OK. I am officially supporting O'Malley.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

He's getting support on the beltway. He's stepping up to the plate, and talking to all the right people. As far as I can tell its going to be either O'Malley or Hillary.

If that is my choice in the primary, it will be O'Malley, hands down. No further discussion needed.

Am I alone, or has anyone else made this decision yet?

[Autumn]

1. What is he saying on the TPP and fast track?

[cali]

3. strong language against both

[Autumn]

4. We need to keep track of this. I will not vote for any Democrat who does not come out strongly

against the TPP and fast track. Not even the Democratic nominee for President. Have you seen this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026545049#post25

[Cosmic Kitten]

2. Curious about his position on the "Broken Windows" policing in Baltimore

The strategy has been championed by many, including Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley—who’s currently campaigning for governor touting a tough-on-crime stance that he says has led to the largest decline in violent crime of any big city in the country. Trettien, though, argues in his paper that the tactics, which include frequent stop-and-frisk searches and arrests for relatively minor offenses, cost more to individuals and communities than they provide in crime relief, and that they in fact undermine police officers’ effectiveness.

The policing strategy, credited with reducing crime in New York in the 1990s, grew out of the “broken windows” theory that disorder in a neighborhood leads to serious crime (i.e., that a broken window signals that a neighborhood tolerates crime).

But Trettien says there’s little evidence for a causal link between disorder and serious crime, and that Baltimore officials should “stop trying to emulate New York City and really reach out to community leaders to develop a strategy for what works in Baltimore.”

http://krieger.jhu.edu/magazine/fw06/r1.html

[NYC_SKP]

13. Stop and frisk sucks, but maybe we can address that later. nt

[FSogol]

22. O'Malley, as Mayor of Baltimore (Dec 1999-Nov 2007) followed that policy

of zero tolerance, also know as the broken windows policy as did almost every major city in the US. Every major city switched to that form of policing in the mid to late 90s because of the drop in NYC's crime rate. By the mid 00s, everyone was moving away from it due to over-policing, arresting innocent people, profiling, etc. He employed those policies when he arrived as Mayor, but moved away from them for the reasons stated. The number of arrests dropped each year in Baltimore as did the crime rate.

By the end of his Mayoral term he moved away from that policy. He did not employ those methods as Governor. Unlike say, Giuliani, O'Malley changed, evolved, and modified his approach until he got a fairer/more workable system.

From a 2010 article in the Baltimore Sun:

A lawsuit filed in 2006 on behalf of 14 people alleged that their arrests indicated a broad pattern of abuse in which thousands of people were routinely arrested without probable cause. The suit also alleged that the so-called "zero tolerance" system was endorsed and enforced by city officials under the tenure of then-mayor Martin O'Malley.

In a joint statement with the plaintiffs, the police department said it has agreed to institute policies that reject the "zero tolerance policing" and establish a range of appropriate officer responses to minor offenses. The department will issue written directives that spell out the elements of common minor offenses to ensure that officers are aware of the scope of their authority, and will train every officer on the new policies for offenses, the statement said.

Arrests in the city have fallen by the tens of thousands since O'Malley became governor, and the ACLU and NAACP said in the statement that they recognize that the current city leadership has taken steps to address the issue and "applaud those efforts."

The efforts to link a current police brutality case in Baltimore to a man who hasn't been the mayor there for 7-1/2 years are pretty ridiculous. AAR, we'll hear O'Malley address this on the campaign trail in the upcoming months.

PS, you do realize the article you posted is from 2006? It doesn't describe O'Malley since that time or today. It doesn't reflect current conditions in Baltimore today. He has a decent track record on that issue from 2006 to today.

[hrmjustin]

5. I wish him and you the best in this.

[Cal33]

6. I think it's too early to make the final decision with still 1-1/2 years to go. I'll

wait to see if there might be other Progressives. If not, I'd vote for
O'Malley, like you. But if Hillary should win the nomination, I'd vote
for her, of course. I'd like to see the Democratic Party still surviving
== no matter how much weakened. A suicidal fanatic I am not.

[craigmatic]

7. Biden

[Thrill]

8. I like him but I really question

if he'll be tough enough to fight back when the Republicans get real nasty and ugly.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

9. He's from Baltimore, Yo. n/t

[Admiral Loinpresser]

10. Oh hell yeah.

He's the only one with 1) electability; 2) proven progressive credentials; and 3) a willingness to run. That's a progressive trifecta which is hard to find.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. Not Ready For Hillary 2016

[NYC_SKP]

12. I'll vote for any Democrat in the primary that isn't Hillary Clinton.

But I'm still waiting to see who pops up.

[totodeinhere]

16. +1. If it's Clinton vs Martin O'Malley I would support him. But I'm hoping for others to

get in the race as well. so I'm reserving judgement for the time being.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. Clinton/O'Malley 2016

[mgcgulfcoast]

14. not sure about him

but we do need a choice besides clinton.

[trueblue2007]

15. you are alone. I Support Senator / Sec of State Clinton

[Rosa Luxemburg]

17. I think he has 1% in the poll of Dem candidates/potential candidates

[davidpdx]

19. I'm not there yet, but am willing to listen to what he has to say

Certainly Webb or Clinton aren't going to get my vote. Sanders hasn't made up his mind yet, so that would be my other possible choice.

[gobears10]

20. love him!

Martin O'Malley pursued one of the most progressive agendas in the country as two-time Governor of Maryland, and was a solid two-term mayor of Baltimore as well. As governor, O'Malley legalized gay marriage, eliminated the death penalty, raised the minimum wage, strengthened gun control, provided in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, enabled undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses, and increased taxes on the rich to fund infrastructure, education, and healthcare. He boosted public safety. Froze university tuition at public schools. Decriminalized marijuana consumption.
In contrast, in 2008, Hillary opposed gay marriage, supported the death penalty, and opposed giving undocumented immigrants driver's licenses. She opposed decriminalizing marijuana use. She was also iffy on Social Security (she ran ton Obama's right on the issue, and opposed raising the SS tax cap) She's only recently been coming around on these issues, and I assume she still supports the death penalty and is iffy on marijuana.

