Clinton characterized the questioning during the controversial debate as tough, not irrelevant, as Obama suggested while campaigning Thursday in North Carolina.

In an interview on Fox 29's Good Day Philadelphia, Clinton said yesterday that she has answered plenty of tough queries during more than 20 campaign debates.

Clinton advised her opponent to buck up if he wants to take on the challenge of being president.

"I know he spent all day yesterday complaining about the hard questions he was asked," she said. "Being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the White House. In fact, when the going gets tough, you just can't walk away because we're going to have some very tough decisions that we have to make."

Obama's campaign shot back, issuing a statement that pilloried Clinton for complaining to "all of America" Wednesday night that she always gets the first question at debates.

"Her blatant hypocrisy here is stunning," said Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman. "But if she'd rather spend her time talking about the same distractions and divisions that Washington is obsessed with, that's her business. Barack Obama believes the American people deserve a real debate [on] issues that actually matter like health care, the economy, bringing this war to an end."

During an appearance at the Radnor High School gym yesterday, Clinton talked about the difficulties of campaigning and the tough choices in store for the next president.

She reminded the audience that she worked on legislation to extend health-care benefits to National Guard members and their families, and pledged to lend greater support to military members and their families.

Speaking of Iraq, she said the next president must "manage this very difficult situation."

"There are risks and dangers associated with every decision we make, but that's what you hire a president for," she said. "This is an extended job interview and . . . you have to determine who you will hire for the toughest job in the world."

Rep. Joe Sestak (D., Pa.), a former three-star admiral who served as President Bill Clinton's director for defense policy on the National Security Council, introduced the New York senator. He said he remembers the attention she paid to a group of enlisted soldiers who visited the White House during a ceremony.

"I watched you and I'm here to say thank you for caring," he said.

When asked by a Swarthmore College sophomore what she does in her free time, Clinton said she tries to nap at her first opportunity.

"This campaign has been obviously long and it has been hard-fought," she said. "There is no denying that is a very challenging schedule. It is exhausting, you get up very early and go until very late, and you start again."

Clinton started the day in North Philadelphia at Esperanza Academy Charter High, where she talked to 150 people about the need for universal pre-kindergarten, efforts to reduce school-dropout rates, and college affordability.

The charter school is run by Esperanza, a faith-based community organization led by the Rev. Luis Cortes Jr.

Clinton said "faith without works is dead," but she added that she had been around long enough to know that "works without faith is just too hard."

Cortes said that Clinton had long been subject to personal and unfair attacks but that "she has always carried herself with dignity."

Clinton, Obama Start in Region

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to appear at a West Chester fire station at 522 E. Union St. After that, she is to campaign in other towns across the state, ending in McKeesport.

Sen. Barack Obama is to start a scheduled five-stop train trip at 9:30 a.m. at the Wynnewood station. Other stops will be at 2 p.m. in Paoli and 3:45 in Downingtown before pulling into Harrisburg at 8:45 p.m.

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Inquirer staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.