John Edwards Announces Bid for 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination

And that's what's going to be the basis for my campaign. This campaign will be a grassroots, ground-up campaign, where we ask people to take action.

You know, some of these young people are wearing One Corps shirts, which is an organization that we started a few months ago, for the purpose of getting thousands of people involved around America in helping make a difference and actually doing something and taking action.

And what I've seen -- I learned a lot in the last campaign, which some of you heard me talk about -- but I've actually learned more since the last campaign, because I've seen firsthand what actually happens when, instead of waiting for somebody else to take care of our problems, we do something.

We were concerned about the Congress not having raised the minimum wage, so we went out to six states -- not just be, my by the way; there were a lot of people involved in this -- went out to six states and got it on the ballot and raised the minimum wage in six states in America, which is a good thing.

EDWARDS: We've made college available to young kids who are actually willing to work while they're in college for their tuition and books. We've organized thousands of workers around this country so that they can have a voice and have decent wages and decent benefits. It's helped strengthen America, strengthen the middle class and grow the middle class in this country, which is important for all of us.

So it's not like we don't know what needs to be done. And this is not rocket science. Everybody in America who's listening to me right now knows what we need to do. They know about the challenges we face and they know what needs to happen.

So we would ask everyone who's interested in changing America, who's interested in actually taking action to join us. You can join One Corps by going to johnedwards.com. These young people and thousands of others have joined this cause already. And we ask you to join us, too. Because, we can -- we can't wait for someone else to do this for us. There is just too much at stake.

And I want to actually talk for a minute about what's at stake. You know, my own view is that actually 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.

And we need to make it clear that we intend to leave Iraq and turn over the responsibility of Iraq to the Iraqi people. The best way to make that clear is to actually start leaving, which is why I've said we ought to be taking 40,000 to 50,000 troops out now, and that ought to continue over time.

The problem in Iraq is not one that's susceptible to a military solution; it's going to require a political solution. Fighting between Shia and Sunnis have been going on for centuries, and a political solution is the only viable way there's going to be any success in Iraq over the long term.

EDWARDS: And it is a mistake -- I want to be absolutely clear about this -- it is a mistake for America to escalate its role in Iraq. It is a mistake to surge troops into Iraq. It sends exactly the wrong signal to the Iraqis and the rest of the world about what our intentions are there.

So it's not -- and by the way, it's not just Iraq that'll help establish America's leadership role in the world again. We have to show that we have the moral authority to lead. You can't lead through raw power.