In the upcoming race, O'Malley's taken an explicit stand against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He's also explicitly endorsed reinstating Glass-Steaall to break up the largest financial institutions, and has opposed Clinton era "triangulation" in which the Democratic Party co-opted conservative policies to boost electoral chances. He's been pretty bullish on interest rates for student loans as well. He's a solid genuine liberal, and he's got my vote.

Of course I'll support Hillary in the general if she wins the nomination. She's been improving a lot, and I'd be OK supporting her. But even if O'Malley doesn't win, I hope he can at least pull Hillary more to the left in the primaries.

[FSogol]

21. I'm an O'Malley supporter. We'll have an O'Malley group on DU soon.

Here's some info:

His positions on issues can be found here:
http://martinomalley.com/

His resume is here:
http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/gov/former/html/msa13090.html

Here's the bottom portion of his resume:

A former Governing Magazine “Public Official of the Year,” Governor O’Malley was re-elected in 2010. His 2013 legislative successes were described in a Baltimore Sun editorial as “without many parallels in recent Maryland history.”

With a balanced approach of spending cuts, regulatory reform, and modern investment in education, innovation, and infrastructure, Governor O’Malley and his Administration are making better choices that are delivering better results, including:

Fastest rate of job growth in the region.
#1 ranking for best public schools in America for an unprecedented five years in a row (Education Week).
#1 ranking for holding down the cost of college tuition (College Board).
#1 ranking for innovation and entrepreneurship for two years running (U.S. Chamber of Commerce).

Under the Governor’s leadership, Maryland also ranks:

#1 nationally in median income,
#1 in Ph.D. scientists and researchers per capita,
#1 in Research and Development, and
#1 in businesses owned by women.

The Milken Institute ranks Maryland as one of the top two states in America for science and technology.

Maryland is one of only a few states to earn an AAA Bond Rating, certified by all three major rating agencies.

Called “arguably the best manager in government” by Washington Monthly magazine, Governor O’Malley has cut State spending more than any previous governor in Maryland’s history, balancing these record cuts with targeted, modern investments in priorities like public education. He has reduced the size of government to its smallest size since 1973 (on a per capita basis) and reformed how it is managed, so that it works more efficiently and accountably. His actions to save Maryland’s State pension system have made it sustainable over the long term. His fiscal stewardship has nearly eliminated Maryland’s structural deficit. His efforts to streamline, consolidate and digitize processes like business licensing are making Maryland a better place to do business.

Governor O’Malley’s StateStat initiative – modeled after the CitiStat initiative he created in the City of Baltimore – is widely cited as a model for government efficiency and effectiveness.

Teaming with the men and women of Maryland law enforcement, the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s crime fighting initiatives have driven down violent crime and homicide to the lowest levels in three decades. The Administration’s homeland security strategies have turned around security at the Port of Baltimore.

The O’Malley-Brown Administration has expanded health care to more than 380,000 previously uninsured Marylanders. It has reduced infant mortality to an historic low, and provided meals to thousands of hungry children as it moves forward toward its goal for eradicating childhood hunger.

The Governor’s policies have made strides in restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay and saving the Bay’s native blue crab and oyster populations.

The O’Malley Administration has secured millions of dollars in rate relief for Maryland energy consumers while jump-starting the creation of thousands of green energy sector jobs. Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland led the charge for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the nation’s first cap-and-trade auction of greenhouse emissions.

Governor O’Malley has cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders and reformed Maryland’s tax code to make it more progressive. In addition, he signed the nation’s first statewide living wage law, along with some of the nation’s most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

Declaring that Marylanders are bound together by “the common thread of human dignity,” Governor O’Malley signed legislation to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom, along with legislation to protect voting rights. He signed – and successfully defended at the ballot box – the DREAM Act, which expands the opportunity of a college education to more Marylanders.

Prior to serving as Governor, O’Malley served as Mayor of the City of Baltimore, where he was recognized by Esquire magazine as “the best young mayor in the country” and by Time magazine as one of America’s “Top 5 Big City Mayors.” First elected in 1999, he was re-elected in 2003, receiving 87 percent of the vote. Between 1999 and 2009 his policies helped the people of Baltimore achieve the greatest crime reduction of America’s largest cities.

Governor O’Malley received his bachelor’s degree from Catholic University and his law degree from the University of Maryland. In 1986, while in law school, he was named by then-Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski as state field director for her successful primary and general election campaigns for the U.S. Senate. From 1987 to 1988 he served as a legislative fellow for Senator Mikulski, where he focused on obtaining federal funding for projects in Maryland. In 1988, O’Malley was appointed assistant state’s attorney for the City of Baltimore. He served on the Baltimore City Council from 1991 to 1999, during which time he chaired the Legislative Investigations and Taxation and Finance Committees.

Governor O’Malley served two terms as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association. Currently, he serves as the organization’s Finance Chair. In addition, he serves as Co-Chair for the Special Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety of the National Governors Association. He was appointed to the nation’s first-ever Council of Governors by President Obama in 2010 and was named co-chair of the Council in 2013.

Martin and his wife Katie, a Maryland District Court Judge, have two daughters, Grace and Tara, and two sons, William and Jack. They are members of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

PS: Part of a public info database and not bound by copyright.

[SayitAintSo]

23. Heard he wasn't all that well regarded as governor...

Which gives me some concern...