Clinton targets economy, opens Ohio campaign at Valley plant

Clinton said her plan will revitalize the middle class.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

LORDSTOWN — Penny Jackson was clearly excited as she awaited the arrival of Hillary Clinton at the GM Lordstown complex.

“She’s my girl. I can’t wait to see her. I plan to shake her hand. She’s opening the door for a lot of women,” said the 31-year GM employee from Alliance.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off the Ohio phase of her bid for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president Thursday with a visit to the auto plant. She addressed several hundred employees and political supporters as she outlined her plan to go after big oil and special interests in what she said is a drive to restore America’s middle class.

Jackson wasn’t disappointed with what she heard.

“I was very impressed,” she said afterward.

Jackson also has a dilemma. She said she is torn between supporting Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama in the campaign for the Democratic nomination.

“I kind of hate that she and Obama are going against each other,” she said, suggesting it would be ideal to have the two share the ticket.

“They would do this country a world of good. That is the dream ticket,” Jackson said.

Clinton took time to take a brief tour of the Lordstown production line, stopping to speak with workers and sign autographs.

She said she believes the Mahoning Valley is important, not only to her campaign for president, but for Ohio and America.

That’s why she decided to launch her Ohio campaign for the March 4 Ohio primary here, she said.

Telling the crowd that one of her primary goals is to help rebuild a strong and prosperous American middle class, Clinton outlined a plan that she said would put $55 billion a year into the pockets of Americans by reining in special interests, going after excessive oil company profits, enacting a “fair credit for families agenda,” establishing a Student Borrowers’ Bill of Rights, creating a $50 billion strategic energy fund, restoring fairness to the tax code and putting an end to what she described as health insurance company discrimination.

She said she chose to unveil her plan and launch her Ohio bid at a plant like Lordstown that has weathered the storms and will continue to survive.

“Ohio is the heart of it all,” Clinton told the crowd. “Ohio represents the best of what we can do to build a strong and prosperous middle class.”

She said she envisions the building of a manufacturing belt that would surround Ohio.

Her plan would retool companies, provide universal health care, create 5,000 “green clean energy” jobs and, in general, help to revive the nation’s economy. It would also end corporate subsidies and loopholes for companies that decide to move jobs overseas.

Costs are going up while jobs and wages are going down, Clinton said, adding that she understands what families are doing to try to cope.

“The election is about you and your families,” she told the crowd. The country can’t afford to give up manufacturing in America or its manufacturing jobs — ever, she said.

Not long ago, the country had a balanced budget and a surplus, but President George Bush “signed a subprime mortgage on the American economy,” she said, claiming the country’s destiny has been signed over to other nations, including China, Mexico and others.

Chinese steel comes here, American money goes there and the U.S. gets toys with lead paint and contaminated pet food while our government does nothing about it, Clinton said.

America needs to revamp its trade agreements to protect American jobs and manufacturing, she said, suggesting that the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed into law by her husband, needs revisited in terms of labor and environmental issues that she said were never negotiated or enforced by the Bush administration.

Clinton said she voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement because of the same failings.

She never mentioned her Democratic opponent by name but did refer to him several times, accusing his campaign of releasing false information about her stance on NAFTA and suggesting that he lacks the experience to create jobs.

“My opponent makes speeches. I offer solutions,” she said.

Change will happen whether people want it or not. The question is, who will deliver progress, she said.

“There’s a big difference between us — talk versus solutions,” Clinton said.

gwin@vindy.com