Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was met with chants of “Karen! Karen!” after she described Vice President Kamala Harris as a task mannequin who would struggle to guard youngsters at Monday’s opening night time of the Democratic Nationwide Conference.
Bass informed the energized crowd in Chicago that she and Harris labored collectively on youth homelessness and fixing the kid welfare system greater than a decade in the past when Bass headed the California Meeting and Harris was a state prosecutor.
“Our bond was solid years in the past, by a shared dedication to youngsters,” mentioned Bass, who has identified Harris, 59, for almost twenty years. “A perception that it’s all people’s accountability to care for each youngster, regardless of the place they arrive from or regardless of who their dad and mom are.”
Bass, 70, a widely known advocate for kids who created the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth whereas in Congress, additionally used her brief speech Monday to explain Harris’ work as California lawyer common to assist youths within the juvenile justice system.
“I do know Kamala,” Bass mentioned. “And he or she feels the significance of this work in her bones. When Kamala meets a youngster, you possibly can really feel her ardour. You may really feel her coronary heart. And you may really feel her fearlessness.
“That’s what defines a dedication to youngsters: being prepared to struggle fiercely for each youngster. And belief me, Kamala has performed that her total life.”
Bass grinned on the crowd and appeared to relish her second within the highlight. She chuckled as she talked about how she and Harris made historical past and when Harris, the primary feminine vp, swore her in after Bass turned the primary lady to grow to be L.A. mayor in 2022.
Forward of the swearing-in, “we knew we have been sending a message to younger ladies in every single place: that they can also lead,” Bass mentioned.
Additionally, Harris and Bass have opened as much as reporters about their respective households. Harris is a stepmother and refers to herself as “Momala,” whereas Bass has three grownup stepchildren.
Different Californians who spoke through the conference’s opening night time included U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Reps. Maxine Waters and Robert Garcia, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Earlier than Harris was chosen to be then-candidate Joe Biden’s working mate in 2020, Bass was additionally seen as a doable decide for the ticket. However some assumed Harris’ political consultants have been behind a perceived effort to knock Bass off the record of potential candidates.
Nonetheless, the thrill round Bass being a doable vp introduced her nationwide consideration. A 12 months later, Bass launched her marketing campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.
