CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -Presidential hopeful John Edwards on Monday planned to air a television ad in New Hampshire that blames lobbyists for keeping 47 millions Americans without health insurance.

The ad dovetails with his criticism of his chief rivals’ health care plans in recent weeks. The former North Carolina senator says there is no way to ensure health care for all citizens without fundamentally changing how Washington works.

“You’re going to sit at a table with drug companies and oil companies and they’re going to give away their power. Right,” Edwards says as the ad shows voters laughing at his sarcasm. “You have to take their power away from them. There’s nothing we can’t do – if we do it together.”

Edwards trails Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in New Hampshire and remains in a tight race with them in Iowa.

He has been campaigning heavily in the early states, packing serial town hall-style meetings into his schedule.

“We don’t have universal health care because of drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists in Washington, D.C.,” Edwards says in the ad, filmed during one such town hall-style meeting.

“Anybody who argues that every American is not entitled to health care, I want them to explain to you: What child in this country is not worthy of health care?”

Edwards was the first of the major presidential candidate to introduce his health care plan, which would require that all Americans sign up for health insurance. He estimates his plan could cost up to $120 billion and would be paid for with higher taxes.

He also would require insurance companies to spend at least 85 percent of their premiums on patient care. He complains that 30 percent of insurance premiums currently go toward administrative expenses and profit. Some states, such as New York, Minnesota and New Jersey, already impose similar requirements.

AP-ES-12-03-07 1501EST