Give Obama more time to clean up Republican mess: Bill Clinton

Former US President Bill Clinton today took the stage at the Democratic National Convention here to make a passionate plea to Americans to re-elect Barack Obama, saying he needs four more years to clean up the "mess" left behind by the Republicans.

Lending his dazzle to Obama's re-election efforts, Clinton speaking directly to the American electorate said he believes "with all my heart" that the incumbent was leading a remarkable, if incomplete revival.

"In Tampa the Republican argument against the President's re-election was pretty simple: We left him a total mess, he hasn't finished cleaning it up yet, so fire him and put us back in," he said in his 48-minute rousing prime-time speech.

"We are going to keep President Obama on the job!" Clinton said amidst laud applause and cheer from the audience.

The two-time president shared the dais with Obama and later proposed his name for renomination as Democratic candidate, saying the incumbent was cool on the outside but "burns for America" inside.

"I want to nominate a man cool on the outside but burning for America on the inside. A man who believes we can build a new American Dream economy driven by innovation and creativity, education and cooperation. A man who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama," he said.

"I want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States and I proudly nominate him to the standard bearer of the Democratic Party," he said.

Clinton's nomination of 51-year-old Obama as the Democratic candidate was approved by the party's delegates at the convention. Obama faces Republican Mitt Romney in the November 6 presidential elections.

He also had a word of praise for his wife Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who was not present at the convention.

"I'm so proud of her and grateful to our entire national security team for all they've done to make us safer and stronger and to build a world with more partners and fewer enemies," Clinton said.

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