John and Elizabeth Edwards made an appearance at Sen. Obama's speech in North Carolina Monday.

Photo credit: AP.

Edwards says he doesn't want to be Obama's No. 2

(CNN) – It may be time to take John Edwards' name off the list of potential vice presidential candidates.

The former presidential candidate, who was the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, continued to flatly maintain has no interest in the job. Traveling in Spain Friday, Edwards told two separate newspapers it’s not a role he is willing to take again. (Related: The rundown on Obama's VP possibilities)

“I already had the privilege of running for vice president in 2004, and I won't do it again," Edwards told El Mundo newspaper. He also made similar comments to El Pais.

The former North Carolina senator's comments are his first on VP speculation since Barack Obama officially clinched the Democratic nomination. Edwards, who ended his own bid in late January , endorsed the Illinois senator's White House bid in May, sending the political world abuzz that the two could team up on the same ticket. (WATCH: Edwards endorses Obama)

They appeared to have natural chemistry — something Edwards and then-Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry seemed to lack in 2004 — and the former North Carolina senator remains popular among a key demographic that has been reluctant to support Obama — working-class white voters. (WATCH: Edwards' motives for endorsement)

But Edwards immediately sought to quell rumors he was angling for the No. 2 spot, telling an interviewer shortly after his endorsement announced that it "Won't happen…. It's just not something I am interested in."

But he has been more coy about serving for Obama in other ways, specifically as his attorney general.

Edwards endorsed Obama earlier this month.

(CNN) – Two more pledged delegates who previously supported John Edwards have announced their support for Barack Obama, CNN has confirmed.

PolitickerNH.com first reported that State Sen. Peter Burling and Deborah Bacon-Nelson announced their decision Friday morning.

Three of New Hampshire’s four pledged delegates have now switched to Obama since the former presidential candidate’s decision to back the Illinois senator’s presidential bid. New Hampshire delegate Joshua Denton switched his support the day after Edwards endorsed Obama.

Nationwide, 12 of Edwards 19 delegates have now decided to support Obama, including six of Edwards' pledged delegates in South Carolina and three from Iowa.

Obama currently has 1,969 delegates to Clinton's 1,779 in CNN's official count.

Were voters swayed by Edwards' decision to back Obama?

(CNN) – Is John Edwards' recent endorsement of Barack Obama important? Forty-five percent of the voters in today's Kentucky's Democratic primary think so. But exit polls show they split their vote: 48 percent voted for Obama, and 47 percent for Clinton.

Fifty-two percent of today's voters in Kentucky say Edwards' endorsement of Obama was not important. They went overwhelmingly for Clinton: 81 to 14 percent.

An Obama-Edwards ticket 'wont' happen.'

(CNN) — Seeing John Edwards and Barack Obama on the same stage earlier this week left political pundits buzzing: Could these two be an unbeatable presidential ticket?

They appeared to have natural chemistry — something Edwards and then-Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry seemed to lack in 2004 — and the former North Carolina senator remains popular among a key demographic that has been reluctant to support Obama — working class white voters.

But Edwards flatly said Friday, as he had before he endorsed a candidate, that he's not interested in making a second run for vice president.

"No," Edwards said in no uncertain terms on NBC's the Today show when asked about the possibility. "Won't happen.…It's just not something I am interested in."

As for another position in an Obama administration, specifically Attorney General, Edwards was decidedly more coy.

"I don't really want to get involved in that speculation," he said. "Right now we have to focus on getting Barack Obama elected to President of the United States, then we’ll worry about those things."

Edwards formally endorsed Obama Wednesday evening, the day after Clinton scored a 41 point victory over the Illinois senator in West Virginia. Edwards also said Friday the timing of his announcement was not specifically designed by the Obama campaign to direct the media coverage away from the New York senator's win.

"That's not true," he said. "I know it's not true because I am the one who made the decision about when to do this. I believe this was the right time to do it. I made a decision that the public should know at this point my view."

