Hillary Clinton outlines her vision in Selma speech

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had competing speeches on the anniversary of the historic civil rights march in Selma Alabama.

CIVIL RIGHTS: On the 42nd Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma
March 4, 2007

How can we rest while poverty and inequality continue to rise? How can we sleep, while 46 million of our fellow Americans do not have health insurance? How can we be satisfied, when the current economy brings too few jobs and too few wage increases and too much debt? How can we shrug our shoulders and say this is not about me, when too many of our children are ill-prepared in school for college and unable to afford it, if they wish to attend?

How can we say everything is fine when we have an energy policy whose prices are too high, who make us dependent on foreign governments that do not wish us well, and when we face the real threat of climate change, which is tinkering with God's creation?

How do we refuse to march when we have our young men and women in uniform in harm's way, and whether they come back, their government does not take care of them the way they deserve?

And how do we say that everything is fine, Bloody Sunday is for the history books, when over 96,000 of our citizens, the victims of Hurricane Katrina, are still living in trailers and mobile homes, which is a national disgrace to everything we stand for in America?

Hillary wouldn't win against Barack in a competition over speaking style, but that's a small part of being president. It is important to see these candidates start defining their vision of the future. She'll need to elaborate on exactly how she will address each of these problems if she hopes to keep ahead of Obama over the long run.

Of course, there is one Clinton who is known for his oratorical skill. Hillary will be following in the footsteps of Al Gore if she doesn't unleash that asset.