I don't think a week has gone by in history without some crisis developing, or some settlement reached with regards to the Middle East.

On March 12th in 1979 talks were going on in Israel between Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter, with an emergency session being held on this day. Speculation among Middle East watchers was President Carter to spend an extra day trying to hammer something out.

And to go along with the negotiations were reports of continued violence in the West Bank, anti-Carter riots around Jerusalem and a general feeling of tension while some sort of peace process was being arrived at.

And if that weren't enough, talk on Capitol Hill centered around what was being described as a disastrous Energy policy and a looming crisis by way of Arab Oil. Only time would tell on that one.

Meanwhile, news from overseas, aside from the Peace talks, centered around continued Rhodesian attacks on rebel bases in Zimbabwe and the Women of Tehran turning out en masse to protest the latest edicts from the Ayatollah regime regarding a severe curtailing of civil rights for women and a reintroduction of the Chador as required apparel for all Iranian Women.

And when the talk wasn't focused on the potential energy crisis or the Middle East, Capitol Hill was focusing on calls for a Constitutional Amendment to the Balanced Budget, with John Stennis leading the charge. And if Jimmy Carter didn't have enough trouble, Republican Presidential hopefuls Howard Baker and Bob Dole were busy making political hay from calls for an investigation of the Carter Family Peanut business based on an FBI investigation that alleged Prodigal Brother Billy was busy cooking books at the warehouse.

And so spiraled this March 12th in 1979 as reported on CBS Radio via their 8:00 am-9:00 am (PST) network news and The World Tonight.

(Billy Carter - the thorny bumpkin in Jimmy's side)

August 19, 1980 - dog days of summer and all. Still, there were the Senate Hearings on Billy Carter's relationship with the Libyans, the strikes that started in the Gdasnk Shipyards in Poland were spreading all over the country and everyone was being cautious. The 1980 Presidential Election season was going full-blast and third Party Candidate Rep. John Anderson was busy taking pot-shots at Reagan and Carter.

Rep. John Anderson: “I have suggested, and I am trying to be as frank and honest with you this morning, that I clearly believe that the nominee of the one so-called Major Party, the Republican Party, could take us in the wrong direction. But let me be impartial in my criticism and say that I think the man who was just re-nominated by the Democratic Party, President Carter has simply taken us in circles.”

And the most high-tech thing being pushed in the marketplace was Smith-Corona.

All on this particular day via The World Tonight.

Feel better now?

(Convention 1980 - The PUMA moment)

This week thirty years ago, at the 1980 Democratic Convention in New York, Jimmy Carter re-nominated for President, Walter Mondale re-nominated for vice-President and a disappointed Ted Kennedy lose his bid. Despite an aggressive campaign to get delegates released from their voting commitments, it wound up falling short of the needed votes and Kennedy finally gave in. The air around Madison Square Garden (where the convention was held) was thick with animosity, but there wasn't much to be done about it. The rest of the convention was putting the best spin on things and pleading for party unity. And hoping fortunes would change by November.

Also going on that week was the ever newsworthy Billy Carter, a rash of airplane hi-jackings to Cuba and a champion hog caller. All from ABC World News This Week. Yes, mainstream news was only marginally better then.