More Edwards '04 Prospecting

W A S H I N G T O N, April 26 -- Even some Democrats say he's being too aggressive, too early (especially certain Democrats … ).

And some would say he's making up for lost time, given that the party's presidential nominating contest will start the moment the dust settles from the 2002 elections.North Carolina Senator John Edwards is in the midst of another round of extensive national media coverage. ABCNEWS has learned that Edwards, viewed as one of the Democrats most actively jockeying for position in the run-up to the 2004 Democratic nominating contest, will address the Iowa Democratic Party's "Hall of Fame Event" on Friday, June 14. The event is a fundraiser honoring some of the state party's leading lights. This is a plum speaking slot in one of two states, the other being New Hampshire, who have dominated the presidential nominating process in recent elections. How Edwards secured the slot could not be immediately learned. The Iowa Democratic convention kicks off the next day; the state party has invited several Democrats viewed as possible contenders for president in 2004 to attend, but has gotten no confirmations yet. This will mark Edwards' fourth trip to Iowa since the 2000 election; he visited the state to speak at Drake University, and twice more to address two local Democratic party events. Just one week after this latest sojourn to the Hawkeye State, Edwards also is scheduled to make his second trip to New Hampshire this year, appearing at the Manchester Democrats' Flag Day Dinner on June 21. Edwards also will make two trips to South Carolina in the first half of May, addressing the South Carolina Democratic convention on May 4 and the state Democrats' biennial Gallivants Ferry stump meeting on May 13; paired up with the Gallivants Ferry appearance on Edwards' schedule is a Greenville County Democrats' event. South Carolina Democrats are expected to hold one of the first presidential primaries after Iowa and New Hampshire. As could be expected, Edwards' presidential traveling schedule isn't sitting too well with some North Carolinians, because someone has set up a website, www.edwards04.com, which includes these lines: "It's clear that Edwards (a former trial lawyer) has higher ambitions than being North Carolina's junior senator. He has walked the thin line of talking like a centrist to his constituents, yet voting like a rank-and-file liberal Democrat. His voting record would almost certainly ruin his chances for re-election in 2004, but 2004 is also a presidential year.""It's a free country," an Edwards spokesperson said. It could not be immediately learned who the sponsor of the site is.