Bill Clinton to stump for Obama in Las Vegas

Former President Bill Clinton will campaign Tuesday in Las Vegas for President Barack Obama's re-election, the campaign announced Thursday.

No details were immediately available.

Clinton's visit will come a week after the first presidential debate between Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney, who delivered a sharp, winning performance Wednesday night, according to most analysts.

The popular former Democratic president will be visiting the battleground state less than two weeks before early voting starts on Oct. 20.

Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention this summer and won rave reviews for defending Obama's four-year term.

Clinton argued that Obama inherited a deep recession from former President George W. Bush and saved the nation from another Great Depression.

Romney argues that Obama's policies have only made things worse by increasing the nation's debt to a record $16 trillion and by expanding government.

Unemployment remains above 8 percent nationwide and at 12.1 percent in Nevada, the highest rate in the nation.

Obama and Clinton are making the case to voters that the president needs more time to revive the economy and lift the hard-hit middle class.

A spokesman for the Romney campaign said Thursday that Clinton's visit won't help Obama.

"Unfortunately for President Obama, he can't run on Bill Clinton's record, and he can't have Bill Clinton debate for him either," said Mason Harrison, communications director for the Romney campaign in Nevada. "Nevadans saw a clear choice in the campaign this week.

"President Obama struggled to defend his disastrous record and has no new ideas to fix the economy, while Governor Romney demonstrated he is a leader who can work across the aisle to create jobs and bring a real recovery to the Silver State."

Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal .com or 702-387-2919. Follow her on Twitter @lmyerslvrj.