Democratic VP nominee Kaine focuses on anti-poverty message in Detroit

Vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine was in Detroit Tuesday, meeting with city leaders and the men and women of  "Focus: Hope."

Kaine tailored today's message to working families and Detroiters struggling to re-enter the workforce.

Kaine takes the stage in Detroit introduced by a young engineer and alumnus of Focus: Hope - a place with the kinds of educational and training programs Kaine says are needed to lift people out of poverty with the help of organized labor.

"What you do here exemplifies the kinds of ideas and strategies we'll want to implement all across the country," Kaine said.

The senator outlined the Clinton-Kaine approach to combatting poverty, raise income for working families, ensure safe, healthy homes and neighborhoods as well as education and skills to break the grip of generational poverty.

"All of this achievable, all of this is affordable," Kaine said. "It should not be too much to ask of the wealthiest nation on earth."

The senator and vice-presidential hopeful delivered his speech one day before the third and final presidential debate and only briefly mentioned their rival Donald Trump, when talking about his time spent fighting for civil rights.

"At same stage in his career, Donald Trump was being sued by the justice department for blatantly discriminating against people of color who were trying to rent apartments from him," Kaine said.

Trump's running mate Mike Pence appeared Monday in Macomb County. Trump has been quite critical in recent days, calling the election rigged.

"Donald Trump, the trouble he has, is he doesn't understand the issues and he makes things up," said Congressman Sander Levin (D-Michigan). "His story about the Democratic process not being Democratic, is totally out of thin air. And it's deeply troubling."

With polls showing Hillary Clinton in the lead, sparking hopes among Democrats, fears among Republicans that the election could result in Democrats also winning in Congress - perhaps taking the Senate.

"I think it's still close," Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). "I would say a slight edge to Democrats. But everything is going to go right down to the wire."

Everything right down to the wire, with three weeks to go before Election Day.