Clinton to lay out plans for boosting U.S. economy

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton said she would lay out her plans on Friday for jump-starting the U.S. economy, repeating that she believed it was heading into a recession.

"I think we're slipping toward a recession," the New York senator and former first lady said on Thursday after campaigning door-to-door in a Las Vegas neighborhood, where homeowners expressed concern about the economy and the U.S. housing crisis. Clinton's comments echoed those she made in a Democratic debate in New Hampshire last Saturday.

"I'm going to do everything I can to promote what I think would be the best way to stimulate the economy," Clinton said. She plans to detail her plans in a speech in a Los Angeles-area suburb at 11:15 a.m. PST (1915 GMT).

A weakening U.S. job market and manufacturing sector downturn last month has raised concerns the economy was near or perhaps already in recession, but U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday the Fed saw continued, but slow, growth.

Clinton said her economic proposals would include helping people pay their energy bills and ensuring the country was better prepared to help the unemployed.

"We've got to put money in people's hands," she said.

Clinton said the Bush administration's response to the U.S. housing crisis had been "anaemic" and feared the problem would accelerate if more action was not taken, particularly in Nevada, which had the highest home foreclosure rate in the country.

"This is an epidemic. It's contagious," she said.

Nevada holds its presidential nominating contest on January 19 in the state-by-state race to select Democratic and Republican candidates for the November election to succeed President George W. Bush.