Poverty remains the top issue in Edwards’ book

With the Iraq war dominating this weekend’s California Democratic convention, presidential candidate John Edwards turned to a collection of essays to try to spark interest in his signature domestic theme -- poverty.

In the just-released book, “Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream,” Edwards and other essayists argue that efforts to improve the lives of the nation’s poor are hampered by failing schools, lack of affordable healthcare and low-wage service-economy jobs with few chances of career advancement.

The book evolved from seminars at the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity that Edwards established at the University of North Carolina after the 2004 election. Edwards selected the contributors, including former Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp, and wrote the concluding chapter.

Edwards, who addresses the convention today, said in a telephone interview Saturday that the Bush administration squandered an opportunity in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Millions in aid was raised for thousands of mostly low-income residents displaced from flooded neighborhoods, but the nation’s attention quickly drifted.

If the president had used Katrina to spotlight poverty, Edwards said, “it would have stayed on the front burner. I think if a national leader makes it an issue and uses Katrina as an example for a problem that exists in America, I think it would come roaring back.”

Though similar themes failed to land Edwards the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, he said he considered ending poverty key to the nation’s economic success.

Yet Edwards, a millionaire former trial lawyer, has taken a beating by critics after revelations that he spent $400 on haircuts -- an unusual stumble for a candidate attuned to the power of symbols in politics.

“It was just a mistake,” Edwards said, adding that “it was a ridiculous amount to pay for a haircut.”

But he believes the issue will fade.

“I don’t think it has any lasting impact,” Edwards said, citing his well-cataloged background as the son of a millworker. “I’ve spent my whole life standing up for the little guy.”

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scott.martelle@latimes.com