Obama Vaults Into Democratic Top Tier

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois speaks at a scholarship breakfast Monday, Jan. 15, 2007, in Chicago. On Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007, Obama announced his intentions to file a presidential exploratory committee on his Web site, the initial step in a bid that could make him the nation's first black to occupy the White House. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (Charles Rex Arbogast - AP)

The war remains the issue in which Edwards has sought to create distance between himself and his rivals while appealing to the Democratic base.

In a speech in New York Sunday, Edwards called on members of Congress to speak out against the war and to block funds for Bush's planned deployment of 21,500 more troops to the region.

"If you're in Congress, and you know this war is going in the wrong direction, it is no longer enough to study your options and keep your own counsel," Edwards said. "Silence is betrayal ... you have the power to prohibit the president from spending any money to escalate this war. Use it."

The speech effectively targeted both Clinton and Obama, since neither has indicated support for a proposal by Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy to withhold funds for the troop buildup.

Interviewed Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," Obama batted away questions on Kennedy proposal and refused to commit to supporting it.

"I think the resolution's going to come forward, and I think it will send a message that, in fact, there is great skepticism in Congress and certainly among the American people for this plan," Obama said.

Edwards declared his candidacy in December after running virtually nonstop since 2004. Since then, he's polled strongly in Iowa, site of the first-in-the-nation nominating caucuses, while also showing strongly in Nevada and South Carolina, two other early voting states.

Edwards has worked hard to rehabilitate his image since the 2004 election in which he was criticized by many Democrats for not bringing sufficient heft to the presidential ticket.

Even as a leading black presidential candidate, Obama faces competition for black voters. Both Clintons have long enjoyed significant black support, and Edwards has won broad praise for his focus on poverty. He launched his campaign in a New Orleans neighborhood still ravaged by Hurricane Katrina to draw attention to the persistent divide between rich and poor.

At a civil rights conference in New York last week, the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton broadly praised Edwards while offering only measured praise for Obama's likely candidacy.

"All of the beauty contest formations are trivial compared to people who need jobs, job training, drug rehab, and affordable housing," Jackson said. "Whoever has the best plan, will take the most risk and the most sacrifice deserves our support."

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Beth Fouhy covers presidential politics for The Associated Press.