There’s an “intense debate” going on within the Obama Administration over how aggressive the U.S. should be in countering Vladimir Putin’s semi-invasion of the eastern Ukraine, according to New York Times reporters Peter Baker and C.J. Chivers. Should the U.S. continue to “coordinate” with European nations, or should it act alone?
So whom do Pete and C.J. quote to frame the parameters of this supposedly intense intra-administration debate? Well, there’s David J. Kramer, “president of Freedom House, an advocacy group, and a former Bush administration official.” And there’s Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. And that’s it. Pete and C.J. tell us that Dave’s take “reflect[s] views expressed inside the government,” but don’t make it clear if Dave told them that or if they’re telling us that. But since Pete and C.J. can’t even come up with an off-the-record unilateralist inside the administration, it’s hard to say if they’re covering a debate, or inventing one.
