Martin O'Malley embraces the best of Hillary, Bernie and Elizabeth

[Peacetrain]

If any of these candidates win, I could easily vote for any of them..

I am having the great opportunity to hear from all of them.. (I know E. Warren is not running, but there was a very effective honk for Elizabeth rally in the early part of the year)..I have got to hear Hillary in another town.. Sunday was my second chance at getting to listen to Martin and Bernie is here on Thursday..

I have been reading all their platforms, where they stand.. looking at all the skeletons in the closets.. and no one, and I mean no one in politics is a saint.. its a tough buisness.. you have to look at the individual candidates entire focus.

But I mean this with all my heart.. Martin O'Malley embraces the best of all of them.. plus he has the experience of working in the executive branch of goverment..

We have wonderful candidates.. I am a Democrat with a capital D!!.. and a proud Liberal..

The other side, is swamped with clowns in a clown car..

Thank you to everyone who has been posting their favorite candidates positions.. it really has been a wonderful help..

[NCTraveler]

1. Completely agree.

He is my number one choice. The more I learn, the more I really like him. It's not just his thoughts or how he presents them, it's his history of success. His history of working with community members. I also like all three of our candidates a lot. We have a great field.

[Peacetrain]

2. No two ways about it..

We have just a better group of people.. more qualified and informed about issues.. and they believe in science.. Thank you Jesus..

[Vattel]

3. I would vote for O'Malley. He is very solid on many issues.

But I honestly think that Sanders is preferable. I am a resident of Maryland, and so O'Malley's positives and negatives are very familiar to me. Of course, Bigtree also lives in Maryland (not far from me based on a post in which he identified his rough location), and he disagrees with me about O'Malley. (Reasonable people can disagree. Who would have thought?)

O'Malley is very serious about climate change and that is a big plus. Sanders is more honest, in my opinion, and has a better record on individual rights, police misconduct and animal welfare issues. Immigrant rights issues are hugely important to me, and they both seem much stronger than Clinton there.

I wish I had a better sense of both of their views on national security issues. They both seem less hawkish than Clinton, but I am not sure yet whether they would be much different from Obama.

[Raine1967]

14. I hope this article from the AP helps:

http://www.mintpressnews.com/omalley-isis-is-a-result-of-americas-mindless-rush-to-war/207052/

In a speech, the former Maryland governor said the invasion of Iraq was one of the most tragic and costly blunders in U.S. history. He made no mention of his Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who faced criticism during her 2008 presidential campaign for her Senate vote in favor of the 2003 invasion, which she has since called a mistake.

“No threat probably better illustrates the unintended consequences of a mindless rush to war — and a lack of understanding — than the emergence of ISIS,” O’Malley said in his first foreign policy address as a presidential candidate, using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

He added: “We are still paying the price of a war pursued under false pretenses and acquiesced to, in the words of Dr. (Martin Luther) King (Jr.) by ‘the appalling silence of the good.’ ”

Speaking to the Truman National Security Project, O’Malley said there is a risk that American military involvement in Iraq could be counter-productive. He said the U.S. should work with partners to “contain, degrade and ultimately wear down and defeat ISIS.”

O’Malley said American foreign and national security policies are directly connected to economic stability around the globe and a rising global middle class. He said the U.S. faces an array of threats, from violent extremism and nuclear proliferation, to pandemics and cyberattacks. He advocated tackling climate change, promoting fair trade and addressing poverty around the world.

O'malley is not a hawk, he is however VERY concerned about national security and giving our first responders in this nation EVERYTHING they needs to respond to any attack on our soil.

[Vattel]

24. Thanks, I have seen that one and his speech too.

His broad vision for national security and foreign policy seems very reasonable. The devil is in the details, though, and I am looking forward to hear more specifics from both him and Sanders.

[elleng]

22. Here he is on national security and foreign policy:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?326811-1/former-governor-martin-omalley-us-national-security

[Cheese Sandwich]

4. Martin O'Malley still has to answer for his policies that lead to everything with Baltimore

Abusive policing, police harassment of black people, leading up to the murder of Freddie Gray and the riots that followed, pockets of extreme unemployment, some of the highest crime rates and most dangerous neighborhoods in America.

O'Malley hasn't ever owned up to the fact that he was Mayor of Baltimore and Governor of Maryland in the years leading up to this national tragedy. O'Malley policies created a situation that embarrassed America around the world and some people paid with their lives. Including Freddie Gray.

Martin O'Malley has to face up to this history and acknowledge his role in it. Then America might be able to forgive him and take him seriously as a candidate. Until then he is a national disgrace.