Obama picked up several of Edwards' delegates Thursday.

(CNN) – At least six of John Edwards' pledged delegates in South Carolina will throw their support to Barack Obama following Edwards’ endorsement of the Democratic frontrunner, bringing the total number of delegates switching to Obama on Thursday to eight.

One Edwards delegate from Iowa, Machelle Crum, came out for Obama on Thursday morning, as did New Hampshire delegate Joshua Denton. Crum made the decision after receiving a phone call from Edwards supporters encouraging her to make the switch.

In South Carolina, Daniel Boan, Christine Brennan-Bond, Robert Groce, Susan Smith, Mike Evatt and Lauren Bilton — all elected as pledged delegates for Edwards following his third place finish in the primary there on January 29 — announced Thursday they will follow Edwards’ lead and pledge their support to Obama at the Democratic National Convention in August.

John Moylan, the Columbia attorney who directed Edwards’ campaign in the state and is now serving as an alternate delegate for Edwards, appeared on CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday. He stated his support for Obama and hinted that more members of the Edwards delegation would follow later in the day.

“I didn't reach all eight of them, but I can tell you that at least six of the eight are prepared to endorse Senator Obama,” Moylan said this morning.

Read the rest of this entry »

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) — In the final weeks of the race for the Democratic Party's nomination, the battle is for delegates . . . and for momentum.

In the latest episode of CNN=Politics Daily, Sen. Barack Obama tries to steal back momentum from rival Sen. Hillary Clinton by going to Michigan, a general election battleground, and announcing the he has locked up the endorsement of John Edwards.

On the same day that Obama nabbed one of the most coveted remaining endorsements in the Democratic race, Sen. Clinton sought to capitalize on her landslide victory in West Virginia by sitting down for a one-on-one interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Clinton answers questions from two CNN iReporters, explains why she's staying in the race and then opens up about her daughter Chelsea.

Finally, Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider reports on the results from a special election in Mississippi that may have troubling implications for the Republican Party in the fall.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily

Edwards will endorse Obama, CNN has confirmed.

(CNN) — CNN has confirmed that former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Barack Obama shortly at a Michigan campaign event.

The endorsement could help Obama reach out to white, blue-collar voters — a demographic group that Obama has failed to capture, most notably in the recent Pennsylvania and West Virginia primaries.

Edwards received 7 percent of the vote in Tuesday's West Virginia contest.

The former North Carolina senator had campaigned on the message that he was standing up for the little guy, the people who are not traditionally given a voice in Washington, and that he would do more to fight special interests.

After dropping out of the race on January 30, Edwards asked both Clinton and Obama to make poverty a central issue of the general election and a future Democratic administration, something both agreed to do.

Full story

Edwards says Clinton needs to be careful.

(CNN) — John Edwards still says he is remaining neutral in the Democratic presidential race, but the onetime candidate all but said Sunday it is impossible for Hillary Clinton win the Democratic nomination, and warned the New York senator not to damage the party in the primary campaign's final stretch.

Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation, Edwards said Clinton has to be “has to be really careful that she’s not damaging our prospects," with continuing to take jabs at Obama.

"She doesn't need my advice, she knows this full well," Edwards said. "If she makes the case for herself, which she's completely entitled to do, she has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects, the Democratic Party, and our cause, for the fall."

Edwards also praised Clinton for the "strength and fortitude she has shown."

"I know how hard it is to get up and go out there every day, speak to the media, speak to crowds, when people are urging you to get out of the race. I mean, it's a very hard place to be in," he said. “But she's shown a lot of strength about that."

But the former North Carolina senator all but said her chances for winning the White House are over.

"The math is very, very hard for her," he said regarding her deficit in delegates to Obama. "The problem is, I think, you can no longer make a compelling case for the math.”

Read the rest of this entry »

John Edwards said the math isn't working in Clinton's favor.

(CNN) – John Edwards still isn’t backing a candidate in this year’s Democratic primary race – but it looks like he might be ready to pick a winner.

