Times may have changed, but we still need a woman to clean up the White House, a woman who is a “fighter, doer and champion,” Sen. Hillary Clinton said to a crowd of more than 5,000 people at the Pier 30 Convention Center Thursday night.

After numerous false starts and well after the initially publicized arrival time, Clinton ascended the stage to deafening cheers.

She touched issues like clean energy, the cost of higher education, the war in Iraq, the deficit, and universal health care, among other subjects.

“I am hoping to unify the country … not just to unify it for the sake of saying, ‘We’re unified,’” she said. “We need to be unified with a common purpose.”

Work toward clean energy “is happening right here in Washington,” she said, listing various local companies who are working on alternative energy. The former first lady said she wants 20 percent of U.S. energy to come from renewable sources like solar power by 2020.

Clinton appealed to students as well.

“Let’s make college more affordable again,” she said, targeting student loan companies that practice “predatory lending” by charging exorbitant interest rates.

The financial aid process is also far too complex, she said, promising that cumbersome forms would be reduced to a simple online application.

As for Iraq, she said she would work with advisers on a plan to begin withdrawing troops within 60 days.

“[Let’s] bring home our men, women and money from Iraq,” she said.

Clinton also touched on the budget deficit.

“George Bush put us so deeply in debt that we borrow money from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis,” she said.

Universal health care, a lifelong “public passion” of Clinton’s, is achievable, she said.

Her plan includes allowing Americans to keep the plan they have, if they are satisfied, or choose from plans available to members of Congress.

“Stand up for me … and I will stand up for you,” she said before leaving.

Seattle Metro bus driver Karina Wiesenbach said she connected to what Clinton said about strengthening the middle class.

“She convinced me that she needs my vote,” she said.

Katherine Khorram, another Clinton supporter, said the senator from New York proved herself long before Thursday night.

“We won’t see a woman as qualified as she [is] in our lifetime,” she said.

[Reach reporter Erinn Unger at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]