40 years ago: Liberal American clergymen visit hostages at U.S. embassy in Tehran

50 days after Muslim terrorists had invaded the U.S. embassy in Tehran and began holding the embassy's residents hostage, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini allowed three useful idiots American clergymen to visit the embassy for Christmas. The three were William Sloane Coffin of Riverside Church in New York City; William Howard of the National Council of Churches; and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, a Roman Catholic leader from Detroit. All three were known for their liberal views, including support for criminal civil disobedience, opposition to American defense pacifism, and pervert "gay" rights. The Ayatollah, recently named Time magazine's Man of the Year, made full use of the men's visit to suit his own purposes.