2016 Presidential Campaign Blog

Martin O'Malley "Announcement Coming" 2016 Website The Decision Sign-up

Martin O’Malley “Announcement Coming”

Friend,

Is he in or is he out? Will he run or won’t he?

At a time when so many Americans are struggling to get by, Governor O'Malley is considering some bold plans for the future. But, while some tough decisions still need to be made, we can tell you one thing:

Sign up today and you'll be the first to know.

Our nation faces big challenges. Everyday Americans are working harder than ever, but falling further behind. In the face of unprecedented challenges, we need a new leader, one who is committed to restoring the American dream for every citizen, in every community. A proven, experienced leader with a record of getting the results we need. A leader who will move our nation forward.

Martin O'Malley is exactly who we need in the White House. Will he run?

And will you be the first to know? We’ll let you in on his decision before the media, the politicians and the Washington establishment, so sign up.

Thanks,

Adam Goers, Executive Director
O'PAC

The Decision.

Be the first to know the Governor’s decision. We’ll let you know before the media, the politicians and the Washington establishment.

Martin O'Malley visits New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 *Updated

Governor O'Malley will be in New Hampshire next Wednesday, May 13, 2015

May 13, 2015

Chez Vachon
136 Kelley Street
8:45 AM
Manchester, NH

Visit to Alpha Loft
9:30 AM
844 Elm Street, Suite 100
Manchester, NH

House party hosted by Dudley Dudley
5:00 PM
25 Woodman Road
Durham, NH

Campaigning with Maureen Mann, candidate for NH House of Representatives
7:30 PM
Rockingham County, NH

Martin O'Malley Spokeswoman Lis Smith Statement Regarding DNC Debates

Martin O'Malley Spokeswoman Lis Smith Statement Regarding DNC Debates

"If Governor O'Malley decides to run, we will expect a full, robust, and inclusive set of debates—both nationally and in early primary and caucus states. This has been customary in previous primary seasons. In a year as critical as 2016, exclusivity does no one any favors."

What People Are Saying About Gov. O’Malley on Meet the Press for Sunday, May 3, 2015

What People Are Saying About Gov. O’Malley on Meet the Press: “Impassioned,” “Fired Up,” “Isn’t Relenting”, “More Determined” 

Washington Times Headline: “Martin O’Malley: Washington Has Abandoned U.S. Cities”

Baltimore Sun Headline: “O'Malley would make Baltimore central to campaign”

National Journal: “O’Malley isn’t relenting.”

Tom Brokaw:  "I agree with the governor, that this is a time that we need to have a 'Marshall Plan,' if you will, for cities."  

Baltimore Sun: "A fired up Martin O'Malley said Sunday he will make what happened in Baltimore a central theme of his would-be presidential campaign….O'Malley used the interview to point to his administration's efforts to increase drug treatment funding and also noted he was reelected as mayor with strong support from African-American precincts.”

The Weekly Standard:"We need an agenda for American cities. We need to stop ignoring especially people of color and act like they are disposable citizens in this nation. That's not how our economy is supposed to work, it's not how or our country works," an impassioned O'Malley said. "

USA Today: "He said the civil unrest in Baltimore had made him more determined to focus national attention on cities and on poverty." 

Washington Post: “Though O’Malley no longer has any official role — he left City Hall eight years ago and his tenure in Annapolis ended in January — he surfaced amid the protesters, visited churches, participated in a food drive and drove himself around the city where he lives trying to reconnect with old friends and allies.”

Washington Post: “O’Malley has stayed the course. By the end of the week, he was incorporating Baltimore’s unrest into his campaign narrative and arguing that the upheaval highlighted the need for a national urban agenda on issues well beyond policing.”

Boyd Brown @HBoydBrown You won't find a stronger interview than ‪@GovernorOMalley's on Meet the Press. No dancing around, he addressed those issues head on.

James Fallows ‏‪@JamesFallows  Worth watching MT ‪@Richard_Florida "We have not had an agenda for US cities for 2 decades"  ‪@GovernorOMalley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucKpx2Hwi68&feature=youtu.be …

Governor Martin O’Malley’s spokeswoman, Lis Smith Statement on 2016 Decision

Governor Martin O’Malley’s spokeswoman, Lis Smith Statement on 2016 Decision

“Governor O’Malley is seriously considering running for President, and he will make his decision regardless of what other people decide to do. All across the nation, he’s heard from Democrats that they are looking for someone who offers strong progressive values, new leadership, and the experience of getting real results. The Democratic Party will benefit from a robust issues debate, and—should Governor O'Malley decide to enter the race—he will bring one.”

What They’re Saying About Martin O’Malley on Day Two of His Iowa Trip, April 10, 2015

Day Two of Governor O’Malley’s Trip to Iowa: “Pushed All The Right Buttons,” “Solidly-Progressive,” “Largest Applause Line Of The Night,” “Big Cheers,” “Standing Ovation”

MSNBC Video: “In Iowa, Martin O’Malley lays out vision for Democratic Party”

FOX Video: O’Malley: “What I have heard all around the country is that people want new leaders, they want to hear the voices of the new leaders…”

Radio Iowa Headline: “O’Malley: ‘times have changed’ & country looking for ‘new voices’”

Quad-City Times Headline: “O’Malley calls for robust debate before Democrats nominate”

Iowa Daily Democrat: “O’Malley was a strong Progressive governor. During his 8 years as the chief executive, the state passed a marriage equality bill, ended the death penalty and passed a higher minimum wage. He initiated the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay that protected the tourism and fishing industries while improving the water quality. Progressives will listen hard to O’Malley.”

Iowa Daily Democrat: “He delivered on the progressive agenda as governor and he did the same to Iowa Democratic activists, ‘We can also keep the dream alive by never allowing another Wall Street economic meltdown by reinstating Glass-Steagall and punishing those that break the law.’”

Wall Street Journal: “Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s biggest applause line during a speech here this week came as he listed ways the U.S. could pay for a higher minimum wage, an expansion of Social Security and more spending on infrastructure and education.”

Wall Street Journal: “Tom Henderson, chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party, said voters will take Mr. O’Malley seriously because of his experience and a record that includes ending Maryland’s death penalty, raising the minimum wage and legalizing same-sex marriage. ‘Most Iowans want to look over all the candidates and make their own determination,’ Mr. Henderson said.”

Wall Street Journal: “After Mr. O’Malley’s speech in Indianola, retiree Twila Glenn gave him high marks. ‘He pushed all the right buttons…He’ll do very well with the people in Iowa.’”

Wall Street Journal: “Bill Gray, a Democratic city councilman in Des Moines, said he would support Mr. O’Malley because he thinks he would do more for the middle class.”

Iowa Starting Line: “This is where O’Malley’s greatest strength lies: his progressive policy accomplishments and overall personality make him an ideal candidate to unite the various anti-Clinton factions.”

Iowa Starting Line: “On the progressive front, O’Malley should be able to start rallying the party’s left to his cause the more well-known his solidly-progressive record as Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore becomes…. He’s already staking out the progressive mantle for 2016, calling for the restoration of Glass Steagall, opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade act, denouncing concentrated wealth, and slamming Wall Street.”

Iowa Starting Line: “’I think a lot of people, including myself, are hungry for someone who’s more of a populist,’ says Mike Carberry, a county supervisor from liberal Johnson County. ‘From what I’ve seen, I think Martin O’Malley is to the left of Hillary, so I would be very encouraged to take a closer, harder look at him.’”

Iowa Starting Line: “Earl Agan, the head of the Central Iowa Building Trades, leans toward O’Malley as his early favorite and says, ‘I like what he says and the way he carries and presents himself. I think he’s a fresh look for the Democratic Party.’”

Radio Iowa: “O’Malley…was the evening’s closer and he championed Democratic priorities like preserving the rights of union workers and defended President Obama’s stewardship of the country since his election in 2008.”

MSNBC: “[O’Malley] got big cheers for voicing support for unions, Wall Street reforms, and gay marriage…”

Des Moines Register: “O'Malley, who's spent the weekend speaking across the state, focused on the importance of believing in the American dream, saying a belief in a better future with Democrats guiding the way is essential for the movement of the country.”

