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Clinton and Kaine debut as Democratic ticket in Florida

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., arrive at a rally at Florida International University Panther Arena in Miami, Saturday, July 23, 2016. Clinton has chosen Kaine to be her running mate.

MIAMI >> Hillary Clinton introduced running mate Tim Kaine as “a progressive who likes to get things done,” joining the Virginia senator in the crucial battleground state of Florida to help kick off next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Clinton said Kaine cares more about making a difference than making headlines, “everything that Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not.”

Clinton offered Kaine the vice presidential spot on the Democratic ticket in a phone call on Friday night. His selection completes the line-up for the general election. Clinton and Kaine will face Republican Trump and his running mate, Pence, the Indiana governor.

Kaine, 58, was long viewed as a likely choice, a former governor of politically important Virginia and mayor of Richmond who also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

He also had a particularly powerful backer: President Barack Obama, who advised Clinton’s campaign during the selection process that Kaine would be a strong choice.

Kaine is a fluent Spanish speaker with a reputation for working with Republicans.

“Trying to count the ways I hate timkaine,” Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake wrote on Twitter. “Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend.”

Kaine was the choice over Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a longtime friend of the candidate and former President Bill Clinton.

The senator is viewed skeptically by some liberals in the Democratic Party, who dislike his support of free trade and Wall Street. Shortly after Friday’s announcement, Stephanie Taylor of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said Kaine’s support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact gives Republicans “a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue.”

Notably, a campaign aide said Kaine made clear “in the course of discussions” that he shares Clinton’s opposition to TPP in its current form.

Clinton’s campaign teased the announcement throughout Friday, encouraging supporters to sign up for a text message alert to get the news — a favorite campaign method for getting contact information about voters.

The Democratic candidate made no mention of her impending pick during a somber meeting with community leaders and family members affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and a later campaign rally in Tampa.

When the news came via text, she quickly followed it with a message on Twitter: “I’m thrilled to announce my running mate, TimKaine, a man who’s devoted his life to fighting for others.”

Trump also announced the choice of his running mate on Twitter, and followed it up with an announcement the next day at a hotel in midtown Manhattan — a curious choice given the state’s strong Democratic leanings.

Clinton and Kaine appeared at Florida International University in Miami. Florida is the nation’s premier battleground state, and the bilingual Kaine is likely to be a valuable asset in Spanish-language media as the campaign appeals to Hispanic Americans turned off by Trump’s harsh rhetoric about immigrants.

Before entering politics, Kaine was an attorney who specialized in civil rights and fair housing. He learned Spanish during a mission trip to Honduras while in law school. During his political career, he’s demonstrated an ability to woo voters across party lines, winning his 2006 gubernatorial race with support in both Democratic and traditionally Republican strongholds.

His wife, Anne Holton, is the daughter of a former Virginia governor and is herself a former state judge and the state’s education secretary. The couple has three children.

Trump, in a text to his own supporters, said Obama, Clinton and Kaine were “the ultimate insiders” and implored voters to not “let Obama have a 3rd term.”

Kaine got some practice challenging Trump’s message when he campaigned with Clinton last week in northern Virginia, where he spoke briefly in Spanish and offered a strident assault on Trump’s White House credentials.

“Do you want a ‘you’re fired’ president or a ‘you’re hired’ president?” Kaine asked in Annandale, Virginia, as Clinton nodded. “Do you want a trash-talking president or a bridge-building president?”

62 responses to “Clinton and Kaine debut as Democratic ticket in Florida”

  1. sarge22 says:

    Top officials at the Democratic National Committee criticized and mocked Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont during the primary campaign, even though the organization publicly insisted that it was neutral in the race, according to committee emails made public on Friday by WikiLeaks.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/us/politics/dnc-emails-sanders-clinton.html?_r=0

    • Boots says:

      Old news and unlikely to have much of effect. Shame the Donald is not really doing anything different from past republicans. Frankly I am tired of being told be afraid, be very afraid. While Hilary is not my choice, I can easily support her for president. Sure is a lot better than a couple of clowns running.

