Washington - Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine is criticising his debate opponent, Republican Mike Pence, for saying "that Mexican thing" during their Tuesday televised faceoff.
Kaine says Pence has shown disrespect to "an entire group of people who are entitled to dignity and respect."
Pence made the comment as he tried to brush aside criticism of Donald Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants being criminals and rapists.
Kaine asks, "Who talks like that?"
Kaine made the comments on Thursday at the carpenters' union hall in Las Vegas. The senator from Virginia also stressed Hillary Clinton's commitment to labour unions, saying Clinton would ensure that her nominees for the US Supreme Court would be sympathetic to the labour movement.
* A dozen business leaders, including lifelong Republicans and independents, have written an open letter saying they cannot support Republican Donald Trump for president because he would be bad for the economy.
They write that, "American business needs as much predictability, reliability and stability in our government as possible."
A copy of the letter was given to The Associated Press ahead of the group's push for others to sign on, as well as the release of the group's new website on Friday.
Signatories of include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, chef Jose Andres and Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush and the former chief executive officer of the Kellogg Company.
Andres is tussling with Trump over his decision to pull his restaurant out of Trump's new Washington hotel.
AP