N. Carolina's Edwards throwing presidential hat into Iowa's ring.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

WASHINGTON _ They say the road to the White House begins in the snowy cornfields of Iowa, the first state to choose delegates each presidential election year. But perhaps it is only coincidence that Sen. John Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, will fly there Saturday.

"I wouldn't read anything into it," said Edwards, who is on almost everyone's list of possible Democratic presidential candidates in 2004.

Other Democrats thought to be mulling a presidential bid include former Vice President Al Gore, Sens. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and John Kerry of Massachusetts, former Sens. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and Bill Bradley of New Jersey, and California Gov. Gray Davis.

The Tar Heel State's junior senator, who made his mark as a successful trial lawyer before winning his seat in 1998, will address an elite crowd of judges and lawyers Saturday at the Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.

Edwards said in a recent interview that his speech will focus on legal issues, "what lawyers can do to help the world and perhaps a little politics."

To folks in Iowa, that sounds like a familiar ritual: a rising-star politician comes to their state years before the next election to recruit friends, supporters and even campaign workers. Party caucuses to select delegates for the 2004 nominating conventions will be in early 2003.

"Nobody comes to Iowa this time of year to give a speech unless they are running for president," said Iowa State University political scientist Steffen Schmidt, known as "Dr. Politics" to his students and listeners to his radio talk show.