      • lespark says:

        What we need is someone with the temperament of a rabid pit bull to go after ISIS. You don’t have to look to far to see the corruption and lies on multiple fronts Hillary is involved in. I would hate to see you make a mistake.

        • Boots says:

          Well I won’t be making a mistake. Hawaii will be going for Hillary so I will probably vote for Johnson or Jill unless Hillary has shown that she has stopped being a chicken Hawk.

        • postmanx says:

          Wall Street wins again and the new world order marches on….#stillsanders.

        • lespark says:

          Boots, you’ll probably sleep better if you don’t vote for Hillary. She is disgusting.

        • Boots says:

          postmanx, wall street has always been there. New world order? Sounds like something the Donald would like to start with him the dictator.

          Lespark, Hillary is hardly disgusting. She is after all a poor country girl who has done well. Wish people wouldn’t believe the propaganda from the right. It is just wrong.

        • lespark says:

          Boots, you’ll sleep better.

      • Denominator says:

        Don’t be afraid. Take a vacation to Libya and enjoy yourself.

      • lespark says:

        Let’s stay on topic. The DNC Convention is about to kick off. There have been allegations the Committee was less than forthcoming in their support of Bernie. Please, by all means, vote your conscience, but I would not openly support The Democratic Party. Your candidate does not need any help in the area of trust. Look for some fallout.

        • klastri says:

          Less than forthcoming? Look for fallout? That’s your line of criticism now?

          Your continuous, non-stop effort is pathetic. Just wanted you to know that.

        • lespark says:

          What the heck is the DNC try to pull. Have they no shame?

    • Ronin006 says:

      Sanders supporters already were upset about the DNC’s rigged system and were heading to the convention by the thousands to vent their anger and frustration. The revelations made public by Wikileaks yesterday is indisputable evidence that the fix was in at the DNC to give Hillary the nomination and added fuel to the fire. The Democratic Convention is in for one hell of a week.

      • Boots says:

        I don’t know anyone who didn’t feel that Sanders was a long shot or that Debbie obviously favored Hillary. Nothing new here. Why do you think Debbie is facing a primary challenge and she is begging for money?

        But the fact is Hillary is going to be the democratic nominee and will probably be our next president. I don’t think The Donald will be able to steal an election like GW did in 2000.

        • Denominator says:

          Trump showed himself pretty clearly in his speech. While Dems probably didn’t watch it, they will watch the debates. Everyone will be watching the debates. While Trump shows he is truly committed, Hilary will be lying her way through every issue. The comparison of the two on the same stage will be game, set and match.

        • Paulh808 says:

          HilLIARy for prison!

        • calentura says:

          Boots, how many more states and delegates would Sanders have won if the DNC had acted fairly? Trump, early on, was clearly a long shot also. And there is something new here: proof that the DNC lied about objectivity.

        • MillionMonkeys says:

          Wake up, Trumpzis, Donald is committed to NOTHING.

          If you throw out the slogans and knee-jerk insults, what is left? Correct, NOTHING.

          On Day 2 of the RNC, the theme was “Make America Work Again.” What was his plan? Correct, NOTHING. Critizicing Hillary is not an economic plan.

          What is his plan to decrease violence in America? Let’s disregard his humorous wish that everyone in that Orlando nightclub had been carrying a gun. Correct, NOTHING.

          What is his plan to build the Wall? How long will it take, and how will he make Mexico pay for it? Correct, NOTHING.

          Since you are so good about speaking up for your master, why don’t you explain what any of Trump’s plan really is?

          Correct, NOTHING!

        • hawaiikone says:

          Hey monkey, the subject is Hillary, your sweetheart. “Criticizing Hillary is not an economic plan”. Brilliant! Well, blasting Trump is not a defense of Hillary either. And your “Trumpzi” thing wasn’t cute the first time, much less the 500th..

        • Ronin006 says:

          Sanders was not as a long shot as you think. Without the rigged Democrat super delegate system and had the DNC not interred by actively supporting Hillary, Sanders might have pulled off the greatest upset in American political history. You will be hearing lots about this from Sanders and his supporters during the convention. It is going to be nasty.

