Edwards '08 same as the '04 model

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Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said he is the same candidate he was four years ago, despite accusations that he traded in sunny optimism for attacks on his rivals.

The former senator from North Carolina, appearing on NBC"s "Meet the Press," bristled when asked about the difference in his campaign style from 2004, when he was the vice-presidential nominee.

Host Tim Russert called Mr. Edwards' evolution on the war "quite extraordinary" and cited a report outlining his one-time opposition to universal health care.

"Have you shifted your views for political expediency, or has there been a profound philosophical change within you?" Mr. Russert asked.

"I am exactly the same person I was in 2004," said Mr. Edwards, but changes have arisen "both in America and in the world."

He cited the situation with Iraq and what he called the nation"s "dysfunctional" health care system.

"What I believe, and I believe it to my soul, is that these problems cannot be solved with small incremental change," he said. "We need big, bold ideas."

One of Mr. Edwards' rivals for the Democratic nomination, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, yesterday pushed his plan to end the Iraq war and accused front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York of being "cautious" on the issue.

"It"s a calculating message. I am decisive. I say that I will get all of our troops out, no residual forces, within a year of my presidency," he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC"s "This Week."

"Our troops have become targets. Our kids are dying. This is not a military solution; this is a political solution. And the window for that political solution is vanishing. You cannot start a political settlement ... with any of our troops behind."

Mr. Richardson called a Senate measure to deauthorize the Iraq war a "decisive step." He did not mention that Mrs. Clinton is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Richardson has accused Mr. Edwards of formulating an Iraq plan that would leave behind "thousands" of noncombat troops, which he said would simply continue the war.

Mr. Edwards dismissed that suggestion, telling Mr. Russert, "Unless we"re going to close the embassy in Baghdad and have the only American embassy in the world that we provide no protection for, there have to be some troops in Baghdad for purposes of protecting the embassy."

He also repeated his campaign point that there are "real differences between myself and Senator Clinton" on Iraq.

Mr. Edwards said Mrs. Clinton would leave combat troops in Iraq with "a target on their forehead while they"re there."

Mrs. Clinton has said she would leave troops to exclusively fight terrorists.

"It"s very hard to understand where that ends, where the limits are," Mr. Edwards said. "I will not do that. To me, that is a continuation of the war."