In North Carolina, Clinton kicked off what her campaign bills as a three-state, six-day "Solutions for America" tour to highlight her proposals to deal with the economy.
As she has across the country on the campaign trail, the New York senator cited the economic challenges Americans face: rising gas prices, steep college tuition and the increasingly unaffordable cost of healthcare -- the mention of which generated the most applause.
Clinton also attacked the Bush administration, saying it had failed to do enough to ease the plight of displaced workers. "We've been stalled, I would say, for at least seven years," she told a crowd at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh. "And you pay the price."
She also criticized the president for giving tax breaks to oil companies, and said he was ignoring the mortgage crisis and allowing the nation's infrastructure to deteriorate.
Clinton did not mention Obama, but campaign aides mocked him for announcing a $30-billion plan after she had announced one. They said the country needs "leadership, not followership."
A key focus of Clinton's economic message Thursday was her proposal to spend an additional $12.5 billion on retraining over five years to help workers who have lost their jobs or who seek higher-paying ones.
"No American should be left on the side of the road," she said, singling out efforts by North Carolina leaders to boost job training at places like community colleges.
Clinton followed up with a detailed set of proposals for dramatically more government involvement in providing economic aid. "It is time for a president who is ready on Day One to be commander in chief of our economy," she said.
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maura.reynolds@latimes.com
noam.l evey@latimes.com
Reynolds reported from Washington and Levey from North Carolina. Times staff writers Maeve Reston in Salt Lake City and Johanna Neuman in Washington contributed to this report. Mark Silva of the Chicago Tribune also contributed.
