Edwards to Drop Out of Presidential Race

[Freddie Stubbs]

Mar 2, 8:07 PM (ET)

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Edwards, the Southern charmer who brought unbridled optimism and an up-from-the-bootstraps biography to the presidential campaign, decided to drop out of the Democratic race after a Super Tuesday rout, The Associated Press has learned.

"He's stepping aside," said a Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A second Democratic official said Edwards will drop out Wednesday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.

Edwards, 50, is a Southern politician in the Bill Clinton mold, a youthful moderate of modest background whose charisma and looks gained more attention than his policies at first. He came to politics in mid-life, running for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina in 1998 after earning millions of dollars as a trial attorney.

more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040303/D812IVIO0.html