Ex-president Bill Clinton rallies Democrat troops to back Barack Obama in rousing speech

FORMER US president Bill Clinton has kick-started Barack Obama’s re-election bid with a rousing speech to members of the party faithful during the Democratic National Convention.

• Prosperous Clinton backs Obama’s economic policies.

• Democrat hero gets behind president during official nomination.

In a TV address seen by millions ex-president Clinton, who oversaw a prosperous period in the 1990s, told American voters that he believes Obama is steering the country towards economic recovery.

It is expected to be a tight race as Mr Obama goes up against Republican candidate Mit Romney in November.

Mr Obama’s acceptance speech tonight will mark the climax of the three-day convention, though Democrats have abandoned plans for Mr Obama to deliver the address at a large American football stadium, citing weather concerns.

Democrats have used their convention to fight back against Republican claims at their gathering last week that Mr Obama’s devotion to big-government solutions has stifled the US economy and swollen the national deficit.

However, Democrats say Mr Romney would go back to the economic policies that led to a recession, helping the wealthy while harming the poor and middle class.

Mess

Mr Clinton, who formally nominated Mr Obama as the Democratic candidatesaid: “If you want a you’re-on-your-own, winner-take-all society, you should support the Republican ticket.

“If you want a country of shared prosperity and shared responsibility – a we’re-all-in-this-together society – you should vote for Barack Obama and (Vice President) Joe Biden.”

Mr Clinton said the Republican campaign argument is “pretty simple: ‘We left him a total mess, he hasn’t cleaned it up yet, so fire him and put us back in’.”

He said Mr Obama has “laid the foundation for a more modern, more well-balanced economy”.

After the speech, Mr Clinton was joined on-stage by Mr Obama, who made his first appearance at the convention.

Mr Clinton was a strong choice for one of the convention’s prime speaking slots.

He has had a checkered relationship with Mr Obama, who ran against Clinton’s wife, Hillary, in the 2008 primaries.

However, nominating Mr Obama, Mr Clinton said: “I want to nominate a man who is cool on the outside but who burns for America on the inside,” he said.