B. Clinton, Experience Matters

CLAREMONT -- Hillary Clinton says she has a track record of standing up to the Republican machine. But today in New Hampshire, Bill Clinton noted the ways she's worked with the opposite party, including a would-be rival. And he argued that more attention needs to be paid to candidates' records and not to "pure politics."

Speaking at Keene State College this morning, Clinton said that there is "a lot of dispute" among candidates, which he called healthy.

"I didn't like it very much for months when it was just a one-way street. At least it's getting balanced up a little," he said. "But, there seems to be this fashionable idea that not just Hillary, but some of the other people who are running for president -- Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Governor Richardson, people who have rendered enormous service to this country -- should somehow be disqualified from our leadership because they have actually been change makers in the past."

"I argue to you based on a lifetime of experience that if you have spent as my wife has 35 years ... being a positive change maker, that indicates that you would be more likely to successfully execute change as president," he continued. "If you have proved in the U.S. Senate that you could get things done with Republicans as well as Democrats, that indicates you'd be more likely to succeed as president."

Later, speaking to a packed gymnasium at Stevens High School in Claremont, Clinton mentioned his wife's work with former Sen. Bill Frist on legislation to computerize medical records, and with Sen. Lindsay Graham on legislation to provide body armor and medical benefits for National Guardsmen. "She and Senator John McCain ... took Republican senators all over the world showing them the physical changes happening because of climate change," Clinton added. "This is an important thing. Doing things together."

The former president said he "felt very badly" for all of the candidates, referring to an article that analyzed press coverage of the race. "One percent of the press coverage was devoted to their record in public life," he said. "No wonder people think experience is irrelevant. A lot of people covering the race think it is."

Clinton was one hour late for his first stop this morning, which he attributed to slow travel from Boston on the newly-snow-covered roads in New Hampshire. At both stops, he referred to his first campaign in the state. "I had some of the great and most important days of my campaign for president in 1992 here," he said.

(NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli)