Obama Calls on Fathers to Be Responsible

Grace Metcalf, 4, waits with her sibling and mother Tina to hear Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama campaign for president at Mount Moriah Baptist Chruch Friday June 15, 2007, in Spartanburg, S.C. Obama spoke about strengthening family values in today's economy. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain) (Mary Ann Chastain - AP)

Iowa caucuses begin the primary process on Jan. 14, and Edwards has been one of the most frequent visitors to the state. On Friday, he was beginning a three-day campaign trip.

During a taping of Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" program, 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," Edwards said. "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."

In the interview, he defended his low-key campaign approach, which has often drawn smaller crowds than have turned out for rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

"I know what it takes to campaign in Iowa," Edwards said. "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."

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WASHINGTON (AP) _ Democrats Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson are objecting to a requirement that all presidential candidates in a debate on the Spanish language television network Univision speak in English.

The two have signed a letter to Univision, which is trying to organize a Democratic presidential debate for Sept. 9 in Miami. The audio would be translated into Spanish.

Both candidates speak Spanish fluently and say they would prefer to address Spanish-speaking viewers without a translator. Dodd, the Connecticut senator who wrote the letter, and Richardson, the New Mexico governor who signed on, embraced the debate with the understanding that they would be able to speak Spanish, and both campaigns say they feel that the rules have been altered to benefit those who don't.

Univision is the country's highest-rated Spanish-language television network and participation would expose candidates to the growing population of Hispanic voters.

"Your debate offers a unique opportunity for the candidates for president of the United States to speak directly to voters who very well may determine the outcome of the 2008 election," the letter says.

Richardson's campaign says he may not participate if Univision doesn't change the format.