This is John Edwards' newest ad, playing on the Internet and in Washington, D.C., that directly attacks President Bush for not listening to some voters on the war and indirectly challenges main rivals Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to vote "again and again" for a bill that Congress has already moved beyond -- likely heading to a compromise without teeth that continues to fund the war. If either manages to vote for a bill that moves the U.S. closer to withdrawal, Edwards will appear to have been out in front of the movement. If the senators vote for a compromise that keeps the U.S. in, Edwards can make them look they caved to Bush.

Best of all for Edwards, he can make these statements and never solidify them in a vote for posterity like Clinton and Obama must. Yes, Edwards' words supporting withdrawal could be thrown back at him later in the election season if people are looking to blame Democrats for not supporting success or facilitating failure in Iraq, but he'll have more room to escape blame than senators whose votes are consequential to U.S. policy.

UPDATE: ABC News' Rick Klein reports the ad's members are not "the people" but Washington insiders, including a Democratic political consultant and a top-fundraiser for the gay-rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign. So much for this ad being about Iraq.