Amid a weakening U.S. economy, America's foreign-trade policy has become a contentious issue in the presidential race. Both major Democratic Party candidates say free-trade pacts have harmed American workers, while the presumed Republican nominee - as well as President Bush - are defending trade as necessary and economically beneficial. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.

A U.S. lawmaker and civil rights leader who previously supported Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has announced he will now support her rival, Senator Barack Obama.

With one week to go before crucial primaries in the large, delegate rich states of Texas and Ohio, the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, met in a televised debate Tuesday. The debate was held in Cleveland, Ohio and broadcast by the MSNBC cable channel. VOA's Greg Flakus has more on the story from San Antonio, Texas.

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced on February 24th — three days short of his 74th birthday — that he is launching his third bid to be elected President of the United States, running as the candidate of the independent Green Party. Nader's previous third-party campaigns for the White House in 2000 and 2004 stirred public debate about his motives and the integrity of America's traditional two-party system.

Democratic Party presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to hold another televised debate Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, after two days of increasingly harsh rhetoric on the campaign trail.

In the U.S. presidential election campaign, Hillary Clinton is stepping up her criticism of rival Democrat Barack Obama one week before critical primary votes in Texas and Ohio. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more.

With the March 4 primary approaching in Texas, presidential candidates from both U.S. political parties are seeking votes from the state's large Hispanic population. More than a third of the people in Texas are Hispanic, with African-Americans accounting for around 11 percent and whites, sometimes called Anglos, now at a little less than half. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the impact of Hispanics on the Democratic party primary will depend on voter turnout and organization.

Democratic Party presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in a debate Thursday in Texas. VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston there was more agreement on issues than clashes over differences.

Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are headed for a showdown March 4 in primaries in Texas and Ohio. Those primaries could go a long way toward deciding who will be the Democratic Party's nominee for president. But as VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, some Democrats believe that so-called superdelegates could eventually play a major role in deciding who wins the party's nomination.

In the U.S. presidential race, Barack Obama has now won 10 straight contests in his battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Meanwhile, John McCain moved another step closer to clinching the Republican nomination with two victories on Tuesday. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

U.S. presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are facing off in Democratic Party nominating contests Tuesday in Hawaii and Wisconsin.

In U.S. politics, Barack Obama, a top contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, is trying to gain the support of former candidate John Edwards in Obama's contest against Hillary Clinton.