Edwards Making Another White House Bid

John Edwards smiles as he is interviewed by reporters during a break while working with student volunteers in the backyard of a house in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006. The former Democratic vice presidential nominee is running for president for a second time, his campaign said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak - AP)

NEW ORLEANS -- Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards declared his candidacy Thursday for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, saying the United States needs a new spirit of activism and leadership for an unstable, chaotic world.

Clad in blue jeans, an open-necked shirt and with his sleeves rolled up, Edwards chose the backyard of a victim of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans' devastated Ninth Ward for his unorthodox announcement.

"We want people in this campaign to actually take action now, not later, not after the next election," the former North Carolina senator said, sounding as much like a recruiter as a presidential campaigner.

Edwards, 53, is calling for an increase in community service and cuts in poverty, global warming and troops in Iraq. He said he made a mistake in voting for a resolution to go to war with Iraq, but also noted that he didn't conduct the war. He said the Bush administration's leadership in Iraq has been a disaster and that it would be a mistake to send in more troops.

"The biggest responsibility of the next president of the United States is to re-establish America's leadership role in the world, starting with Iraq," Edwards said.

"We need to make it clear that we intend to leave Iraq and turn over the responsibility of Iraq to the Iraqi people," Edwards said. "The best way to make that clear is to actually start leaving."

Edwards said it's not just Iraq that is in chaos and in need of moral leadership from the United States. He said the United States should be leading an end to genocide in Sudan and to atrocities in northern Uganda.

He also said the country should provide universal health care for all and end its dependence on foreign oil. He said he would tax oil company profits and eliminate President Bush's tax cuts to pay for his priorities.

"We need to ask Americans to be willing to be patriotic about something beyond war," he said. He said that will include a National Call to Action Day on Jan. 27 where Americans can contribute their time to help enroll children in government health care programs, fight for an increase in the minimum wage or other efforts.

Edwards also criticized Bush for not doing more to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"If I'd been president, I would have had somebody coming into my office every morning, and I would say to him, `What did you do in New Orleans yesterday?'" Edwards said.

Edwards' campaign got a little ahead of itself Wednesday and announced his intentions online a day early. His Web site briefly featured the logo "John Edwards 08" and its slogan, "Tomorrow begins today" _ literally, in this case _ before aides quickly removed them.