Carter: Kennedy ‘killed’ health care reform three decades ago

ATLANTA — Former U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy “killed” then-President Jimmy Carter's health care reform bill 30 years ago, the former president claims in an interview set to air Sunday on CBS' “60 Minutes.”

“The fact is that we would have had comprehensive health care now, had it not been for Ted Kennedy's deliberately blocking the legislation that I proposed,” Carter is quoted as saying in a report posted to CBS' website. “It was his fault. Ted Kennedy killed the bill.”

Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, died last year. He was a proponent of health care reform. The two faced off in the 1980 Democratic primary; Carter won the primary, but lost to Ronald Reagan.

“He did not want to see me have a major success in that realm of life,” Carter is quoted as saying in the report.

The “60 Minutes” segment airs at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The full “60 Minutes” report is available here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/16/60minutes/main6872344.shtml.