Clinton, under pressure to slow Obama's momentum after eight consecutive losses, honed her economic message to appeal to middle- and lower-income voters before the next round of Democratic contests in Wisconsin and Hawaii on Tuesday and Texas and Ohio on March 4.
"It is time we had a president who was a fighter, a doer and a champion for the American middle class," Clinton said as she visited a popular Cincinnati restaurant, Skyline Chili, for an economic round-table.
"I am a candidate of, from and for the middle class of America," added Clinton, who grew up in a comfortable middle-class suburb of Chicago, then went on to attend Wellesley College and Yale Law School. She often talks at her campaign events about how she relied on government loans to help fund her education.
The New York senator stressed her proposals for a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures and a cap on credit card interest rates, and the elimination of tax breaks for companies that export jobs overseas. She has also vowed to work to eliminate tax breaks that let Wall Street money managers pay lower tax rates.
"We are going to change the tax code. It is wrong that an investment money manager on Wall Street making $50 million a year gets a lower tax rate than a teacher, a nurse, a truck driver, an auto worker making $50,000 a year," Clinton said.
The former first lady, who would be the first female U.S. president, tried to use Obama's skill as a public speaker against him, again accusing him of offering rhetoric rather than substance.
"This primary election offers a very big choice to the voters of Ohio," she said. "You can choose speeches or solutions.