Stumping at a Democratic rally at the Milwaukee Theatre Friday afternoon, former president Bill Clinton had to take a moment to quiet the crowd's prolonged standing ovation before he could begin speaking.

"You need to calm down," he said, "or I'll forget I'm not president any more."

For the 3,000-plus people that waited in a line stretched around the block to see him, though, Clinton was anything but a has-been.

Campaigning for Wisconsin Democrats four days before the election, the former president blasted current Republican leaders for adhering to what he called a failed ideology and implored Democrats to take advantage of the opportunity to win control of both houses of congress.

He also said Democrats need to be ready to shoulder the burden of representing moderate and independent voters who are dissatisfied with current Republican policies.

"It's an enormous responsibility. We have become by default both the progressive and the mainstream conservative party in America," he said.

He said it was unfair to blame all Republicans for the mistakes of what he called a select few on the party's far right who have been in power since he left office.

"It is only a narrow strip of the Republican party that has been in total control of this country's machinery for the last six years," he said.

He said Republicans have been successful in recent years by painting unflattering caricatures of their opponents, and are now grasping at straws to hold on to power after numerous policy failures.

He summarized this year's Republican message as "It's bad, but you still have to vote for us, because if you vote for those terrible Democrats, they will tax you into the poorhouse, and on the way to the poorhouse, you will meet a terrorist on every street corner, and when you try to run away from the terrorist, you will trip over an illegal immigrant."

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, United States Senator Herb Kohl and U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, all of whom are up for re-election today, also attended the rally, along with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, who is running for state attorney general.

His voice running ragged in the final days of his campaign, Doyle reiterated his messages on education, health care and stem cell research.

"We have to make sure that next Tuesday we vote for basic Wisconsin values so that we can continue to fight and make a difference in people's lives," he said.

Moore, meanwhile, said "the ship of hope" had arrived for Wisconsin, and had a clear message for the crowd: "Get on board."

Kohl praised Doyle's work as governor over the past four years and offered support for other democrats across the state. He did have one request of his own.

"Let's be sure we turn out in huge numbers to re-elect Jim Doyle and (elect) Kathleen Falk and to re-elect Barbara Lawton," he said. "And while you're at it, please don't forget about Herb."

Clinton's visit came as both Doyle and Republican Challenger Mark Green made their final campaign pushes ahead of the election. On Oct. 31, Illinois Senator Barack Obama appeared at a Doyle rally in Milwaukee . Meanwhile, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson toured with Green last week to stump for Republican candidates.