Presidential candidate Barack Obama, D-Ill., openly criticized rival John Edwards’ U.S. Senate record today in front of a crowd of approximately 300 in Oskaloosa.

Obama made the charge that Edwards’ record during his single term as a Senator from North Carolina does not match the rhetoric he’s been using on the campaign trail.

“Both of us agree that we’ve got to take on the special interests and the lobbyists,” said Obama. “Both of us agree that they have too much influence in Washington. But I would argue that in positions where we actually had a chance to do something about it, I did something and John didn’t. During six years in the Senate he wasn’t passing laws to reduce the power of lobbyists,” said Obama. He continued by highlighting his own recent work to reform congressional ethics laws.

Obama also criticized Edwards regarding independent special interest groups and their influence on the campaign.

“John, yesterday, said he didn’t believe in 527s. Those are these independent groups that raise money without disclosure,” said Obama. “We found out today that there’s an outside group that’s funding $750,000, just bought three-quarters of a million dollars worth of television time, and the individual running the group used to be John Edwards’ campaign manager.

“The easiest thing in the world is to talk about change during election time,” he said. “You’ve got to look at how they act when it’s not convenient.”

The Edwards campaign released the following statement Saturday afternoon:

Today, after an event in Coralville, Iowa, Senator John Edwards called on 527 groups to stop running ads:

“I do not support 527 groups. They are part of the law, but let me be clear: I am asking this group and others not to run the ads.  I would encourage all the 527s to stay out of the political process.”

Earlier in the day Edwards said:

“I’m proud of the fact that, unlike Sen. Obama, I have never taken any money from a Washington lobbyist or PAC.  From my perspective that is not an academic or philosophical question.  This is about who has the toughness and fight to take on corporate greed and win.  And I have been doing it my entire life. And what we have is an epic fight in front of us to stop this corporate greed and to protect the middle class and jobs in this country. And that’s a fight I’m ready for.”