[Peacetrain]

5. That tactic does not work with me.. try again

[FSogol]

6. Nonsense. DUers have been posting responses to your fradulent allegations about O'Malley

for days now and you refuse to read them. O'Malley is proud of his time as Mayor of Baltimore. He made a difference and improved the city. That's why he was reelected by larger margins each time he ran. He didn't hide from the issue, he went to Baltimore during the Gray riots and even launched his campaign from there.

[Cheese Sandwich]

7. O'Malley must atone for racist zero tolerance policing

BALTIMORE, MD — Former Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D) chose the Charm City skyline to provide the backdrop for his speech Saturday morning announcing his campaign for the presidency. While the former Maryland governor spoke about the American Dream, telling the audience “there is no such thing as a spare American,” protesters and activists shared the spotlight as they spoke out about O’Malley’s failed police policies from the other side of the stage.

But Baltimore residents who were also in attendance in Federal Hill Park said Gray’s death last month and the ensuing demonstrations and riots were a direct result of O’Malley’s police policies as mayor. A few minutes into O’Malley’s speech, Megan Kenny, a Baltimore activist holding a sign reading “Stop Killer Cops,” began marching and chanting “black lives matter” as police attempted to stop the interruption.

“The unrest and the unlawful police practices stem from O’Malley’s zero tolerance policies,” Kenny said. “His zero tolerance policies were ineffective, period.”

#blackLivesMatter protesters disturb Martin O'Malley rally

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/05/30/3664429/omalley-baltimore/

[FSogol]

8. From your hit piece:

Not all Baltimore residents focused on the negative side of O’Malley’s leadership on Saturday. Community activist Robert Nowlin was one of four speakers to introduce the new presidential contender at his event.

“Martin O’Malley took the initiative to walk with me on my walk against crime,” Nowlin, the vice president of the Pen Lucy Neighborhood Association said, speaking about how rampant drug dealing made his neighborhood one of the most dangerous in the country before O’Malley’s time as mayor. “He was the one leader who had the nerve to come into our communities and do that. I love him, my family loves him, and many, many people in Baltimore City and Maryland love him.”

Also, here's what O'Malley did:

Made Baltimore City A Safer Place
O’Malley was elected on a mandate to make Baltimore safer. Under his leadership, Baltimore achieved the steepest reduction in crime of any major city, while bringing homicides below 300 per year for the first time in a decade. O’Malley also expanded services drug treatment, doubling funding and leading the way to a 30% drop in the number of overdose deaths.

Policed the Police
O’Malley’s administration took strong steps to police the police – increasing minority hiring, improving accountability, and fully staffing a civilian review board. Under his leadership, the city reduced police shootings to their lowest level in a decade.

Couple that with decriminalizing marijuana, ending the death penalty, closing Maryland's most abusive prison, and allowing felons to regain the right to vote and you have a politician that did care and did the right things.

PS. One of your pics is a pro-police picture. Are you sure your heart really in this?

[Cheese Sandwich]

9. Not a "hit piece", just real life...

The pro-po picture is actually part of the same picture with the one next to it.

They are stuck together I just copied it from ThinkProgress

[Andy823]

10. I have an idea

Whey don't you post POSITIVE comments about who you would like to see win instead of bashing the other two, O'Malley and Clinton. So far that's all I see you posting, hit pieces, and flame bait. Try the positive side for a change.

[FSogol]

11. I think there is a word for what he is doing.

I'm sure it will come to me.

[Cheese Sandwich]

12. There's a word for what your doing....

I just can't think of it.

But basically it's when you imply someone is doing something wrong but you don't come right out and say it because it's not true.

I'm saying negative things about Martin O'Malley. You're implying negative things about me personally.

And you did a similar thing yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=416685

Your taking it from talking about the candidates, into talking about the site members in a personal way. Please remember I'm a human being sitting here and I have feelings and stuff just like you do.

Just because I post negative things about Martin O'Malley does not make it OK for you to then imply negative things about me personally. I have never said anything personally negative toward any member of this site.

[FSogol]

13. Yesterday, whenever you made some allegation, someone would correct you with facts

Then you'd complain that they were posting a wall of words. Sorry if facts get into the way of your bashing.

Want some respect on DU? Start by following the advice in post #10. There are enough people on DU that only mission is to divide our party. Try being for something and then people won't suspect your motives.

[Raine1967]

18. You are not being genuine.

Do you really believe for a moment that the problems in Baltimore started when O'Malley became Mayor?