The former presidential candidate told interviewers on NBC and MSNBC that Barack Obama will probably top the Democratic ticket this fall.

Hillary Clinton has said that she can still win the nomination – but "it's very difficult to make the math work," said Edwards.

Which one of the remaining contenders is best-equipped to beat presumptive Republican nominee John McCain? Edwards tried to avoid picking between the two – then chose Obama, because he said the Illinois senator was the probable Democratic nominee.

He added that he worried the continuing campaign could take a toll on the party’s presidential chances. “I think it’s fine for Hillary to keep making the case for her,” said the former North Carolina senator. “But when that shifts to everything that is wrong with him, then we’re doing damage instead of being helpful.”

Edwards has been heavily wooed by both the Clinton and Obama campaigns since he ended his presidential run in January, but has not publicly endorsed either candidate.

Obama held a conference call with Edwards delegates on Thursday afternoon.

(CNN) — After a morning spent courting superdelegates in Washington, Barack Obama convened a conference call Thursday afternoon to reach out to pledged delegates in South Carolina committed to former candidate John Edwards.

Two Edwards delegates on the call said Obama discussed his vision for the presidency and told the delegation he looks forward to working with them at the Democratic National Convention this summer.

Ed Turlington, an Edwards adviser from North Carolina who committed to Obama in April, participated in the conference call, as did former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, an Obama backer.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the call was simply an opportunity for the Democratic frontrunner "to give folks an update on the campaign and a chance to ask questions."

Several South Carolina Democrats familiar with the Edwards delegation said a handful of the former senator's eight pledged delegates in the state are considering throwing their support to Obama.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bonior ran John Edwards' campaign.

(CNN) — Former Michigan Rep. David Bonior, who served as John Edwards campaign manager, will endorse Barack Obama for president, an Obama spokesman confirms to CNN.

The endorsement was first reported Thursday morning by ABCNews.com.

John and Elizabeth Edwards are joined by their children in New Orleans as Edwards announced the end of his presidential campaign in January.

(CNN) – Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, is picking sides in the Democratic nomination race – at least with respect to health care. In an interview that aired Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” she threw her support behind Sen. Hillary Clinton’s health care plan.

“In order to ensure that we have universal coverage, we need to say everybody has to join,” Edwards told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “So, for that reason, the mandates that Sen. Clinton is talking about, I think are going to be more successful in achieving the goal,” she added.

Both health care plans have the same goals, said Edwards, but “I just have more confidence in Sen. Clinton’s policies than Sen. Obama’s on this particular issue.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Edwards said Sunday he's in it for the long haul.

(CNN) – If Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton come calling about the #2 spot on the Democratic ticket, former presidential candidate John Edwards just may let the phone ring this time.

Edwards took the role as John Kerry’s running mate in 2004. But asked Thursday if he would accept his party’s vice presidential nomination if offered this year, Edwards answered firmly, “no.”

His comment came in a question and answer session with former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson after they addressed the CTIA Wireless 2008 convention in Las Vegas. Edwards’ response was posted on the convention’s Web site.

His demeanor and face never changed as some in the audience laughed at his blunt response. An Edwards spokesman told CNN he could not elaborate on the answer.

Thompson, asked what his answer would be, said, “well, the same. It’s presumptuous to answer the question you have not been asked by the only person who counts.”

Edwards also declined to say if he would endorse Obama or Clinton. Thompson joked he would say who he was voting for if Edwards revealed his choice. He responded, “the only thing I know for sure is we’re not voting for the same guy.” After a long pause, he added, “or woman.”

Reuters reports Edwards ruled out running as the vice presidential candidate.

Former presidential candidate John Edwards said Thursday he will not accept the No. 2 spot on the Democratic presidential ticket, Reuters reports.

Edwards, who dropped out of the presidential race in January and has since remained neutral, said flatly "No" when asked by a reporter if he'd be willing to serve as the vice presidential candidate.

