One can only imagine the outright hysteria if it were discovered today
that a Trump advisor, especially one who advocated “dirty tricks”
against Clinton, had been receiving suggestions from Vladimir Putin. But
this is literally what happened in Russia. In the 1996 Russian
presidential election, the US directly intervened to make sure "their
guy" -- Yeltsin -- won. Strobe Talbott, the main “Russia hand” to Bill
Clinton, has detailed the then-president’s words at the time. “I know
the Russian people have to pick a president,” Clinton told his close
advisor, “and I know that means we’ve got to stop short of giving a
nominating speech for the guy. But we’ve got to go all the way in
helping in every other respect.”
