A Quieter Approach to Spreading Democracy Abroad

Fresh from orchestrating a historic victory, President Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, headed to the remote seaside town of Baku for a lucrative speech. For Mr. Plouffe, it was a chance to pocket an easy $50,000. But for the authoritarian government of Azerbaijan, it was a chance to burnish the reputation of a harsh system headed by the son of a K.G.B. general.An outcry forced Mr. Plouffe to donate the cash to pro-democracy groups in the former ... Full Story »