by Heather Skold
h.skold@krdo.com
DENVER - From Biden to Bill, Wednesday's theme remained constant: vote for Barack.
Bill Clinton, made his pitch, attempting to smooth out the rough edges after trading barbs on the campaign trail.
The tone was set Tuesday with Hillary Clinton's speech, and further affirmed by husband and former President Clinton.
Bill Clinton started by praising his wife's run for the white house.
"In the end, my candidate didn't win. But I'm very proud of the campaign she ran," said Clinton.
Later, he didn't fail to put history on the record: 18 million voted for his wife in the primary-caucus season.
"The campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming," Clinton joked.
He then took a shot over the bow, aiming at Republicans.
"Look at the example the Republicans have set," said Clinton, as the crowd responded by booing their rivals.
Clinton then unleashed the attack.
"Look at the example the Republicans have set: American workers have given us consistenly rising productivity. They're worked harder and produced more. What did they get in return? Declining wages, less than one-fourth as many new jobs as in the previous eight years, smaller health care and pension benefits, rising poverty and the biggest increase in income inequality since the 1920s. American families by the millions are struggling with soaring health care costs and declining coverage. I will never forget the parents of children with autism and other severe conditions who told me on the campaign trail that they couldn't afford health care and couldn't qualify their kids for Medicaid unless they quit work or got a divorce. Are these the family values the Republicans are so proud of? What about the military families pushed to the breaking point by unprecedented multiple deployments?"
When Clinton was nominated 16 years ago, critics were quick to call him inexperienced - a theme Republicans are using in ads against Obama.
"Together, we prevailed in a campaign in which the Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief. Sound familiar? It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won't work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history. Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world. Ready to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be President of the United States."
Finally Clinton made a challenge to listeners.
"If, like me, you still believe America must always be a place called Hope, then join Hillary, Chelsea, and me in making Senator Barack Obama the next president of the United States."
