ATLANTA – Former President Bill Clinton endorsed fellow Democrat Jim Martin on the campus of Clark Atlanta University Wednesday.

Martin is in a tight runoff for Senate against Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

“Every single one of us is here tonight because we believe that America is back,” Martin said. “I’m glad to say, Mr. President, America is back.”

Chanting the familiar Barack Obama campaign mantra of “Yes we can,” hundreds of people braved the cold and poured into the school’s Trevor Arnett quadrangle.

“We’ve lost 96,000 jobs in Georgia and our middle class is struggling,” Martin said. “And we’re ready for change.”

Clinton campaigned for Martin in response to the famous politicians that have traveled to Georgia in recent days for Chambliss, including Sen. John McCain.

“I wanted to be here tonight because I have an enormous affection for Georgia and because I like Jim Martin,” Clinton said. “And you should, too.”

During his speech, Clinton discussed the importance of the 60 votes that the Democrats have their eye on to enjoy a filibuster-free Senate. Martin is the key to that majority, he said.

“We don’t need a firewall, we need a bridge,” Clinton said. “Martin’s the bridge. Chambliss is the firewall. It’s not rocket science.”

The former president criticized the Bush administration’s economic policy, which he said is ignoring the middle class for benefit of special interest groups. Clinton said it’s time the nation gets “back to bottom-up middle class economics.”

Though Young Democrats president Louis Elrod couldn’t attend the rally, he said he was “totally thrilled” with Clinton’s visit to campaign for Martin, a phrase he said he does not throw around lightly.

“We’re ecstatic that this race has received so much attention nationwide,” Elrod said. “We know Jim Martin has run a good, clean race. When he’s elected, he won’t be the Democratic senator; he’ll be the senator of all Georgians.”

The runoff vote will be on Dec. 2.

“You can win this thing if you want it bad enough,” Clinton said. “The hopes of America are riding with Georgia.”