VP Nominee Kaine Blasts Scott And Trump, Tries To Charm Local Mayors

WLRN Public Media | By Mareike Aden

Published August 29, 2016 at 8:26 AM EDT

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Tim Kaine, poses with Patricio Moreno, Chairman of Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida, before a meeting with Florida mayors at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines.

Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine campaigned in South Florida on the weekend. It was Kaine’s first trip to Florida since he first appeared as Vice President Candidate in Miami at the end of June.

On Saturday morning he spoke to local mayors and elected officials in Pembroke Pines. The event was not open to the public.

Several dozen South Florida mayors and elected officials were invited to meet Tim Kaine at a Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines. As a former city council member and mayor himself, Kaine said he felt close to them. Then the Democrat’s Vice President Candidate lashed out at Donald Trump.

“There is a sharp distinction between a Hillary Clinton who understands the value of alliances which are making us stronger and a Donald Trump who seems to think building walls and tearing up alliances is a path to strength, it’s a path to isolation and to weakness.”

He also addressed sea level rise and other issues of climate change - a problem he said that also concerns his home state of Virginia. Kaine criticized how Governor Rick Scott dealt with the issue.

“If what I read is right you have got a governor that ordered his officials to not even use the term – which is nuts, absolutely nuts.”

Kaine stressed Florida’s importance as swing state and called on those present to volunteer and help the campaign.

In the audience was Judy Paul, Mayor of Davie. She was excited by Kaine’s promise that Hillary Clinton’s and his policy would focus on those questions that matter locally.

“Does it make a neighborhood safer, where somebody lives? Does it make a community more economical vibrant? How does it affect a classroom, and a child and a teacher in that classroom? That’s the test, and you know that”, he said.

Paul said she was prepared to help his campaign with all her resources on the ground. “It’s the local people, the local volunteers, the grassroots, knocking on doors. We know that at the local level this is how we win elections.”

Kaine stressed Florida’s importance as swing state and said he and Hillary Clinton would spend a lot of time here in campaigning.