The Russian Debate

[Final-Fan]

ArnoldRimmer said:

in 1996 for example they were successful at making their preferred candidate Boris Yeltsin president of Russia. The TIME magazine even proudly admitted that back then:
http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1996/1101960715_400.jpg

Are you sure this TIME story isn't just, like, "Americans on the campaign staff know how to run an election"?  I believe our campaign laws would have prohibited Trump from having Russians without green cards in key positions in his campaign, but if it was legal there would be no problem with it, and I personally wouldn't have a big problem if it was legal in the USA as well.  Point is, I question whether the evidence you cited was really Americans helping Yeltsin win "secretly" in the sense of secret illegitimate activity as opposed to secretive legitimate activity.  I mean, let me put it this way:  what kind of covert operation gives interviews one month later to a magazine with international readership?  But I could be wrong and that is exactly what happened.  Can you cite better evidence than a vague magazine cover? 

A small amount of research on my part suggests that the magazine was indeed referring to private campaign advisers (not gov't agents).  If you want to allege real meddling, point to the suspiciously timed financial aid that helped Yeltsin send overdue pension checks to grateful voters.