By NEIL H. SIMON, Media General News Service
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ARLINGTON, Va. - Five days before Virginia's primary, Hillary Clinton told a rally Thursday she would be the best opponent against Republican John McCain in the fall campaign.
"Who would be the best Democrat to stand next to John McCain and debate national security?" Clinton asked a boisterous crowd of about 2,000 in the gym at Washington-Lee High School.
The senator from New York didn't mention Democratic contender Barack Obama by name, and she treated McCain, who emerged as the Republican presidential frontrunner with the exit of Mitt Romney, as her chief rival.
"In Iraq, he (McCain) said recently he could see having American troops there for 100 years. I want them coming home in 60 days of my becoming president," she said.
Senator McCainof Arizona, offers "more of the same, more of the same economic policies, more of the same military policies in Iraq," she said. "I offer a very different vision about what we can be about in America."
She struck a hopeful note, saying, "I want our tomorrows to be better than our todays."
Clinton said she was sure her audience in the Washington suburb knows that a lot of people President Bush appointed during the last seven years have no business in government.
"I've got an old-fashioned idea. How about appointing qualified people to do the jobs in the federal government again?"
Drawing attention to Virginia jobs, she said, "I don't think it's right for a company to move jobs out of Virginia and use your tax dollars to pay for it."
She parlayed environmental policy into local economic opportunity, saying if Germany can grow its solar energy industry, America can too.
"Virginia has more sunny days than Germany," she said. "Think of how many solar power jobs we could have in Virginia."
Lines on the environment and ending the war in Iraq brought the most thunderous reactions. Students banged the bleachers when she said she would bring troops home within 60 days of taking office.
Clinton and Obama are scheduled to attend the Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Richmond Saturday night.
On Monday, Clinton will visit the Introduction to American Politics class at the University of Virginia, taught by professor Larry Sabato. She will make remarks and take questions from students only, Sabato said.
Virginia is thought to be a toss-up, and many at the Arlington rally were still undecided heading into Tuesday's primary.
"I like Obama, but I really can see her and McCain up there, and she'd really be great," said Stan Karson, a retiree from Arlington.
The war remains a key issue for undecided voter George Long.
"The troops are still in Iraq. Whoever can get them home the quickest, that's who has my vote," said Long, 44, a maintenance technician for Arlington schools.
"I'm leaning toward Barack," he said, "but Bill Clinton - he was my man."
Maria DiGiulian, 41, walking to the rally from her home, said she was "a locked vote" for Clinton. Her daughter, Sophia Hays, 9, wore a T-shirt that read, "Hillary 2008, Sophia 2036."
"I think you have a lot of educated women here who will come out for her," DiGiulian said.
Clinton's national campaign was already looking beyond Tuesday, talking up campaign efforts in delegate-rich Texas on a conference call about Latino outreach. Hispanics make up only about 6 percent of Virginia's population.
"Who would be the best Democrat to stand next to John McCain and debate national security?" Clinton asked a boisterous crowd of about 2,000 in the gym at Washington-Lee High School.
The senator from New York didn't mention Democratic contender Barack Obama by name, and she treated McCain, who emerged as the Republican presidential frontrunner with the exit of Mitt Romney, as her chief rival.
"In Iraq, he (McCain) said recently he could see having American troops there for 100 years. I want them coming home in 60 days of my becoming president," she said.
Senator McCainof Arizona, offers "more of the same, more of the same economic policies, more of the same military policies in Iraq," she said. "I offer a very different vision about what we can be about in America."
She struck a hopeful note, saying, "I want our tomorrows to be better than our todays."
Clinton said she was sure her audience in the Washington suburb knows that a lot of people President Bush appointed during the last seven years have no business in government.
"I've got an old-fashioned idea. How about appointing qualified people to do the jobs in the federal government again?"
Drawing attention to Virginia jobs, she said, "I don't think it's right for a company to move jobs out of Virginia and use your tax dollars to pay for it."
She parlayed environmental policy into local economic opportunity, saying if Germany can grow its solar energy industry, America can too.
"Virginia has more sunny days than Germany," she said. "Think of how many solar power jobs we could have in Virginia."
Lines on the environment and ending the war in Iraq brought the most thunderous reactions. Students banged the bleachers when she said she would bring troops home within 60 days of taking office.
Clinton and Obama are scheduled to attend the Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Richmond Saturday night.
On Monday, Clinton will visit the Introduction to American Politics class at the University of Virginia, taught by professor Larry Sabato. She will make remarks and take questions from students only, Sabato said.
Virginia is thought to be a toss-up, and many at the Arlington rally were still undecided heading into Tuesday's primary.
"I like Obama, but I really can see her and McCain up there, and she'd really be great," said Stan Karson, a retiree from Arlington.
The war remains a key issue for undecided voter George Long.
"The troops are still in Iraq. Whoever can get them home the quickest, that's who has my vote," said Long, 44, a maintenance technician for Arlington schools.
"I'm leaning toward Barack," he said, "but Bill Clinton - he was my man."
Maria DiGiulian, 41, walking to the rally from her home, said she was "a locked vote" for Clinton. Her daughter, Sophia Hays, 9, wore a T-shirt that read, "Hillary 2008, Sophia 2036."
"I think you have a lot of educated women here who will come out for her," DiGiulian said.
Clinton's national campaign was already looking beyond Tuesday, talking up campaign efforts in delegate-rich Texas on a conference call about Latino outreach. Hispanics make up only about 6 percent of Virginia's population.