US spin doctors add fizz to Ukraine presidential polls

WASHINGTON:Ahead of a presidential election that could tilt Ukraine's orientation away from the West, leading candidates of all stripes have been seeking help from expensive US-based political operatives.

Candidates have hired campaign consultants, lobbyists and public relations firms with deep ties in Washington. With an interest to securing vital connections, the most prominent candidates have sought firms with ties to recent US presidential candidates, including US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats, and Republican Sen. John McCain.

While some of the US contracts are aimed at importing political expertise into a country with relatively little experience with campaigning in a democracy, the candidates also seem to want to show off their Washington connections to their constituents.