Sen. JOHN EDWARDS, D-N.C., came to Harvard last night to face Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s ‘Hardball’ and meet with students in Kirkland House.

Senator John Edwards, D-N.C., stuck to the core message of his presidential campaign—emphasizing his humble roots and attacking the Bush administration’s Iraq policy—during the first installment of “Hardball: Battle for the White House,” a nationally-televised show shot live at Harvard last night.

Edwards, who has had several noted flubs on live television appearances, held his own against the show’s pugnacious host, Chris Matthews, and wowed the crowd both at the Hardball shooting and at and earlier meeting with students at Kirkland House.

Edwards criticized President Bush’s decision to award an Iraq-rebuilding contract to Halliburton—a company which Vice President Dick Cheney once led.

“He’s spending more energy looking out for his friends than he is looking out for the American people and taxpayers,” he said.

He emphasized that some control of Iraq must be handed to the U.N.

Before the “Hardball” taping at the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum, Edwards, one of nine Democratic contenders vying for the chance to dethrone President Bush in 2004, impressed a standing room only crowd of hundreds in the Kirkland House JCR.

Edwards isn’t at the top of the polls nationally—a recent poll had him tied with the Rev. Alan Sharpton for fifth place among the nine Democratic presidential contestants—but he did well with Harvard students last night.

“Senator Edwards has definitely left a large impact on the minds of the students,” said Joey M. Hanzich, a member of the Harvard College Democrats who helped organize the Kirkland event. “The other candidates have a lot of work to do.”

Senator John F. Kerry, D-Mass., will appear at Kirkland next Monday, prior to his own appearance on “Hardball.”

Edwards gave his opinions on a wide range of topics on everything from whether the Red Sox will beat the Yankees—they will—to how he thinks recently elected California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will do in office: not very well.

A Republican National Committee spokesperson criticized Edwards for his “personal attacks” on the president last night.

“Senator Edwards failed to present any ideas for policy proposals,” spokesperson Christine Iverson told The Associated Press. “All of the Democratic presidential candidates have failed to catch the imagination of primary voters.”

Edwards articulated his three main issues as Iraq, the economy and health care.

On Iraq, Edwards defended his vote in favor of using force in Iraq despite the opposition of the U.S.’s allies on the Security Council.

He also said that had he been president he would have approached the situation differently, though he added that it was in everyone’s interest to see Saddam Hussein gone.