Heavy meddle: Is Russia outmanoeuvring the West?

For those who remember the Cold War, the current news cycle might sound familiar. Maria Butina, a 29-year-old gun rights activist from Siberia, is accused of attempting to infiltrate the Republican Party on behalf of Russian intelligence forces. Meanwhile, the White House seemed to be seriously entertaining a Kremlin request to question the former US ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul. Is Moscow outmanoeuvring the West?