        • lespark says:

          Boots, you getting nervous? Probably? I don’t think?

        • lespark says:

          Blacks, we have to bring them to heel.

        • sarge22 says:

          OMG Did HiLIARy really say that?

      • lespark says:

        I agree, if I was Bernie I’d lodge a protest and sue the DNC. Bernie isn’t going to take this lieing down.
        The Democrats have been running America into the ground.

      • NanakuliBoss says:

        Oh yeah wiki leaks. We all know what a stand up organization that is. Lol. Their members are wanted cyber criminals all over the world.

        • lespark says:

          The emails, researchers and amateur Wikileaks sifters say, corroborate a view that Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump were largely correct in their assertion that the political establishment was swaying things in favor of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton… from very early on, even before voters had their say.

        • Cricket_Amos says:

          Instead of commenting on the information in the uncovered emails, you impugn the integrity of the messenger.
          I don’ think this is a convincing argument.

      • lespark says:

        Bernie supporters tried to get a rally going. They denied the permit. They are boiling mad.

        • Ronin006 says:

          Bernie supporters do not need a permit to exercise their right to free speech. I believe we will be seeing them rallying (or rioting) in the streets outside the Convention Center with or without a permit.

    • Keonigohan says:

      aiyaiyai carumba!!! It’s da Crooked hiLIARy & Korrupt Kaine circus this week!!!

    • lespark says:

      The DNC should be ashamed of themselves. We have to root out this evil.

  2. Ronin006 says:

    Interesting duo – Kaine and Disabled.

  3. lespark says:

    DNC PARTY BIAS PER LEAKED DOCUMENTS? BERNIE SANDERS TO REVOLT?

  4. paradisetax says:

    More political vomit.

  5. Paulh808 says:

    Huge WikiLeaks story in the national press, I can’t seem to find it here on-line, Hmm, interesting. Is the Star Advertiser picking and choosing what to report? I hope not, that would really resemble soviet era, Pravda and Tass, state run media action. Harder to hide stuff nowadays with so much sources at our finger tips!

  6. scuddrunner says:

    Clinton said Kaine cares more about making a difference than making headlines. Unlike Hillary.
    Like to see Chelsea try to out do Ivanka in looks and smarts.

  7. cojef says:

    Strategic move to win the State of Virginia and the Latino voters. The VP candidate politically is a centralist and not aligned with Hilary’s?

    • cojef says:

      Forgot to include as posted above by “postmanx”, the globalist would hope for a socialist order of the likes worst than the Bolsheviks style regime where individual liberties are absent in favor of the state. Democracy as we have been founded upon will no longer be recognized.

  8. Ronin006 says:

    Republicans are going to have a field day with Hillary’s lack of judgment in selecting Kaine as her VP running mate. When Democrat Kaine took the oath of office for Governor on Virginia in January 2006, Virginia’s unemployment rate was 3.3%. When he left office in January 2010, the unemployment rate had risen to 7.9%. Compare that to Republican Mike Pence as Governor of Indiana. When Pence became Governor of Indiana in January 2013, the unemployment rate was 9.0%. It is now down to 4.3%. Unemployment doubled under Democrat Kaine and was cut in half under Republican Pence. The comparison is striking.

    • Cellodad says:

      The comparison is strikingly misleading if you can recall the recession of 2008. (I can) A better comparison might be against US unemployment as a whole, broken out by job sector over the period from 2006 through 2016.

      • Winston says:

        Strange. Are you saying that the 2008 bust struck Va, a state afloat in Federal Gov’t spending, more severely than Indiana, an industrial/agricultural state? Doubt that’s true.

        • Keonigohan says:

          Agree with Ronin006 & your posts. Facts & common sense gets in the way of spin sometimes.

  9. lespark says:

    Not so fast Hillary. She still doesn’t have enough delegates. The Superdelegates can vote for Bernie.

  10. lespark says:

    THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS CORRUPT

  11. WizardOfMoa says:

    Whoa! Calm down kids, keep your cool and just vote according to your heart desire! Good luck!

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