Clinton revs up Dems for Reid
Former President Bill Clinton said he can't understand why U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's seat is in jeopardy in Nevada.
"Why would you give away the Senate majority leader who has delivered time and time and time again?" Clinton asked a rally of about 700 Democrats on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
He said Reid is not to blame for the nation's economic collapse, which has hit Nevada particularly hard.
Reid is in a fight for his political life against Republican Sharron Angle, the tea party favorite, in the Nov. 2 election.
He was in Washington, D.C., while Clinton was rallying supporters in Nevada.
Reid opened his general election campaign by releasing two TV commercials that highlight
his efforts in Washington to create jobs.
In one, a worker credits Reid with helping arrange federal tax credits for a solar project that put several hundred people to work.
The ads don't mention Reid's opponent, Republican Sharron Angle.
Jobs are a key issue in Nevada, where unemployment hit a record 13.7 percent in April, and the state has the nation's highest foreclosure rate.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee said Reid is trying to paper over the state's ailing economy.
Democratic candidates up and down the ballot are seeking Clinton's help, seeking his backslapping politicking and high-dollar fundraising prowess. The former two-term president was the closer in Pennsylvania last month, helping Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Critz win a special election. His campaigning was a factor in U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln's narrow victory in Tuesday's Democratic runoff in Arkansas.
"He is very effective," said retiring U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., who praised Clinton's understanding that the party should be a big tent. Still, Snyder added: "He recognizes he's not effective everywhere, and there are some places where he plays better than others."
"Bill Clinton is clearly more effective than Barack Obama right now," Snyder said -- though he quickly added that his comment was specific to Arkansas.