Edwards, Now Seasoned, Elbows His Way Into the Field By Dan Balz, Washington Post Staff Writer

John Edwards will be able to run to the left of Clinton in a party whose base has shifted leftward during the Bush presidency. And this time, questions about lack of experience will go first to Obama. …

But he had a ready answer this week to the question of national security experience: Bush had the most experienced team in history, and still the United States ended up in a mess in Iraq. Experience, he said, is not a guarantee of good judgment. …

Edwards has settled comfortably into the left-of-center position in the Democratic field, pairing positions that excite the party’s liberal base with an upbeat message of hope and optimism. He has worked to deepen his relationships with organized labor, especially in Nevada, which is holding an early 2008 caucus, and he will challenge Clinton and Obama for the endorsements of key unions.

Edwards supports universal health care, which he said means health care for every American, not just most. “As you remember from 2004, there were a bunch of people waltzing around saying they had a universal health care plan that didn’t cover everybody,” he said. “Politicians tend to do that.”

He said he is examining two ideas and weighing whether to support a more ambitious and costly plan or one that may be more politically achievable. But he said both would meet his test of universality. …