The Secret Middle East Mission that Sabotaged Jimmy Carter's Re-Election.
Former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes claims that a high-ranking member of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign took him on a secret diplomatic tour of the Middle East in a bid to damage Carter’s re-election campaign by convincing Iran not to release its 52 American hostages until after the election. Barnes’ account has the potential to shed light on the much-debated episode, which has become known as the “October surprise.”