Clinton Says Economy Needs Experience

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks to local residents during a town hall meeting, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007, in Knoxville, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) (Charlie Neibergall - AP)

KNOXVILLE, Iowa -- The economy needs help and fast, Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Monday, claiming the experience for the job and saying the nation can't afford to break in a newcomer.

In speech that kicked off a two-day campaign swing through Iowa, the New York senator painted a bleak picture of a U.S. economy battered by home foreclosures, rising oil prices and lack of good jobs for middle class workers.

The former first lady compared the situation to 1992, when her husband ran against the first President Bush.

"There seems to be a pattern here. It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush," she said to applause.

Without mentioning names, she suggested Democratic rival Barack Obama _ less than three years into his first term in the Senate _ and other candidates lack the experience necessary to address the nation's myriad fiscal challenges.

"There is one job we can't afford on-the-job training for _ our next president. That could be the costliest job training in history," Clinton said. "Every day spent learning the ropes is another day of rising costs, mounting deficits and growing anxiety for our families. And they cannot afford to keep waiting."

In Iowa, Obama was asked about Clinton's comments and offered a sharp response.

"My understanding is she wasn't Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration. I don't know exactly what experience she's claiming," he said. "Rather than just assert experience, if she has specific differences with me in regard to economic policy then let's have that debate."

Clinton, speaking in a community gymnasium, outlined steps she said she would take to stem the housing crisis and help consumers in cold-weather states pay to heat their homes. Among other things, she said she would create a $1 billion fund for states to help homeowners who risk foreclosure.

She also addressed global challenges to the economy, including funds controlled by foreign governments to invest in U.S. stocks, real estate and businesses. She called for greater transparency for such funds, which are currently not required to disclose their assets or investment returns.

While she directed much of her criticism at the Bush administration and GOP presidential candidates, the subtext of Clinton's speech was clear: She has more detailed understanding of U.S. economic woes than her rivals.

She is seeking to reinforce that message after several days in which both Obama and John Edwards stepped up their criticism of her past support for the North American Free Trade Agreement and other pacts that labor leaders have said were responsible for sending thousands of jobs out of the country.