Legalizing more immigrants would help bolster the Social Security system, former President Bill Clinton told the nation's largest Hispanic-rights organization Friday.

''Those of you who want immigration reform should use Social Security more,'' Clinton said to about 1,300 members of the League of United Latin American Citizens. ''If we legalize just 250,000 more immigrants a year, it would solve half of the shortfall in the Social Security Trust Fund.''

More legalized immigrants would put more young people in the system to help support the deluge of baby boomer retirees, Clinton said.

During his 48-minute speech, Clinton didn't mention President Bush's plan to privatize some Social Security accounts, but he did criticize the administration indirectly.

Clinton said Hispanics experienced economic and educational gains under his presidency, but have since faltered, and it was time to figure out ''where do we go from here?''

Clinton was greeted by an extended standing ovation and cries of ''Viva Clinton!'' to which he replied, ''You need to calm down. Otherwise, I might think I'm president again.''

Also Friday, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean and his GOP counterpart, Ken Mehlman, both spoke before the league convention.
Dean said he would make sure Democrats do more to include Hispanics in state party systems, particularly in Texas.

''In Texas, I don't think there are more than one or two Hispanics in the employ of the state party; that will change and it will change dramatically,'' Dean said. ''We will change our party, but not what we believe in. But we need your help.''

Mehlman said President Bush has put more Hispanics in key leadership positions than Clinton, and the GOP exceeded its expectations among Hispanics in the 2004 presidential election. Bush claimed more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote, according to Associated Press exit polls.