Washington Post: “O’Malley gave the more polished address, drawing repeated bursts of applause, with the loudest coming in response to his contention that it should be easier for labor unions to organize.”

Washington Post: “O’Malley lamented declining wages in the country and urged Democrats to work with him to ‘make the Dream come true again’ by increasing the minimum wage, expanding Social Security benefits and taking other steps to bolster the middle class.”

Sioux City Journal: “O’Malley has been a consistent presence in Iowa in recent months…”

Sioux City Journal: “O’Malley’s remarks were well-received Friday night. He drew the night’s only mid-speech standing ovation when he spoke about worker’s rights, advocating for an increased minimum wage and making it easier instead of more difficult for workers to join unions.”

Sioux City Journal: “Gary Schmidt, vice chair of the Ankeny Area Democrats, said he believes O’Malley has a more populist message than Clinton. ‘He’s my type of a politician. He reminds me of John F. Kennedy, just his personality and his charisma,’ Schmidt said. ‘He’s going to have to show that he’s a populist Democrat. That’s why I like him. I like populist Democrats. I’m a (former U.S. Sen. Tom) Harkin fan.’'

AP: “O'Malley has done the most as a potential Clinton challenger…O'Malley has visited Iowa six times since the start of last year. He put 14 staffers to work on Iowa campaigns during last year's election and has hired one for his potential campaign.”

Howard Dean: "I think Martin O’Malley is a terrific human being and I think he was a very good governor and a very good mayor.”

Ari Melber @AriMelber: Just in: In Iowa, Martin O’Malley says he wants to pull the Democratic Party back to its populist roots My article: on.msnbc.com/1FsXQjf

Sam Frizell @Sam_Frizell: If O’Malley runs for president, he'll bring the Democratic party "back to its true self," he says in MSNBC interview on.msnbc.com/1FsXQjf

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: O'Malley has real opportunity in IA, ideal candidate to unite progressive and anti-Clinton factions: http://ow.ly/Lslp8  #IACaucus

JR @zephyrwon2001: Gov. Martin O'Malley, Think I'm going to start listening to what he has to say. Sounds like my kind of Democrat. @thecyclemsnbc #UniteBlue

Iowa Press @IowaPress: The opinions of the people of Iowa cannot be bought and sold according to @GovernorOMalley a potential presidential candidate on @IowaPress

Zeke Miller ZekeJMiller: .@GovernorOMalley: “It would be an extreme poverty indeed if there were only one person willing to compete for our party’s nomination.”

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: .@GovernorOMalley on what makes him unique: performance-based governing, heal partisan divides, new leadership #IACaucus

Paul Deaton @PaulDeaton_IA: I respect the fact that @GovernorOMalley worked in Iowa in 2014. That kind of work pays little and was much needed. #iacaucus

Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs: Martin O'Malley in Iowa: "Isn't about left or right or center. It's better choices...for the future of the dream that you and I share."

Gregory Huauenstein @greghauenstein: I really like this @GovernorOMalley guy#iacaucus pic.twitter.com/XlMdltgyiK

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: There it goes - @GovernorOMalley gets 1st standing ovation on union rights #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/G7WQxaeMeE

Dan Merica @danmericaCNN: Biggest O'Malley applause line of the night comes after he stresses the importance of unions. Hoots and hollers, standing ovation.

Brent Griffiths @BrentGriffiths: O'Malley point about unions and collective bargaining gets perhaps the largest applause line of the night. #iacaucus

Brent Griffiths @BrentGriffiths: O'Malley has this crowd in his hand tonight — gets them to join in while he talks about taking pride in voting for Democrats. #iacaucus

Governor Martin O’Malley Delivers Remarks at the Polk County Democrats Annual Awards Dinner

Governor Martin O’Malley Delivers Remarks at the Polk County Democrats Annual Awards Dinner
 
Des Moines, IA —This evening, Governor Martin O’Malley is delivering remarks at the Polk County Democrats Annual Awards Dinner. His remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
 
I. INTRODUCTION
 
Thank you so much.  
 
Thanks everyone for being here tonight – it’s great to be back.
 
