Make It Stop! Please!!

It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but really:

But several people connected with both campaigns — who would not speak for attribution because they do not wish to be fired, or alienate either candidate — described the candidates’ relationship as frosty and somewhat rivalrous. 

Just cut it out.  They're anonymous sources.  Period.  End of story.  The "because" clause isn't telling us anything.  It's annoying, nothing more.  It was invented to explain the exceptional circumstances under which anonymous sources would be used, but obviously the editors (this is the NYT, from a story about Carly Fiorina) have dropped the idea that anonymity is for only particular cases.  Okay.  We get it.  It's their newspaper, and their decision to make (and, for what it's worth, it's fine with me).  Now, stop pretending otherwise, and please, please, get rid of that ridiculous disclaimer clause.  The whole thing is embarrassing for the reporter, for the editors, for the sources, and, yes, for the reader.  Just stop it.