HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- Despite sound troubles that plagued a microphone aiding Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Hillary Clinton laid out her plan to capture the state's votes and bring jobs back to a beleaguered economy. Rendell, introducing Clinton to a packed house at The Forum just across from the state capitol building, predicted his candidate would sweep central Pennsylvania.

Offering more harsh criticism of rival Barack Obama's experience, Clinton echoed shots she took at the younger senator in Rhode Island. "We can't just gaze heavenwards and hope [for a new future], we have to work for it," Clinton said. "What we have to decide is who is ready to go into the oval office to make those decision," she continued. "I don't want you voting on a leap of faith, I want you to look at the record."

After finding success with a message that focused on the economy in Ohio, where voters who said it was their most important issue favored Clinton by a 55%-43% margin, Clinton signaled she would continue on that track. "We have a lot of work to do and we're going to start that work by turning the economy around," she said, calling for green-collar jobs and for an end to tax breaks for companies that export jobs.

Clinton also won big applause for calling for an end to tax breaks for oil companies, excoriating the current administration's relationship with Middle Eastern companies. "As your president, you will not see me holding hands with the Saudis," Clinton began. The crowd erupted enough to cut off the end of her sentence.

The largely younger audience, somewhat unusual for a candidate who has consistently performed better among older voters, greeted Clinton's call for an overhauled education lending system. Clinton urged new direct loans from government to students, and offered forgiveness for debt if graduates pursue public service jobs.

Clinton also said schools can help: "Colleges and universities have to start taking a hard look at how much their costs go up each year," she said. Interrupted by the crowd many times, Clinton paused only to acknowledge students from Wellesley who shouted her alma mater's cheer.

Even as Mississippi voters cast ballots today, Clinton's focus is already on the Keystone State. "Now the eyes of America and the world are on Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's turn and I'm excited to be here," she said, casting herself as an almost-native. Her biggest evidence: Clinton's father and brother played football at Penn State, her brother under legendary coach Joe Paterno.

Still, Clinton's campaign, ahead by a dozen points in the latest RCP Pennsylvania Average, signaled it will not let Obama come back without a challenge. Hitting Obama, also in the state today, for casting a vote in favor of the 2005 energy bill championed by Vice President Dick Cheney -- a bill she voted against -- Clinton pulled no punches. "When it counted, I said no, he said yes," Clinton said.

Further hammering Obama for questions over his stated position on NAFTA and an adviser's reported comments to the contrary to a Canadian official, Clinton signaled she isn't about to let the matter go. "There's a big difference between talk and action, but if you're going to talk you ought to mean what you say so people can count on you," she asserted.

Clinton has one more public event planned for today, at Temple University in Philadelphia. But here, in Pennsylvania's central region, is where any big Clinton margins would happen.