LEt me tell you this, these problems were there long before he was elected. WE can discuss how these problems came to be, I would point to manufacturing leaving the city in the years prior to his being elected.

Baltimore had serious issues before he got into office. It wasn't because of O'malley, it was due to prior (federal) administrations' trade policies that led to manufacturing leaving the city and the state.

Do you think it is a coincidence that O'MAlley is against the TPP? As city council member he saw the the results of NAFTA.

I sincerely ask people to think about this: What the hell was O'Malley supposed to do watching a city he loves facing serious crime issues from the result of the NAFTA?

Jobs were going over seas. Manufacturing just left the city.

Crime spiked as a result of unemployment. As a city council member he ran for Mayor to try to cut crime.

Look here is the reality: You can make a million posts that O'malley had a *racist zero tolerance policing*

That just is not true. He tried to figure out a solution to Baltimore's wretched crime and homelessness that was a result of NAFTA.

Vermont is not the same as Baltimore.

One more thing: can we stop this meme that O'Malley made Baltimore worse?

It is not true. What screwed Baltimore was free trade agreements, and that happened before he became mayor.

[Cheese Sandwich]

21. It's my genuine opinion.

You may disagree.

You talk about losing industry because of trade, I completely agree that is one root cause of the trouble.

But Martin O'Malley was for the TPP before he was against it. If he is supposedly against it now, I think he's just being opportunistic and doing what politicians always do, which is say one thing at election time, and then do another once in office.

I don't buy it at all. That guy is just as phony as can be.

O’MALLEY’S POPULIST CRITIQUE OF TRADE PACT UNSUPPORTED BY PRIOR COMMENTS
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/03/omalley-says-opposition-tpp-differentiates-hillary-clinton-supported-deal/

O’MALLEY TPP LETTER
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/document/2015/04/03/omalley-tpp-letter/

Do you really believe for a moment that the problems in Baltimore started when O'Malley became Mayor?

No, but it got worse during when he was in power as Mayor and Governor and it makes him unacceptable.

[Raine1967]

23. HeRe is the test of the TPP letter that you linked to:

May 27, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House

1600 Avenue, NW.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Thank you for your commitment to keeping America competitive and focused on creating jobs
and opportunity for growth. This letter relates to your ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Paci?c
Partnership trade agreement with our commercial partners in Asia and the Americas.

Among your priorities for these negotiations, we ask that you include very strong intellectual
property rights provisions, consistent with US. law, for protecting the investments of our
innovative, intellectual property-intensive sectors, such as biopharmaceuticals.

The biophannaceutical sector and other IP-intensive sectors depend heavily on their ability to
secure and enforce intellectual property rights for a fair playing ?eld with competitors. This
requires that other governments implement systems, as the United States has done for all persons
regardless of their citizenship, which protect their innovation rights. As you know, the
biopharmaceutical sector supports million jobs in America. A commitment to these
standards will preempt non-tariff trade barriers that effectively delay or deny patients? access to
life-saving medicines.

We appreciate your support and shared goal of strengthening our nation?s innovation economy.

Sincerely,

. a 22 may

Governo "John HickenlooPe

Maryland Colora 0
Governor Dan Malloy Governor Jack Markel]

Connecticut Delaware

you are really silly if you think the test of that letter is going to support your presumption that he was *for the TPP before he was against it.*

That letter was written MAY 27. 2011 (also known as over three years ago.) It does not show support, is shows a desire for support with concern.

This is — as I have pointed out before — politics.

But please go one and try to tell me how O'MAlley supported the TPP.

He doesn't. That letter, signed by the governors of Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Washington Does not mean they are in support of the TPP.

I am not sure why you despise O'Malley so much. It's not like he went out of his way to treat people like shit — you know like the GOP candidates.

[Cheese Sandwich]

27. ok so...

I am not sure why you despise O'Malley so much.

Not "despise" ok... just vigorously opposed to.

You don't have to look for secret motives and stuff. Just look at the words and assume it's sincere. Baltimore is destroyed.

He's obviously not solely responsible for it, but as Mayor and Governor in the period directly leading up to the murder of Freddie Gray, and the riots, he is as much to blame as any single human being could ever be. So that's the biggest reason.

And then on this trade thing, I disagree about this letter and especially when combined with the other evidence with it there. It does show that O'Malley was not voicing opposition to the TPP. It's just unacceptable to me.

[Raine1967]

30. I am not looking for "secret motives or stuff".

If you are vigorously opposed to him, fine, just don't spread mistruths. I am fairly sure you would come to the defense of your candidate if someone did the same.

