Interview: Carter feels ‘superior’ to other ex-presidents

ATLANTA – Former President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday said he feels his “role as a former president is probably superior to that of other presidents.”

Carter made his statement during an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams.

“When the United States won’t deal with troubled areas, we go there and we meet their leaders who can bring an end to a conflict, or an end to human rights abuse, and so forth,” Carter told the network. “I feel that have an advantage over many other former presidents in being involved in daily affairs that have shaped the policies of our nation and the world.”

Last week, Carter, a Georgia Democrat, told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that former U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy “killed” his health care reform bill 30 years ago. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who died last year, 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.

Carter, also a former governor of Georgia, is making the rounds on networks to promote his latest book, “White House Diary.”