Bill Clinton Praises Obama and Christie Response to Superstorm Sandy: 'That's How it Ought to Work'

Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning on behalf of President Barack Obama in Waterloo on Wednesday, spoke about Superstorm Sandy and remembered the Iowa flood of 1993.

"There’s not a Democratic way or a Republican way to fight a flood, to rebuild a community," he said.

Speaking to about 500 people at the Electric Park Ballroom, he said America was seeing Obama at his best as the president works alongside Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in response to Sandy's devastation on the East Coast.

"That’s the way it ought to work when there’s not a flood," he said, to cheers from the enthusiastic crowd, which included Stephanie Kloberdanz and her 11-week-old daughter Brosie O'Banion.

"I figured I'd start her off on the right track," she said. "I just think a lot of the issues are important. They affect my family."

Lucas Neher, of Grundy Center, said Clinton's visit, along with the slew of other candidate visits, illustrate Iowa's importance in the election.

"Politics matter in Iowa," he said. "The candidates know it and Iowans know it."

During his 40-minute speech, which covered a wide range of topics from student loan debt to Obamacare to the war in Iraq, Clinton often addressed Iowans directly, talking about wind power, Iowa's rich farmland and education.

He said Romney would cut education spending to pay for tax cuts.

“Iowa has always been known as one of the most pro-education states in America,” he said. “This issue alone should ensure that Barack Obama wins Iowa next week.”

Clinton also made stops in Mason City and Council Bluffs.

The Cedar Falls stop came in the waning days of the election season, as Eastern Iowa hosts a steady stream of campaign visits. Ann Romney stopped in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines on Tuesday and Michelle Obama spoke in Iowa City Monday. Paul Ryan will visit Cedar Falls on Friday and Vice President Joe Biden has Thursday campaign stops in Muscatine and Fort Dodge.

President Obama has temporarily suspended campaigning as he tours damage from Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey today, but both he and Mitt Romney have planned stops in Dubuque on Saturday.

Clinton called on Iowans to give Obama four more years in office.

"Nobody could have gotten over this thing in four years," he said of the recession. "But we’re on the way back."

Clinton shook hands as he made his way offstage, but then suddenly dashed back to the microphone, saying he’d made a note to himself about Waterloo that he forgot to bring up during the speech.

“Waterloo is famous,” he said, going on to talk about the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at a different Waterloo in a different time.

“So far, the good guys have won,” he said. “Make sure it happens again.”