Senator Webb – thank you for your long and dedicated service to our nation.
 
Thank you Tom Henderson, a good friend of mine. We had a good time on the campaign trail this fall and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re lucky to have you here at the helm in Polk County.
 
And thank you to Tamyra Harrison for putting this whole thing together.
 
I’d like to also acknowledge all the great Democrats serving Polk County.
 
And, of course, my well wishes to Congressman Smith and his family. I wish he could be here with us tonight but do wish him a speedy recovery.
 
Tonight, I want to talk with you about the story of us, about the story of Baltimore and Iowa, the story of Maryland and America.
 
II. WAR OF 1812
 
Two hundred years ago in the War of 1812, the British had just taken Washington and burned our buildings to the ground -- the Capitol, the White House. The people of Baltimore could see the glow from the flames in the skies to our south.
 
And now, we knew -- they were coming for us.
 
Amidst the ashes of Washington, the commanding British General declared “I am going to march on Baltimore and dine there” – because even then we had great restaurants – “and then I’m going to burn Baltimore to the ground.”
 
Our nation, not yet 40 years old, and the American dream facing extinction.
 
Imagine what we felt.
 
Anger.
 
Fear.
 
Disbelief.
 
Confidence shattered.
 
Trust gone.
 
There are moments in the life of our country – defining moments – when it seems the American dream is hanging by a thread.
 
And yet, for America, there is always a yet.
 
The final thread that holds us, could just be the strongest.
 
Fifty percent of us in the City then were immigrants. One out of five were African-American citizens of a still as yet very imperfect country.  Only a third of those black Defenders were themselves free.
 
Somehow, together, we transformed our loss; transformed our despair. Instead of digging graves we dug trenches, built ramparts by the sea.
 
Against the overwhelming “shock and awe” force of its day, the people of Baltimore stood firm.
 
All of us now sing of the Star Spangled Banner -- that giant flag that was hoisted in defiance over Ft. McHenry when the British guns finally gave up.
 
As we sing, let us remember that the colors of the Star Spangled Banner were stitched together by black and white hands, men’s hands, women’s hands, hands of freedom, hands of bondage, the hands of a nation that is always growing and evolving.
 
And the thread that held those stars and stripes together then is the same thread that holds us together today -- it is the thread of human dignity.
 
The dignity of every person.
 
The dignity of home,... the dignity of work,... the dignity of neighbor helping neighbor -- so all of us can succeed.
 
With our country's future hanging in the balance, we stood as one -- and the American dream lived on.
 
III. BALTIMORE
 
In 1999, there was a different battle for Baltimore unfolding, but this time we were losing.
 
When I decided to run for mayor that year, my city had become the most violent, most addicted, most abandoned city in America.
 
And our biggest enemy wasn’t drug dealers or crack cocaine. It was a lack of belief,... a culture of failure,.... countless excuses about how nothing would work,....why none of us should even bother to try.
 
So we set out to make our city work again, to make the dream real again.
 
In our fight for survival, I brought forward a new way of governing and a new way of getting things done.
 
I started setting goals with deadlines. Instead of simply counting inputs, my team started measuring outputs and managing for results.
 
We saw trash in our streets and alleys, so we picked it up every day.
 
We saw open air drug markets, and we began to relentlessly close them down.
 
And when the people of Baltimore saw their government working again, the people rallied too.
 
Together, we put into action the powerful belief that unites us – the belief that we are all in this together; that in our community, there is no such thing as a spare American.
 
Over the next 10 years, Baltimore went on to achieve the biggest reduction in crime of any major city in America.
 
In this battle between our violent past and our better, safer future, the future won. The dream lives on.
 
IV. MARYLAND: STRONGER MIDDLE CLASS
 
Just seven years ago, the meltdown on Wall Street left our nation's entire economy hanging by a thread -- millions of people losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing their faith in the future.
 
But we refused to give up.  We elected a new president to make the tough decisions to move our country forward, and that is exactly what Barack Obama has done.
 
Unlike some other States that tried to cut their way to prosperity, in Maryland, we did more, not less, to make our children winners in this challenging economy.
 
