It's funny how you're trying do discredit my sources, yet apparently celebrate articles that your viewpoint as the ultimate triumph of journalistic integrity.
During the Yeltsin days there was a lot more tension between the US and Georgia (Clinton expressed some far more bitter remarks than what you claim Condolenzza Rice, -who came to Georgia to reaffirm it's partnership with the country - than there were as the transition of power occured in the Kremlin, which indicates to me Ed had much stronger unofficial ties with Yeltsin than he did with Putin. But that's my take on the matter...
... unlike your take about Burdzhanadze's visit to the States which is pure conjecture. Yeah she was invited but only as a notable political figure in the region, not because they were trying to disassociate with or even shun Saakashvili.
And I'm not even going into that whole matter of "strange disappearances" of politicians, eventhough I know exactly what you're implying, but that's hardly worth a discussion.
Regarding the motives... c'mon. A few posts back you tried to invent American motives yet you don't see any Russian ones at all? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Think real hard... think why Russia could possibly have anything to gain by unsettling a pro-western government that risks having NATO alliance right at their doorstep. They've been pretty clear on this issue a while back when the question of Ukraine joining NATO arose. I think it came as no surprise when Russian representatives almost suffered a group-epileptic seizure at the prospect.