Ex-president: Hillary will bring real change

Bill Clinton spoke in
Northeast Ohio on Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

KIRTLAND, Ohio (AP) — Former President Clinton said Saturday his wife is the only Democrat in the presidential race who has a plan to create jobs in a state that needs an economic boost.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s plan to invest in renewable energy sources offers real change, he told about 1,000 supporters at a rally inside a high school gymnasium in Kirtland, about 15 miles east of Cleveland.

“We’re not creating enough jobs,” he said. “We’re not creating the jobs needed for the future. We’re not making the kind of investment necessary to make ourselves competitive.”

Ohio and Texas hold pivotal primaries Tuesday. Bill Clinton has publicly asserted that his wife must defeat rival Barack Obama to keep her campaign alive.

The former president, who made five campaign stops Friday in Ohio, told the crowd in Kirtland that his wife will be a caring president who won’t forget their concerns.

“Who is most likely to remember the look on your face and the concern in your heart after the election is over? You should say yes to Hillary,” he said.

Appearing at a later rally in Lakewood, a Cleveland suburb, Bill Clinton said his wife is the real candidate of change.

“No one has done more with Republicans to advance the public interest in the Senate than she has,” Clinton said. “You have to know when to cooperate and when to stand your ground. She is a world-class change maker. If you are looking for somebody who can make change in your life, that’s important.”

He said Sen. Clinton’s abilities will make her a strong president.

“The president is personally responsible for turning good intentions of the campaign into positive changes in other people’s lives, and she’s a genius at that. She’s the best I ever saw,” he said.

Cheryl Majkrzak, 44, of Berea, a Hillary Clinton supporter who attended the rally, said she was impressed by what she heard.

“The president is a great promoter,” she said. “I think if Barack’s people heard the president talk, they might switch.”