We tossed aside the failed policies of the past -- the trickle down economics that got us into the mess.
 
We embraced, instead, the economics of real progress.
 
We returned to the truth our parents and grandparents understood so well -- the more a person learns, the more a person earns.
 
That a stronger middle class is not the consequence of economic growth -- a stronger middle class is the cause of economic growth.
 
We returned to the middle class economics that made America great;  the common sense economics that understands the more workers earn, the better customers businesses have, and the more our whole economy grows.
 
We passed a living wage, and raised the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
 
We made college more affordable for more people, and we made our public schools the best in America for five years in a row.
 
We made it easier for all people to vote, not harder.
 
We believed that renewable energy creates good jobs and strong communities, and made sure we seized the economic opportunities it presents.
 
And we made it a top priority to bring the Cheseapeake Bay back from the dead, helping to re-energize the communities that depend on it.
 
Together, we made Maryland one of the top states for upward economic mobility for families.
 
Together—according to a report released this week—we made Maryland the top state for women-owned businesses.
 
Together, we maintained the highest median income in the nation.
 
And since the depths of the recession, Maryland has created jobs at one of the fastest rates in our region.
 
This isn't about left or right or center.
 
It's better choices, for better results, for the future of the dream we share.
 
When a family can send their children to good schools – the dream is alive.
 
When a family can work hard to claim a seat at the table of American prosperity – the dream is alive.
 
None of these things happened by accident or by chance.
 
They happened by choice.
 
The choice to believe in one another,... the choice to believe in the power of the American Dream,... and the choice to believe in our ability, together, to make it come true.

V. REPUBLICANS VS. DEMOCRATS/FUTURE VS PAST
 
As a nation we have now achieved 60 months in a row of positive job growth.

We are recovering faster than most other nations from the recession.

That's the good news.

The bad news is this:

The vast majority of us are working harder only to watch our families fall further behind.

Most of us are more worried than ever that somehow our children will not enjoy the same quality of life that we have enjoyed.

For too many of us, the dream of things that could be, and once were, seems to be slipping from our grasp.

You’ve seen the look in your neighbors’ eyes, and so have I.

Americans are worried.

And for good reason -- over the last 12 years, wages have been going down, not up.

Until we solve this problem, we cannot rest.

Fifty years ago the nation’s largest employer was GM. An average GM employee could pay for a year’s tuition at a state university with two weeks’ wages.

Not long ago, The Washington Times ran a story with the headline the “American Dream is Dead.”

Let me say, to the pundits writing these premature obituaries of the American dream – The American Dream will never die on our watch. Because we choose to fight. And we intend to win.

Are you telling me that we can concentrate wealth in the hands of the very few like we never have before, but we cannot eradicate childhood hunger in America?

We can invent the driverless car but we can’t create a job that feeds a family, or can send our children to college?

I don't accept that and neither should you!

This is not the American dream.

This isn't how our country is supposed to work -- this isn't how our economy is supposed to work.

We still have work to do.

And it is going to be up to the Democratic Party to finish that work -- to make our economy work again for all of us.

It is up to us to restore the American Dream.
 
VI. MAKE THE DREAM TRUE AGAIN
 
Think about your parents and grandparents -- picture their faces -- they understood the essential truth of the American Dream we share. The stronger we make our country -- the more she gives back to us; the more she gives back to our children and our grandchildren.
 
The poet laureate of the American Dream, Bruce Springsteen, asked once:
 
Is a dream a lie, if it don’t come true?…
Or is it something worse?
 
When the American Dream is denied, our lives shrink, our hopes fade, and our days unfold not in the light of possibility but in the darkness of fear.
 
To make the dream true again, we must fight for better wages for all workers, so that Americans can support their families on what they earn.
 
What does this mean? It means raising the minimum wage, it means raising the income threshold for overtime pay, and it means respecting the rights of all workers to organize.
 
To make the dream come true again, we must not allow another Wall Street meltdown to rain down on hard-working families. We have a responsibility to put it outside the realm of the possible – by reinstating Glass-Steagall, breaking up the banks, and holding people accountable when they break the law.
 