As far as the letter, we comprehend the letter differently, I don't see where he was supporting the trade pact. What I do see is a suggestion on how to go forward. If your only other evidence is the intercept, you will have to forgive me, I find that source to be uber libertarian. I am not a libertarian.

[elleng]

28. And further,

“I would hazard to guess that a majority of us [governors] believe that free trade, provided it’s fair — and that’s always the rub — is a net benefit for us. I believe that, at the risk of stating the painfully obvious, we’re all part of a global economy."

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/03/omalley-says-opposition-tpp-differentiates-hillary-clinton-supported-deal/

No surprise or inconsistency here at all.

[FSogol]

25. The Intercept is proving itself to be the libertarian version of Fox News.

PS. Your opinions are wrong because they not supported by the facts.

[Cheese Sandwich]

29. I completely disagree. The Intercept is a reputable source, and that guy is a good reporter.

He does good work, good investigative journalism.

I read that site almost every day.

[Raine1967]

31. That site is not a neutral source. It is libertarian and has an agenda as thus.

[FSogol]

32. Here is a recent paragraph from the Intercept on O'Malley

During the 2008 presidential election, O’Malley co-chaired the business-friendly Democratic Leadership Council, authoring an opinion column with Harold Ford to persuade his party not to drift too far to the left. He also served as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton’s campaign against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

It includes 4 assertions that are completely false. It is not difficult to check this stuff. Other than being propaganda, what can be the explanation for this? Shoddy journalism or propaganda?

[Cheese Sandwich]

36. Yeah ok

You might be right about that, or some of it.

He did author the column with Harold Ford, I couldn't find the other stuff but will try again later.

[FSogol]

38. This will help, it's a Baltimore Sun article from 2002:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12811192

[Stellar]

33. There are those that don't want to hear what you are saying but...

I have to agree with everything that you are saying. I was initially impressed with O'Malley until I dug into his background. And I can guarantee you he will not get many black voters until he clears this up....AND he will need them and not just the Latino voters to win the primary.

[Vattel]

40. It is impossible to know how much his actions as mayor contributed to Baltimore's current problems

with police abuse. And I don't think O'Malley is a national disgrace. But I agree with you that his mass arrest policy was awful and, although not racially motivated (O'Malley is not a racist), disproportionately harmed African Americans. O'Malley's tactics didn't even achieve much of a drop in the homicide rate. Only after his mass arrest policy was abandoned by the next mayor did the homicide rate come down a lot. As for crimes like rape, where the rate went way down under O'Malley, there is evidence that the police, pressured to get better numbers, juked the stats.

It also worries me that he called critics of his mass arrests "left-wing ideologues."

[m-lekktor]

15. interesting to hear!

I confess I know nothing about him!

[elleng]

17. C'mon over and learn a few things, m-lekktor:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1281

[m-lekktor]

19. I will peruse the threads

when i get a chance

[elleng]

20. Good.

Thanks.

[elleng]

16. Yes, Martin O'Malley embraces the best of all of them

.. plus he has the experience of working in the executive branch of goverment..

[randys1]

26. Starting to realize this myself

[Koinos]

34. It is curious...

...that a number of individuals are trying very hard to keep O'Malley from gaining traction in this primary.

They are trying to minimize his genuine achievements (a remarkable resume) and trying to maximize a few talking points mostly promulgated by Ehrlich, Hogan, Simon, and a few others.

Methinks they are afraid that if people get to see O'Malley as he really is, they will like him.

[Raine1967]

44. I have seen this as well.

First and foremost, Simon was not a documentarian. Ehrlich, Hogan — anyone who echoes their talking points, well, I and others will call that out.

Seriously, why are people buying into RW talking points? O'MAlley is a sincere 'Dyed in the wool' Democrat. When did that become a bad thing?

A lot of people are getting to see O'Malley as he is, Koinos — and I am seeing a lot of people really liking him. Kudos for that.

[udbcrzy2]

37. Don't know much about him

I really like Warren, but she isn't a choice. Bernie is wonderful. Clinton would be my last one of the 3 named. It's still early and we don't know who else will come aboard.

[elleng]

43. Come on over and learn more, udbcrzy2.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1281

[Andy823]

39. Good post

I think that a lot of people will be changing their minds once they find out more about him.

[Lisa D]

41. Thank you for this positive and informative post.

Wish I saw more posts like this in GD-Primaries.

[elleng]

42. I'm glad you like it, Lisa D.

Come and visit us here, and learn more: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1281