"Edwards says caucus is key to nomination"

Times-Republican (IA):

JOHNSTON — John Edwards said Friday he’s essentially banking his presidential hopes on a strong showing in Iowa’s leadoff precinct caucuses.

Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, said it will be difficult for any Democratic candidate to win the party’s nomination without faring well in Iowa.

‘‘I think that anybody who wants this nomination — not just me, but it would apply to me — if you don’t do well in Iowa it is very hard to win this nomination,’’ said Edwards. ‘‘I think John Kerry effectively won the nomination in 2004 when he won the Iowa caucuses.’’

Edwards credited Kerry with having a better understanding of the caucus’ significance. Edwards was second in 2004, a surprising finish that earned him a spot as Kerry’s running mate.

‘‘I actually give him (Kerry) credit for that,’’ said Edwards. ‘‘If you remember, he figured it out, he closed his operations everywhere else and moved everything to Iowa. I and other people didn’t do that.’’

Edwards spoke during a taping of Iowa Public Television’s ‘‘Iowa Press’’ program, airing this weekend. In the interview, he defended his low-key campaign approach, which has often drawn smaller crowds than have turned out for Democratic rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

‘‘I know what it takes to campaign in Iowa,’’ said Edwards. ‘‘You can’t just go to events where there are 2,000, 3,000 people. You’ve got to get into people’s homes, you’ve got to get into smaller town and communities and you’ve got to do the work, you’ve got to do the organizing.’’

Edwards was beginning a three-day trip to Iowa, where he planned to promote a health care plan he unveiled earlier in the week. The plan would force health insurance companies to spend 85 percent of the premiums they collect on patient care.

At an event later Friday in Tama, Edwards gave his health care pitch to more than 100 people jammed into an elementary school. He called it a moral imperative to broaden health coverage.

Edwards was peppered with questions on topics ranging from women’s rights to food safety to the war in Iraq.

‘‘If you listen instead of talk, you realize that people care about more than the war and health care,’’ Edwards said.

Pressed on his views about congressional action to continue funding the war, Edwards accused Congress of knuckling under to President Bush.

‘‘They should have never have capitulated to this president,’’ Edwards said of congressional Democrats.

Edwards labeled Bush’s war on terror an abject failure.

‘‘It’s not complicated,’’ he said. ‘‘We have fewer allies and more terrorists. We are not safer.’’