To make the dream come true again, we must embrace our clean energy future – and recognize that renewable, inexaustable sources of energy represent the biggest business opportunity in a century. Clean water and clean air is a human right – one that no generation has the right to deny to their kids.
 
To make the dream true again, we must increase Social Security benefits, not cut them. When it comes to social security solvency, you’d think the sky is falling.  But the truth is that the floor is falling out from under our seniors.
 
And to make the dream true again, we must invest in our children – in this country’s future – by creating an education system that empowers each and every child to reach their full potential – starting with pre-k and all the way through college.
 
It’s outrageous that you can buy a home for a lower interest rate than you can go to college.
 
Let’s let our kids refinance their loans, and cap their payments so they have the same options we did – to buy a home, start a family, give back to their community.
 
VII. AMERICAN VALUES/POWER OF MORAL PRINCIPLES
 
But the most fundamental power of our party and our country is the power of our moral principles.
 
Triangulation is not a strategy that will move America forward.
 
History celebrates Profiles in Courage not Profiles in Convenience.
 
This day, each day, we must be unashamed, unabashed defenders of the American dream we share.
 
The dignity of every person tells us that the right to marry is not a state right, it is a human right.
 
And when refugee children arrive on our doorstop fleeing starvation and death gangs, we don't turn them away – we act like the generous, compassionate people we have always been.
 
The enduring symbol of the American Dream -- the enduring symbol of the land of opportunity -- is not the barbed wire fence, it is the Statue of Liberty!
 
This is what we believe. This is who we are.
 
And "In God We Trust!”
 
VIII. CONCLUSION
 
Yes,...you and I are proud to be members of the Democratic Party.
 
Let the Tea Party measure their success by how many times they can shut down our government; we measure success in jobs and opportunity for all.
 
Let them speak for the sad yesterdays that were, we speak for the better tomorrows that can be.
 
The American Dream is what makes America exceptional.
 
Fear and anger never built a great nation.
 
Our country is built by the compassionate choices we make together to live lives guided by our better angels.
 
We love our country.  We love what our country is.  And what's more -- we love what our country can become.
 
So take pride in your work as Democrats.
 
Take pride in what you believe.
 
And the next time someone asks you who you voted for – don’t be shy. Tell them. I mean it.
 
If a child asks who you voted for, I want you to tell that child, “I voted for you.”
 
When you see someone sweating through another long shift, and they ask you who you voted for, I want you to tell them, “I voted for you.”
 
When you see someone with health insurance now, who didn't have it before, and they ask who you voted for, I want you to tell them, “I voted for you.”
 
When you see someone who wants nothing more than for their family to be treated with dignity and respect, I want you to tell them, “I voted for you.”
 
And when you see someone who hungers for opportunity and a good job, I want you to tell them, “I voted for you.”
 
We are Democrats for good reasons.
 
Because ours is the party of opportunity. Ours is the party of the people. Ours is the party of the better future. Ours is the party of the American dream.
 
And together, we will make that Dream true again.
 
Thank you.

What They’re Saying About Martin O’Malley on Day One of His Iowa Trip, April 9, 2015

Day One of Governor O’Malley’s Trip to Iowa: “Applauded Big,” “Very Impressed,” “Standing O,” “O'Malley-mentum!” “Standing Room Only”

Des Moines Register: “With a few strums of a borrowed guitar, Martin O'Malley had the attention of a packed Cooney's Tavern in Beaverdale.”

Des Moines Register: “O'Malley…strummed and sang following a stump speech to the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.”

Des Moines Register: “O'Malley, who frames himself as a progressive, results-driven leader, touted his progress in reducing crime as mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He also looked to the present day to call for changes, including raising the minimum wage, improving the threshold for overtime pay and making it easier to join unions.”

Des Moines Register: “REACTION: The friendly crowd applauded big, especially on a line about regulating Wall Street.”

Washington Post: “O’Malley…has been warmly received by Democratic audiences, spoke following an event Thursday night where close to 150 people packed into an Irish bar in the Beaverdale neighborhood here…delivering a speech laced with populist themes…”

Washington Post: “My sense, having traveled around the country now over the course of the last year, is that Americans … feel that their politics has been very badly damaged, that the rules have been unfairly manipulated in ways that threaten the future of our American Dream and of a growing American middle class,” [O’Malley] said. “And people in our party, I think, are looking for new leadership that will break with the failed policies of our past and create a new and better day for our country. That’s my sense.”

