John Edwards announces 2008 presidential candidacy

We've been expecting this since, oh, about December 2004, but today he makes it official.

Former North Carolina senator John Edwards this morning declared his candidacy for president in 2008, sounding a populist call for citizen action to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, combat poverty and global warming and help restore America's moral leadership in the world.

Using a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Katrina as his backdrop, Edwards said New Orleans symbolizes not only the theme of two Americas -- haves and have-nots -- that was the underpinning of his 2004 presidential campaign but also the power of ordinary citizens to take responsibility for their own futures.

Edwards said restoration of America's leadership in the world must begin with Iraq. He said he favors withdrawing 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops from Iraq as the first step toward turning responsibility for the conflict over to the Iraqi government.

I'm not sure who I'll be supporting for the Democratic nomination, but I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't point out that Obama/Edwards (in either order) would be much prettier than virtually any conceivable Republican ticket.

I'm just saying.