May 9, 1980

Muskie finds moths in Carter foreign policy files

When the "Desert One" rescue mission failed, Secretary of State Vance resigned and Muskie took his place. The nation faced multiple foreign policy challenges in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. All combined to create a daunting workload for the new Secretary. Meanwhile, the ambition of National Security Advisor Brzezinski, and President Carter's withdrawal into a "Rose Garden" political strategy, helped create the widely held impression of a bankrupt foreign policy.

Courtesy of Pat Oliphant and the Susan Conway Gallery of Washington, D.C.