USATODAY - Senator Edwards wants to jump-start college for all

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, joining what Democrats say will be an "ideas primary" among presidential hopefuls, today will propose a government program to pay the first year's college tuition for a student who also works 10 hours a week at a job or community service.

In addition, he'll put forward plans to offer four-year, full-tuition scholarships to students who agree to teach in hard-pressed schools or work in homeland security for five years after graduation.

But the North Carolina Democrat could open himself to criticism as a big-spending liberal for a package his aides estimate eventually would cost $9 billion a year. To offset part of the costs, he proposes changes in education programs that would save $2 billion. And in a speech on the economy last week, he proposed more extensive cost-saving steps by the federal government to trim the deficit.

I love a campaign of ideas and ideals.