Ted Koppel

While U.S. presidential campaigns seem to last for years, the French campaign, start to finish, is a mere four months. During the campaign, each candidate must be allowed equal time on television news programs and there are no political ads. Rock Center Special Correspondent Ted Koppel reports.

In this year's presidential campaign, more than $100 million has already been spent on TV ads. As Rock Center Special Correspondent Ted Koppel reports, the system is very different in France, where the candidates disappear from TV in the run-up to voting.

NBC News Special Correspondent Ted Koppel makes a faux pas while introducing himself to French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Watch Ted Koppel's full report on the French elections and how they compare to politics in America on Wednesday, April 18 at 9/8c on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.

Set in a Washington D.C. bar, Fred Willard was the bartender, and the patrons were all Krofft Puppets, including former USA Presidents Reagan, Carter, Ford, and Nixon, and news reporters Dan Rather and Ted Koppel.

Set in a Washington D.C. bar, Fred Willard was the bartender, and the patrons were all Krofft Puppets, including former USA Presidents Reagan, Carter, Ford, and Nixon, and news reporters Dan Rather and Ted Koppel.

When the U.S. military withdraws from Iraq, thousands of Americans will remain. The United States' largest embassy is in Baghdad and there are two huge consulates in the region too. Ambassador Jim Jeffrey compared the size of the U.S. Embassy and diplomatic efforts to when he was in Saigon in 1973. Ted Koppel reports.

In Iraq's oil rich southern region, the United States is building a massive consulate in Basra. The consulate is situated just miles from Iraq's border with Iran. One security officer says it's like building a consulate on Omaha Beach. Some of the 1,320 people who work there call it 'Fort Apache.' If Iranian backed militias were to launch a full scale attack on this consulate, would the U.S. military ride to the rescue? Ted Koppel reports.

Rock Center Special Correspondent Ted Koppel first traveled to Iraq nearly nine years ago as the 3rd Infantry Division crossed from Kuwait into Iraq. As the U.S. military prepares to finish withdrawing from the country by the end of December, Koppel reflects on his latest visit to the country.

Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert recently relinquished control of his Super PAC to fellow comedian Jon Stewart and formed a presidential exploratory committee in South Carolina. Before ceding control, Colbert sat down with Rock Center's Ted Koppel to talk about the power of Super PACs in this year's election.