Former president Clinton touts wife’s plans for America at Marietta College

By BRAD BAUER, Special to The News
MARIETTA — Former President Bill Clinton rounded out a campaign tour of Ohio in Marietta on Sunday, telling a crowd of Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters the race for the Democratic nomination will likely come down to the March 4 primary elections.

“You have a choice to make,” Clinton told the nearly 2,000 people who filed into Fenton Court on the Marietta College campus Sunday evening. “Do you want to turn over a new leaf ... or do you want someone who is tested, tried and true?”

Polls show the New York Senator and former first lady has an edge in the Buckeye state over Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Still, Obama has a slight overall lead in the race for the ticket.

The two are set to debate in Cleveland next week.

Around 9:10 p.m. Sunday, Clinton took the stage at Marietta College along with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who endorsed Hillary and who was recently touted as a potential vice presidential candidate. Strickland did not mention the topic, but said on “Fox News Sunday” he is not interested in the position.

After taking the podium, Clinton spent about an hour going over his wife’s resume and plans for America’s future.

“She’s a world-class change-maker,” he said.

The need to reform health care and education were among the key topics the former president discussed. The economy, including new energy ideas, and plans for Iraq rounded out the speech.

“Raise you hand if you know someone without health care,” Clinton said, as every hand in the auditorium went up. “This is the only wealthy country in the world where you can get that response.”

Clinton said his wife is the only presidential candidate with the right health care plan for the nation. He said citizens will have the ability to keep their current health care or to join a universal coverage plan.

Marietta resident Bill Hockenberry said he liked the notion of affordable health care. The 63-year-old has coverage through his wife’s employer — but the coverage is expensive, he said.

“It’s awful expensive,” Hockenberry said. “I didn’t have my mind made up on who I was going to vote for when I came here. But I think I do now.”

Hockenberry said he also liked a promise he heard to get U.S. troops out of Iraq as quickly as possible and to take care of all of the soldiers who have been injured while serving.

“She will honor those kids’ sacrifices,” Clinton said.

It was unclear how many people were turned away from the event. By 7 p.m. Sunday, a line stretched from the doors to the gym across campus and down to Butler Street. Those who could not get into the gym were allowed into the Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center where they could hear, but not see the events.

Tom Perry, director of college relations, said the rec center could accommodate twice as many people as Fenton Court, but he said the Clinton campaign requested the smaller venue.

“I think they just wanted a more intimate setting,” he said.

Belpre resident Angie Ivey, 37, was among the first in line to see Clinton on Sunday. She and her 14-year-old son, Zac, got in line at 1:30 p.m. Doors didn’t open until about 8 p.m.

“I like Bill Clinton and it is just such a great opportunity to hear his views,” she said. “He was such a good president.”

Although he’s too young to vote, Zac Ivey said he supports Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

“It took one Clinton to clean up after a Bush and it is going to take another Clinton to clean up after the next,” he said.

To win the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs 2,025 delegates. Obama has 1,037 pledged Democratic National Convention delegates to Clinton’s 953, according to an unofficial tally by thegreenpapers.com, a non-partisan Web site that compiles election statistics.

Hillary Clinton spent Sunday on the campaign trail in Wisconsin. Bill Clinton spoke in Toledo, Canton and Steubenville before ending the day in Marietta.