Records show Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour out of state a lot _ often campaigning for GOP

Miss. governor has been a frequent traveler

JACKSON, Miss. — Records show Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was out of state for all or part of 48 days during July, August and September, and he was often campaigning for fellow Republican candidates.

Records detailing Barbour’s travels were obtained by The Associated Press this week. Barbour is head of the Republican Governors Association and considering a 2012 presidential run.

Barbour doesn’t release his public schedule and his staff rarely announces his travels.

Barbour was outside Mississippi for all or part of 28 days during the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, including April 20, the day a rig exploded and killed 11 workers. Oil gushed into the Gulf 85 days.