Jill Disis

IndyStar

Kokomo, Ind. — Former President Bill Clinton praised his wife Hillary Clinton as an ally of auto manufacturing workers during a campaign stop in Kokomo on Saturday that focused heavily on economic policy touted by the Democratic front-runner for president.

Speaking before a crowd of several hundred supporters at a union hall for United Auto Workers Local 685, Clinton repeatedly described his wife as the best candidate for office and characterized Republican attacks against her as a validation of her credentials.

"They decide who they don't want to run against, and then they dump on them like crazy," Clinton said, adding that he believes his wife has "got a good record and good ideas to bring back manufacturing."

The message resonated strongly among supporters in Kokomo, a city of about 57,000 residents whose livelihoods largely depend on manufacturing jobs: Automotive giant Chrysler is one of its biggest employers. The city was hit especially hard by the recession.

"When she was a senator, she worked to protect and advance manufacturing jobs, including casting a critical vote to save the auto industry," Bill Clinton said, referencing the 2008-2009 auto industry bailout bill.

A recent string of victories across the Northeast have given Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, a wide delegate lead over Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders. Still, recent polls in Indiana show the Vermont senator in a tight race with Clinton here before the state's May 3 primary.

One of the attendees at Saturday's event, Ken Ferries, said he would likely vote for Sanders in the primary on Tuesday. But the 67-year-old Kokomo resident said he expected Clinton would win the nomination — and that he would stand behind her if she did.

"I think the Republican alternatives would all be a disaster for the country," said Ferries, who wore a Sanders button but carried a Clinton sign. "I think that the next four years are really important, and both (Donald) Trump and (Ted) Cruz scare the living daylights out of me."

Sanders has enjoyed endorsements from two manufacturing unions in the state, including the group that represents workers at air-conditioning giant Carrier, which announced in February that it was closing an Indianapolis plant that employs more than 1,400 workers. He also won the endorsement Saturday of several affiliates across Indiana of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Some union officials argue that the Clintons' complicated history on free-trade agreements forced plant closures such as Carrier's.

During a speech on April 26 at the Clinton campaign headquarters in Indianapolis, Bill Clinton drew contrasts between his wife and Sanders, and described the senator's proposals as unrealistic.

On Saturday, Bill Clinton stayed away from Sanders and instead focused on what he called unnecessary partisan attacks against his wife that have hurt her approval ratings since she left her post as secretary of state in 2013.

"I know the Republicans have been really mean to her, and it's been fairly effective," Clinton said, pointing to repeated congressional hearings held on the 2012 attack that killed four Americans at the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Scrutiny of Clinton's handling of the security situation in Benghazi, especially by Republicans, has followed her throughout her campaign.

Supporters at Saturday's event, however, said Clinton's experience as secretary of state made them more likely to vote for her. Nate Stout, of Kokomo, called Clinton's foreign policy experience a "huge benefit."

"I think it's incredibly helpful," said Stout, 35. "That's what people don't understand about getting a nonestablishment candidate, is that you have to have some establishment to be able to understand the global dynamics that are more pressing now than they have ever been."

Hillary Clinton will hold a rally in Indianapolis at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Douglass Park Gymnasium, 1616 E. 25th St. Doors open for the public event at 10:30 a.m.

USA TODAY and IndyStar reporter Brian Eason contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Jill Disis at (317) 444-6137. Follow her on Twitter: @jdisis.

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