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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton asked voters Thursday to ignore the negative campaign against Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, saying he's a fiscal conservative who has worked hard for his district.

Shuler is locked in an increasingly competitive campaign against Republican challenger Jeff Miller. Clinton said Shuler has been unfairly attacked by his opponent.

"This man has earned the right to be re-elected," Clinton told several hundred people at an outdoor rally. "All of the things they say in the cartoon attacks don't apply to him. He's represented you faithfully. I'm telling you the most important thing is the kind of person he is. The way he treats people in Washington. The way he refuses to be caught up in all the name calling and all the demonization."

Clinton's appearance in Asheville came two days after Virginia's Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, campaigned in the state with Miller.

Ironically, Schuler ran afoul of House Democratic leaders early in President Obama's term when he criticized them for failing to win more GOP support for the economic stimulus, which he voted against. The 11th district in western North Carolina is one of several dozen that supported a Democrat for Congress in 2008 while backing Republican John McCain for president, according to Congressional Quarterly.

Shuler has been building a relationship with Clinton since the former president reached out to the ex-NFL quarterback when Democrats recruited him to run for Congress in the 2006 election. Shuler endorsed Hillary Clinton in her 2008 White House bid after she won the primary in his district. Clinton attended a fundraiser for Shuler last year.

Clinton told the crowd that the issues facing the nation are complicated, especially the economic problems that have led to high unemployment and foreclosures. But instead of dealing with the problems, Republicans — and Tea Party leaders — have created slogans. He said voters need to study the issues, "know the facts."

"Folks look at how long it took to explain it to you," Clinton said about the nation's problems. "It's not that simple. But I think you're smart enough to understand it."

Clinton reminded the crowd that the federal budget was balanced when he left office, and warned that Republicans want to repeal important legislation passed by Congress over the last two years, including the reform of the student loan industry.

Miller's spokeswoman, Katie Martin, criticized Clinton's visit.

"I'm sure that President Clinton and the Congressman will have a nice time talking about the good old days when he was in the White House and Heath was trying to make it with the Washington Redskins," she said. "But, that was 16 years ago, now Barack Obama is the president. ... North Carolina's families are having a tough time making ends meet and we don't need to relive the days before Heath sold out to liberals in Washington, we need solutions for the future."