John Edwards Announces Bid for 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination

And I'll be happy to take questions from anyone who has them.

Come on, there are a lot of people here. I can't believe you don't have a question.

Yes?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) are saying that having Hillary Clinton and Obama are the front runners. What are you going to do to dispel that notion? Do you think maybe the Earth will begin to shift a little bit today with this announcement and maybe you'll get more attention?

EDWARDS: I hope the Earth shifts, but I hope it shifts in a different way and in a different direction.

Speaking for myself, I hope that anyone who's considering running for president -- and I've been through this, as everybody knows -- is doing it because they want to serve. I've made my own personal decision and my family's made the decision that this is the best way for me to serve my country.

And if I really believe that, which I do, then I want the best human beings possible to run for president of the United States. We need a great president in 2009 because of all the problems and the challenges that we face.

So whether it's on our side or the other side, I hope good people run.

The change I want to see happen, though, has nothing to do with the candidates. It has to do with getting Americans involved and engaged in changing their own country.

Because, I'm telling you -- and everybody knows this. Everybody knows -- they don't need to hear it from me. They know it in their gut. If we wait for the next election and we stand by and hope that the next person that's elected president is going to solve all our problems for us, we are living in a fantasy world. It will never happen -- never happen. We have to take the action to change this country.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) New Orleans is to. You're kind of like one hand is rubbing the other here?

EDWARDS: Well, I hope so. For those of you who couldn't hear, the question was, you know -- are you doing some good for New Orleans or is New Orleans doing good for you? That's basically what you're asking.