Ari Melber: “We talked about how he reformed policing and brought crime down in Baltimore as Mayor, one of the toughest city environments in the country. So it is certainly true that he is a chief executive here who has a background that in any other normal year, Richard, would be attractive on paper to Democrats.”

Ari Melber: "Look, he was there out campaigning. He’s going to be at an event tonight with Jim Webb in Polk County over in Des Moines. He says there's a hunger for a choice, for an alternative...We talked about his record. Where does he fit into this race? And he was very, very clear and muscular about the fact that he's done a lot of progressive things. He said at one point, ‘I've done in Maryland what national democrats talk about.’”

Peter Hamby @PeterHambyCNN: emails from Iowa Dem activists who saw Martin O'Malley at Cooney's in Beaverdale last night: He was "on fire." "Huge crowd." "Love him."

Ed Henry @edhenry: O'Malley playing guitar live at Cooney's -- will periscope in a min instagram.com/p/1RrqSLKa1Z/

Jeff Zeleny @jeffzeleny: A week before expected Clinton launch, @GovernorOMalley visited Iowa Senate caucus this morning. Good reviews, those inside room tell @CNN.

Ben Jacobs @bencjacobs: Hearing Martin O'Malley's appearance before Iowa Democratic legislators this morning went very well and impressed listeners.

Ron Fournier @ron_fournier: Bar packed for @GovernorOMalley. #Iowa Democrats are not talking coronation. Cc @HillaryClinton pic.twitter.com/9W6izo4U5k

Ron Fournier @ron_fournier: More than most suspect @deniseparashac: @ron_fournier @GovernorOMalley This should be a very interesting primary.”

Ron Fournier @ron_fournier: 120+ @MattMcGovern: @ron_fournier @jaketapper oh c'mon there are 30 people at that bar.”

State Rep Art Staed @StaedArt: .@GovernorOMalley addressing the @iahousedemocrat . Inspiring speech about bringing back the #AmericanDream . pic.twitter.com/twqBFMxWhv

Jessalyn Holdcraft @JessalynNeal: It's a full house with @GovernorOMalley at #SimpsonCollege. Iowa is the place for politics. pic.twitter.com/X7wgwVN23l

Ben Rodgers @BenRodgers1: O’Malley: While our country is creating jobs again the truth is 80 percent of us are making less than we were 12 years ago #iacaucus

Jessalyn Holdcraft @JessalynNeal: "Why is it easier to get a credit card than a voter card?" @GovernorOMalley #goodquestion #votingmatters #votingrights

Brittany Robb @Brittany_Robb: Experience with immigration reform, justice system reform, economic reform, etc. @GovernorOMalley giving great insight at @SimpsonCollege

Tom Sanford @tom_sanford: Very impressed by @GovernorOMalley today at Simpson.

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: Good standing o' for @GovernorOMalley as he finishes up in Warren County #IACaucus

Michael Libbie @MichaelLibbie: Big crowd at Cooneys in Beaverdale waiting for @GovernorOMalley pic.twitter.com/f9VOTxmDtA

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: Feel that O'Malley-mentum! Crazy packed crowd for @GovernorOMalley in Beaverdale #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/uXjLN3Fnox

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine:.@GovernorOMalley speaking to an amped-up, rowdy crowd in Irish bar in Des Moines/Beaverdale #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/Gvf5aAmGdM

Rick Smith @ricksmith2825: At Cooneys Tavern in Beaverdale with @GovernorOMalley with the @iowademocrats Standing room only tonight pic.twitter.com/K5HwwreH73

Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine: This the quickest time a crowd has followed @GovernorOMalley's "I voted for you" refrain #IACaucus

Rick Smith @ricksmith2825: In Beaverdale @GovernorOMalley has packed Cooneys with excited @iowademocrats, they like what they are hearing

