Former President Jimmy Carter said anti-Castro leaders in Florida have a major and exaggerated influence on the presidential election in that battleground state.

Former President Jimmy Carter was preparing to leave for North Korea today to try to gain the freedom of an American imprisoned for illegally entering the communist nation, US officials said.

Angry criticism of his health care agenda was driven by an intense debate over the proper role of government and not by racism, US president Barack Obama has said.

A state funeral for Gerald Ford will return him to the US Congress that he served on his way to an unplanned and unelected presidency.

GEORGE W BUSH’S acceptance speech may have given the impression that he will reach out across the divide that has polarised American society.