Linda, you are correct that Lightroom and other Raw processors do not have the sophisticated cloning tools that image editors have -- it goes beyond the scope of Raw processing.
Now, we do have "spot" cloning, which is especially useful for things like dust, but also can be used to remove some objects, especially if there is a smooth area that you can use to easily replace things with. We've seen some pretty cool examples of that.
But still, even us hard-core Raw processor users tend to have an image editor on hand. So, your idea of having a current version of Elements alongside of Lightroom is a very good idea that most of us go with. That way, you can happily go along doing most of what you need in Lightroom and then, on occasion if you have a challenge you can jump into Elements.
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