Kaine's mission: Win over skeptical liberals in VP speech

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Facing a backlash from the left, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is facing pressure to affirm his liberal credentials in his first prime-time speech as Hillary Clinton's running mate.

Kaine, a former Virginia governor, was introduced by Clinton last weekend in Miami, where he switched easily between English and Spanish and spoke of his time as a Catholic missionary in Honduras, his work as a civil rights attorney and an education-focused governor who managed a state through tough times.

Addressing his home state delegation Wednesday morning, Kaine called the campaign "a civil rights election," panning Republican Donald Trump for mocking disabled people and using "demeaning and offensive language" about women.

Much of their unhappiness has centered on Kaine's vote in 2015 to support so-called "fast track" authority, allowing the president to put forward the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination, said Kaine had brought his beliefs in Catholic social justice to his public service, something he has practiced throughout his career.