WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is using his first campaign television ad of the 2008 presidential race to slam President Bush's veto of the Iraq war spending bill and urge members of Congress -- several of which are his rivals for the Democratic nomination -- to stand firm on a mandatory deadline for withdrawal.

The 30 second ad will run in the Washington, DC media market beginning Thursday and feature what the campaign is calling nine "regular Americans calling on Congress to stand up to President Bush."

"I asked my staff to create an emergency television ad that would bring the people's voice directly to Congress, calling on them to make the right choice," Edwards said in an e-mail to supporters Wednesday.

A campaign aide told CNN the duration of the ad buy will depend on how much money they are able to raise for it. In his e-mail, Edwards wrote "We need to raise $100,000 in 24 hours to air this ad."

Neither Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or New York Sen. Hillary Clinton -- the two candidates ahead of Edwards in the Democratic presidential race and both members of Congress -- have indicated they will support keeping the withdrawal language in the new Iraq spending bill.

-- CNN's Alexander Mooney and Lauren Kornreich