Long after his leading rivals "went up," and well after his early lead in Iowa began to dissipate, John Edwards is now running his first television ad in that state. Given his emphasis on national security issues in his efforts to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton in other venues, it's interesting that this ad totally dwells on Edwards' (and his wife's) commitment to "stand up for working people," and promises to show "spine" without any reference to Iraq, or for that matter, to George W. Bush.

You'd have to guess the ad is aimed at expanding Edwards' base of labor support in Iowa, and it's well-timed to take advantage of national pundit sentiment that he's beginning to win Democratic candidate debates. But it's still a pretty soft appeal for a guy whose campaign is increasingly focused on the idea that Hillary Clinton represents the corrupt status quo.