24 Leads codel to IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN and TUNISIA to observe the U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and to meet with leaders. (Also on the delegation Sens. Clinton, Collins, Feingold and Graham).
May 28-30 One day before the start of parliamentary elections, McCain and several other Senators visit Beirut, LEBANON. Following recent violence in eastern Uzbekistan, McCain and Sens. Graham and Sununu visit Tashkent, UZBEKISTAN (May 29) and Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN (May 30).
July 4 Delivers the inaugural Alistair Cooke Memorial Lecture > at the English Speaking Union, Dartmouth House in London, ENGLAND.
Nov. 30 London, ENGLAND, unidentified speaking engagement; also seen in Parliament watching Question Time from the Gallery. (Source: The Daily Telegraph, Dec. 6, 2005)

PATAKI (Seeking complete information).
Sept. 15-23 Trade mission to CHINA (Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai) and a visit to JAPAN.

RICE
"In 19 trips, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled 240,181 miles flying for 502 hours 47 minutes and visited 49 countries."

ROMNEY
no overseas trips (Had been scheduled to take trip to ISRAEL with American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s educational foundation from Sept. 24-29 but postponed it).

Copyright © 2006 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action

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