Letter from America: The Reagan Years (1981-1988)

The Third Man

·14 min·1 clip

Who is Bernard Kalb, the State Department spokesman whose resignation just embarrassed President Reagan before his Iceland trip?

This archive edition of Alistair Cooke's Letter from America, introduced by Paddy O'Connell, focuses on the 1986 resignation of State Department spokesman Bernard Kalb. Cooke titles the talk 'The Third Man,' placing Kalb in a lineage of principled resignations. He first recalls Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter, who resigned in 1980 after the failed Iran hostage rescue mission because he hated having to lie to allies about the plan. Next, Cooke discusses Lord Carrington, British Foreign Secretary, who resigned in 1982 after Argentina's surprise invasion of the Falklands, accepting responsibility despite not knowing in advance. Cooke then introduces Bernard Kalb, contrasting his background as the son of Polish immigrant tailors who worked through public schools and college with the establishment upbringings of Vance and Carrington. Kalb served in the Aleutian Islands during WWII, worked for the New York Times, reported from Southeast Asia, and became a diplomatic correspondent before taking the State Department spokesman role at age 62. Cooke describes the job's challenges, balancing truth and national security. The resignation catalyst was a Washington Post article revealing a government memo, authored by National Security Advisor Admiral John Poindexter, proposing a disinformation campaign against Colonel Gaddafi. When President Reagan evaded questions and criticized the reporter, and Secretary of State George Schultz defended integrity but referenced Churchill's 'bodyguard of lies,' Kalb felt compelled to resign. He framed it as a choice between silence and dissent, earning praise from colleagues. The episode weaves personal biography with political ethics, highlighting a moment in Reagan's second term amid Cold War tensions.

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