Obama lavishes praise, attention on Julian Castro

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says incoming Housing Secretary Julian Castro works every day to live out the values and spirit of hard work that were instilled in him as a child.

Obama is lavishing praise on Castro during an appearance at Housing and Urban Development Department headquarters in Washington. The visit comes three days after Castro was sworn in to the job.

A former San Antonio mayor, Castro is a rising star in the Democratic Party and is frequently discussed as a potential vice presidential candidate in 2016. Obama raised Castro's national profile in 2012 when he chose him as the keynote speaker for the Democratic National Convention.

Obama says Castro is young and driven. He's telling HUD's employees that they can't let their new boss down.