Latest news with #JosePadilla
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Vance stirs the pot in California, after a tense week
Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President." Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President."
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Vance stirs the pot in California, after a tense week
Vice President JD Vance has used an appearance in Los Angeles to renew criticism of the city's officials over violent unrest there, and rebut claims that it was fuelled by the Trump administration sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to US Senator Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly tackled and handcuffed by officers for speaking out during a news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question," Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. "I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre." In a statement on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to Vance's reference to "Jose Padilla," saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and that Vance should know better. "He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots," Oswald said. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: "He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Centre and a mobile command centre came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. "Gavin Newsom and (Los Angeles Mayor) Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement," Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. "What happened here was a tragedy," Vance added. "You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, "The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear." At City Hall, Bass said Vance was "spewing lies and utter nonsense." She said hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted by the federal government on a "stunt." The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles "would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years." Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. "I hope we get that back on track," Newsom wrote on X. "We are counting on you, Mr Vice President."
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Shots at Democrats: JD Vance calls Alex Padilla 'Jose Padilla' after press clash; blames Gavin Newsom for LA unrest
JD Vance US vice president JD Vance sparked outrage on Friday during a tense visit to Los Angeles, where he accused California governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests and mistakenly referred to Senator Alex Padilla as 'Jose Padilla,' a name associated with a convicted al-Qaida plotter. Vance's visit came after days of violent clashes between police and protesters, following federal immigration raids across Southern California. The Trump administration's decision to send in 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines has been heavily criticised by state and local leaders, who accuse the White House of escalating tensions rather than calming them. Speaking to reporters after touring a federal Joint Operations Center and mobile command centre, Vance doubled down on blaming California officials. 'Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,' he said. 'What happened here was a tragedy,' Vance continued. 'You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Vance also referred to Democratic Senator Alex Padilla as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the senator was tackled and handcuffed while speaking at a news conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem . 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,' Vance said. 'I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre. And that's all it is.' Critics were quick to call out the remark, noting that 'Jose Padilla' is the name of a man convicted of terrorism-related charges during the Bush administration. Governor Newsom responded on X, saying the name mix-up was 'no accident.' Governor Newsom fired back during a press conference, accusing Vance of spreading 'utter nonsense.' He denied claims that state officials encouraged violence, saying, 'The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.' Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the comment. 'How dare you say that city officials encourage violence? We kept the peace,' she said, calling the federal operation a 'stunt' that wasted hundreds of millions of dollars. Earlier that day, Newsom had urged Vance to meet with victims of January's deadly wildfires while in California and to speak with US President Donald Trump about unlocking $40 billion in federal wildfire aid. 'I hope we get that back on track,' Newsom posted on X. 'We are counting on you, Mr Vice President.' Vance did not respond to those remarks during his Friday appearance.
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vance blames California Dems for violent immigration protests and calls Sen. Alex Padilla ‘Jose'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used his appearance in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly taken to the ground by officers and handcuffed after speaking out during a Los Angeles news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on immigration raids. 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,' Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. 'I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater. And that's all it is.' 'They want to be able to go back to their far-left groups and to say, 'Look, me, I stood up against border enforcement. I stood up against Donald Trump,'' Vance added. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and said that Vance should know better. 'He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots,' Oswald said. Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. That followed over a week of sometimes-violent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting that followed immigration raids across Southern California. Trump's dispatching of his top emissary to Los Angeles at a time of turmoil surrounding the Israel-Iran war and the U.S.'s future role in it signals the political importance Trump places on his hard-line immigration policies. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. 'Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,' Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. 'What happened here was a tragedy,' Vance added. 'You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, 'The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.' In a statement on X, Newsom responded to Vance's reference to 'Jose Padilla,' saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W. Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. Padilla was arrested in 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during the tense months after the 9/11 attacks and accused of the 'dirty bomb' mission. It later emerged through U.S. interrogation of other al-Qaida suspects that the 'mission' was only a sketchy idea, and those claims never surfaced in the South Florida terrorism case. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: 'He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.' Federal immigration authorities have been ramping up arrests across the country to fulfill Trump's promise of mass deportations. Todd Lyons, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has defended his tactics against criticism that authorities are being too heavy-handed. The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the second-largest U.S. city, home to 3.8 million people. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles 'would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years.' Newsom has depicted the military intervention as the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation's democracy. Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. 'I hope we get that back on track,' Newsom wrote on X. 'We are counting on you, Mr. Vice President.' Vance did not mention either request during his appearance on Friday. ___ Associated Press writers Julie Watson and Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento contributed to this report.
San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Vance blames California Dems for violent immigration protests and calls Sen. Alex Padilla 'Jose'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used his appearance in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers. Vance also referred to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the state's first Latino senator, as 'Jose Padilla,' a week after the Democrat was forcibly taken to the ground by officers and handcuffed after speaking out during a Los Angeles news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on immigration raids. 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,' Vance said, in an apparent reference to the altercation at Noem's event. 'I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater. And that's all it is.' 'They want to be able to go back to their far-left groups and to say, 'Look, me, I stood up against border enforcement. I stood up against Donald Trump,'' Vance added. A spokesperson for Padilla, Tess Oswald, noted in a social media post that Padilla and Vance were formerly colleagues in the Senate and said that Vance should know better. 'He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots,' Oswald said. Vance's visit to Los Angeles to tour a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations calmed down in the city and a curfew was lifted this week. That followed over a week of sometimes-violent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and looting that followed immigration raids across Southern California. Trump's dispatching of his top emissary to Los Angeles at a time of turmoil surrounding the Israel-Iran war and the U.S.'s future role in it signals the political importance Trump places on his hard-line immigration policies. Vance echoed the president's harsh rhetoric toward California Democrats as he sought to blame them for the protests in the city. 'Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,' Vance said after he toured federal immigration enforcement offices. 'What happened here was a tragedy,' Vance added. 'You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully.' Newsom's spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement, 'The Vice President's claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.' In a statement on X, Newsom responded to Vance's reference to 'Jose Padilla,' saying the comment was no accident. Jose Padilla also is the name of a convicted al-Qaida terrorism plotter during President George W. Bush's administration, who was sentenced to two decades in prison. Padilla was arrested in 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during the tense months after the 9/11 attacks and accused of the 'dirty bomb' mission. It later emerged through U.S. interrogation of other al-Qaida suspects that the 'mission' was only a sketchy idea, and those claims never surfaced in the South Florida terrorism case. Responding to the outrage, Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said of the vice president: 'He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.' Federal immigration authorities have been ramping up arrests across the country to fulfill Trump's promise of mass deportations. Todd Lyons, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has defended his tactics against criticism that authorities are being too heavy-handed. The friction in Los Angeles began June 6, when federal agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps in the region that have continued since. Amid the protests and over the objections of state and local officials, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the second-largest U.S. city, home to 3.8 million people. Trump has said that without the military's involvement, Los Angeles 'would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years.' Newsom has depicted the military intervention as the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation's democracy. Earlier Friday, Newsom urged Vance to visit victims of the deadly January wildfires while in Southern California and talk with Trump, who earlier this week suggested his feud with the governor might influence his consideration of $40 billion in federal wildfire aid for California. 'I hope we get that back on track,' Newsom wrote on X. 'We are counting on you, Mr. Vice President.' ___ Associated Press writers Julie Watson and Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento contributed to this report.