Edwards was the 2004 vice presidential nominee.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (AP) — Former Sen. John Edwards, in his first public speech since dropping his White House bid two months ago, praised Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama on Saturday, but declined to endorse either candidate.

"I have a very high opinion of both of them," Edwards said at the Young Democrats of North Carolina convention. "We would be blessed as a nation to have either one of them as president."

Both Obama and Clinton have repeatedly lobbied Edwards for his endorsement, flying into Chapel Hill to meet with him privately and touting his accomplishments on the campaign trail. Before leaving the race, Edwards won a promise from both Clinton and Obama to make ending poverty central to their ongoing presidential campaigns.

On Saturday, Edwards pointed out the historical nature of both of their campaigns and said both were better suited in carrying forward his campaign platform than Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain.

"We are blessed, first, to have an extraordinarily talented African American who could be the next president of the United States," Edwards said. "There's no way to contest the fact that he's inspired this country."

"And Senator Clinton, who has served America for so long and so well, and has shown so much strength and leadership, has really forged an extraordinarily historic campaign as a woman for the nomination and for the presidency."

Pressed by reporters to detail any endorsement plans, Edwards declined to even say if he would endorse a candidate before North Carolina's May 6 primary.

"When I have something to say, I'll let you know," he said.

Read the rest of this entry »

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (AP) — Vincent Anania, the father-in-law of onetime Democratic presidential contender and former Sen. John Edwards, has died. He was 87.

Anania died Saturday in Chapel Hill of heart failure, the senator's wife, Elizabeth Edwards, said in a statement.

Read the rest of this entry »

Edwards is meeting with both Obama and Clinton ahead of his decision when and who to endorse.

(CNN) – An expected meeting between Barack Obama and John Edwards Monday has been rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts, the Obama campaign confirms.

The two men were to discuss John Edwards' likely upcoming endorsement of either Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Clinton met with the former presidential candidate last Thursday. On Saturday night Edwards huddled with several longtime advisers to discuss many issues, including which candidate he should endorse.

The Obama campaign did not give any sense of when the meeting may now take place.

– CNN's Chris Welch and Candy Crowley contributed to this report

Sens. Clinton and Obama, and former Sen. Edwards before the CNN Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

(CNN) — CNN has learned that former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards met with Hillary Clinton Thursday in North Carolina, and is meeting with Barack Obama Monday, to discuss a possible primary endorsement.

The Thursday meeting, which took place at Edwards’ home in Chapel Hill, was followed by a Saturday night session during which the former North Carolina senator and several longtime advisers discussed many issues, including which candidate he should endorse.

The Obama campaign is enjoying a weekend of positive news, after winning four contests in Louisiana, Washington, Nebraska, and Maine. An endorsement by Edwards would provide additional momentum going into the next round of primaries.

At a Chapel Hill party yesterday for Edwards supporters, he gave no indication who he might endorse, or whether that endorsement is imminent. Some advisers are encouraging him not to endorse.

The former candidate is weighing a number of considerations before making his choice - including electability, and who will best promote his ideas.

There are policy considerations at play: there is a sense within the Edwards camp that Clinton's policies could be better for working class Americans. But Obama's anti-lobbyist proposals are more aligned with Edwards’ politics.

In response to a CNN report that Elizabeth Edwards may favor Obama over Clinton, sources close to the Edwards family flatly deny that she favors one candidate over the other.

(CNN) – Now America knows what John Edwards is doing with his newfound spare time.While his former presidential rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are busy computing delegate-math with their staffers, a relaxed Edwards was spotted with his son Jack at the bi-annual Duke vs. North Carolina showdown on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill.The game was held at the Dean Dome, a few miles from Edwards' home in Raleigh. Edwards, chatting with another basketball fan, sported his familiar blue shirt and blazer look. Jack wore a North Carolina t-shirt.Edwards is a long-time Tar Heels fan who attended North Carolina State as an undergraduate, and law school at the University of North Carolina. (In other words: probably not a big Duke fan.)

– CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby