Texas Democrats trying to settle March 4 caucus

Both Democratic candidates stressed the economy and jobs Saturday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama scrambled to secure Texas’ last remaining Democratic National Convention delegates Saturday as the state pushed to settle the outcome of the March 4 caucus.

Early results tallied by The Associated Press showed that Clinton had 301 delegates, or 60 percent, compared to Obama’s 202 delegates, or 40 percent. That’s out of about 7,300 delegates expected to be selected at about 280 county and senate district meetings across the state Saturday.

Those delegates will decide the final allocation of national convention delegates at a state convention in June.

In Webb County on the Texas-Mexico border, where Laredo is located, Clinton surprisingly swept all 51 delegates because Obama did not meet the 15 percent threshold of caucus support.

Texas Democrats hold both a presidential primary and caucus. Clinton won the March 4 primary with 51 percent to Obama’s 47 percent, earning her 65 national convention delegates to Obama’s 61. Obama has fared better overall in caucuses this year, winning 13 to Clinton’s 3.

Obama told voters in Johnstown, Pa., on Saturday that some industrial and manufacturing jobs may not return to this steel region, but others could take their place.

Rival Clinton also stressed job creation at campaign stops in Indiana and Kentucky, vowing to help manufacturers transition to new industries like clean energy and ending tax breaks for American companies that ship jobs overseas.

“I think this election, particularly here in Indiana, is about jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs,” the former first lady said.

Jobs and the economy are front and center in the remaining primary contests between the two Democratic hopefuls. Pennsylvania, which holds its primary April 22, has seen its manufacturing base and especially its steel industry weakened in recent decades, as has Indiana, which votes May 6.

While campaigning in Ohio, another big manufacturing state, both Clinton and Obama criticized free trade deals and insisted the other candidate was not as reliable a protector of U.S. jobs. Clinton won that state’s March 4 primary.

Speaking in Indianapolis, Clinton tied many of the region’s economic woes to U.S. trade policy and to President Bush’s laissez-faire approach to China, where numerous America jobs have been shipped in recent years.

“We are now deeply in debt. We owe money to everybody, not just to China but to Mexico and practically any other country you can think of. We are $9 trillion in debt,” she said.

At stops throughout the day, Clinton raised the question of whether she should leave the race — eliciting loud jeers from supporters.

Campaigning in Pennsylvania, her husband, Bill Clinton, said party insiders looking to resolve the contest should step back and allow the process to move forward.

“We just need to relax and let this happen. Nobody’s talking about wrecking the party,” the former president said. “Everywhere I go, all these working people say: ‘Don’t you dare let her drop out. Don’t listen to those people in Washington.’ “

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