Word: brzezinski
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Muskie's immediate and overriding problem will be to work out a modus vivendi with Brzezinski that fully establishes the Secretary of State's position. It will not be an easy task. The National Security Adviser is a man of strong views directly put. Brzezinski likes to say, "In life you must take risks," and he shapes his policy thoughts accordingly. His favorite historical figure is Napoleon. He often quotes a phrase he attributes to the Emperor: "On s'engage et puis on voit" (roughly, "You act and then you see"). A less favored and not yet historical figure...
...Brzezinski's policy views, many colleagues contend, have been molded largely by a background of Polish intelligentsia and exile. Born into a moderately wealthy family in Warsaw, he was taken to Canada at the age often when his diplomat father was posted to Montreal before World War II. When the Soviets installed a Communist government in Poland after the war, the family was cut off from its homeland for good. Says one Columbia professor: "Brzezinski thinks like a Pole. With hundreds of years of Polish history behind him, he is pathologically opposed to Russia and its modern-day successor...
...Brzezinski's influence over Carter's decisions on foreign policy go far beyond the control of paperwork. He has taken thorough advantage of his opportunity to present his recommendations directly to Carter. Every morning the first appointment on the President's schedule is with Brzezinski. Sometimes they meet for only a few minutes, sometimes 15 or 20, and the session sets the tone for foreign policy discussions during the day. Every evening Vance used to send a letter to the President, which Brzezinski did not see. But the final phone call of the day usually came from Brzezinski...
...Washington, proximity can be vital in exerting influence: the Department of State is half a mile from the Oval Office; Brzezinski is about 75 feet away. The National Security Adviser frequently sees Carter half a dozen times a day, often more than Vance did in a week, though the Secretary always had free access...
When Muskie becomes Secretary of State, he will have to cope with the NSC's well-entrenched system and Brzezinski's well-established routine of speaking directly and often to Carter. The Maine Senator is convinced that he will have no trouble, and Brzezinski claims to see no problems ahead. Says he: "The President's line is set. The policy is defined. Muskie is a centrist. I'm largely a centrist. I don't want to fight. He doesn't want to fight." And Brzezinski quips: "Senator Muskie's view of the world and mine are bipolar...