Edwards/Kerry strains

Adam Nagourney of the NY Times writes about the conflict developing between John Edwards and John Kerry:

John Kerry and John Edwards, rivals turned running mates in the last presidential campaign, have become rivals once again, assembling competing political networks, jostling for attention and staking out ideological turf in preparation for a potential rematch in 2008.

... Mr. Edwards has begun criticizing major tactical decisions of the Kerry-Edwards campaign last year, saying he disagreed with them at the time. Mr. Kerry's campaign advisers disputed those recollections, and described Mr. Kerry as irritated by what appeared to be a calculated effort by Mr. Edwards to distance himself from the losing campaign.

"John Edwards is not going to comment on confidential and private conversations with John Kerry," said David Ginsberg, an adviser to Mr. Edwards. "He will decide whether or not he is going to run again based on how Elizabeth and how his family are doing and where the country is at that time."

But wait – isn’t 2008 a bit far away for all of this? Apparently not, in the new political climate:

The image of former running mates heading so quickly back to their corners is highly unusual in recent American political history. It reflects the pressure on potential candidates from both parties to get moving earlier in a campaign that will feature wide-open contests on both sides for the first time in 50 years.

After 2000, Mr. Lieberman delayed recruiting supporters and raising money in keeping with his pledge to Mr. Gore, a delay that Mr. Lieberman later said contributed to his weak showing in the 2004 contest, and a lesson that presumably has not been lost on Mr. Edwards.

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