California Democrats Show Optimism At Annual Convention
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- California Democrats are feeling optimistic and poised for next year's presidential battle as party leaders rallied their base at the annual convention in Sacramento.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on members in a prerecorded message Sunday to lead the nation in returning President Barack Obama to the White House in 2012.
Pelosi, who lost her position as House Speaker last fall amid a Republican surge, exhorted Democrats to take back Congress to protect middle-class values, health care for seniors and education for the nation's youth.
Throughout the weekend, Democrats celebrated their strong showing in November, when the party swept every statewide office and expanded its majority in the state Legislature.
Gov. Jerry Brown canceled a scheduled appearance Sunday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his nose.
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