Clinton hopes economic message resonates in Ohio

ZANESVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton pushed her prescription for the ailing economy on Wednesday in Ohio, where she hopes her plans to restore lost manufacturing jobs and aid the middle class are keys to victory in Tuesday's crucial U.S. presidential primary.

Clinton has stressed economic solutions in the stretch run in Ohio, where the struggling economy and a big voting bloc of blue-collar workers create a favourable political environment for her increasingly populist economic message.

"The economy is the number one issue in the country and it's unbelievably important here in Ohio," Clinton, a New York senator, told reporters before an economic summit with more than a dozen invited guests in Zanesville.

The event opened a string of campaign stops over two days in sparsely populated and economically hard-hit Appalachian area of southeast Ohio, where she hopes to highlight an anti-poverty agenda in another nod to former rival presidential candidate John Edwards.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee, made poverty the centrepiece of his campaign before his recent withdrawal from the race. Clinton and rival Barack Obama have competed for his endorsement.

"We're sliding into a recession and the price of everything is going up at the same time. This is a very difficult terrain to try to navigate through," Clinton said.

Clinton faces must-win contests against Obama on Tuesday in Ohio and Texas, where she hopes to halt the Illinois senator's string of 11 straight victories and resurrect her fading campaign to be the Democratic nominee in November's election.

Clinton refused on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of losing either contest and facing an end to her quest for the White House.

'I FEEL GOOD'

"I don't think about it like that, I'm doing everything I can to win. That's what I intend to do. I feel good about these upcoming states," she said.

Ohio has been hard-hit by recent economic woes, losing 23 percent of its manufacturing jobs since 2000. The subprime mortgage crisis also has hurt the state, with foreclosures climbing 88 percent in 2007.

At campaign events, Clinton touts her plans to put a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of subprime mortgages, remove tax breaks for oil companies and put new restrictions on credit card companies, including a cap on interest rates.

She also emphasizes her proposals for universal health care, as she said health care is one of the biggest reasons jobs have moved overseas. She promises to eliminate tax breaks for companies that take jobs out of the country.

Clinton, who says she is better equipped to deal with the economy than Obama, has held a series of events like Wednesday's summit and economic roundtables to highlight the stories of workers and show her grasp of solutions.

"I think experience is something I will put to good use when it comes to dealing with the economy and I think my specific ideas are more in keeping with what we need to do," Clinton said.

(Editing by David Wiessler)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/