Clinton stays away from directly taking on Palin

Hillary Clinton, in her first major campaign appearance since Sarah Palin's addition to the GOP ticket, criticized Republicans for ignoring the needs of middle-class Americans during their convention.

But she shied from directly taking on Palin, the first-term Alaska governor who is directly appealing for the support of women who backed Clinton during the Democratic primaries.

About the closest Clinton came in Kissimmee, Fla., is when she amended her applause line from the Democratic convention in Denver: "No way, no how, no McCain, no Palin."

Other Democratic female office-holders have been sent out by Barack Obama's campaign to describe Palin's views on abortion and other issues as extreme.

But Clinton avoided those kinds of criticisms, sticking to a script of praising Obama and Joe Biden for their pledges to help the middle class on taxes, healthcare, equal pay for women, and other pocketbook issues.

"I didn't see that from Senator McCain and Governor Palin," Clinton said, with an Obama "Change We Can Believe In" banner behind her. "I saw more of the same."

The party conventions, she added, showed the "stark choice" facing voters in November.

"We have a tough road ahead of us," Clinton said. "But I don't think it could be any clearer what the choice will be."

UPDATE: This evening in Tampa, Clinton gave a similar speech, criticizing the Bush administration's record on the economy.

She told supporters that she was "proud to run" for president, and added, "I haven't spent the last 35 years in the trenches...to see us squander this opportunity. It's bigger than any one person."

"That is why Barack Obama is my candidate," she said, "and he must be our president in January."