Gregory Huauenstein @greghauenstein: One of the best parts of tonight's event w/ @GovernorOMalley: The women chanting "Q&A!" at the end. Iowa! #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/RNo5mZptTF

Ari Melber @AriMelber: There is more punishment for people speeding than for banks violating SEC rules," Martin O'Malley tells me in Iowa: http://on.msnbc.com/1FriIr8  

What They’re Saying About Martin O’Malley on ABC’s "This Week" March 29, 2015

Governor O’Malley on ABC’s "This Week:" “Bold,” “Accomplished Executive,” “New Perspective,” “New Face for the Democratic Party,” “Progressive Alternative”

Yesterday, Governor O'Malley appeared on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. Here's what people are saying about his appearance:

Wall Street Journal: “With a national stage on Sunday, he was far more bold than he has sounded in the past.”

Wall Street Journal: “[O’Malley] present[ed] himself as an accomplished executive who would bring the ‘new perspective’ he said voters demand.”

MSNBC: “The former governor added, ‘I believe that what people want, especially this year, is someone with proven executive experience: the ability to get things done, rather than putting their finger in the wind and looking for popularity.’”

New York Times: “Mr. O’Malley pointed to his own executive experience as governor and mayor of Baltimore…He lamented the influence of Wall Street in politics and called for a return to economic populism. And he called for a president with ‘the ability to get things done rather than put their finger in the wind and looking for popularity.’”

POLITICO: “O’Malley portrayed himself as a new face for the Democratic Party and a progressive alternative, more willing to directly confront inequality and take on Wall Street.”

Washington Post: “O’Malley said Sunday that the presidency ‘is not some crown to be passed between two families,’ sounding more resolute than ever about taking on Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination.”

Washington Post: “He pitched himself as an executive with 15 years of experience — eight as governor of Maryland and seven as mayor of Baltimore — who had accomplished a good deal in Maryland and is willing to stand up to Wall Street and other special interests.”

National Journal: “What O'Malley needs is an introduction: A chance to let Democrats around the country know there's an alternative to Clinton…He made that move clear Sunday morning…”

Washington Post:  “Dan Calegari, a Democratic activist helping make introductions for O’Malley in New Hampshire, [said], ‘People are dying for somebody to tell the truth.’”

The Hill: “O’Malley cited Maryland’s state sanctions on Iran’s economy under his tenure as one example of how he had already slowed Iran’s hunt for nukes. He also backed the use of diplomacy, citing the Obama administration’s ongoing talks with Tehran. ‘I think we should support the president in achieving a negotiated settlement,’ O’Malley added.”

Howard Dean on MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt: “Martin has a terrific record as Mayor and as Governor. So, I thought he actually did very well.”

David Chalian @DavidChalian: It's clear ‪@GovernorOMalley came to play ball on ‪@ThisWeekABC. He calls for "new perspectives" and "new leadership"

Ben White @morningmoneyben: Martin O'Malley steps up his rhetoric with this "presidency not some crown to passed down among families" line. pic.twitter.com/mzgr2PbC8v

Doug Donovan @DougDonovan: .@ThisWeekABC panel thinks @GovernorOMalley should/could challenge @HillaryClinton for president.

Howard Dean @GovHowardDean: George doing great with OMalley. He works best with in studio guests. Martin holding his own with first big interview.

Martin O'Malley in Des Moines on Thursday, April 9, 2015 for the Central Iowa Democrats for Action Kickoff Event

Governor O'Malley will be in Des Moines on Thursday, April 9th for the Central Iowa Democrats for Action Kickoff event.

As previously announced, he will also be at the Polk County Democrats' Annual Spring Awards Dinner on April 10th. Details for both below:

Central Iowa Democrats for Action Kickoff Event
Thursday, April 9th at 7:30PM
Cooney's Tavern Beaverdale
3704 Beaver Ave
Des Moines, IA

https://www.facebook.com/events/1558486841106520/

Polk County Democrats' Annual Spring Awards Dinner
Friday, April 10th at 5:00PM
UAW Local 450
4589 NW 6th Dr.
Des Moines, IA

http://www.polkdems.com/4th-annual-spring-awards-dinner-governor-omalley/