Someone in GD:P accused O'Malley of being a moderate.

[FSogol]

Last edited Fri Jun 26, 2015, 12:33 PM - Edit history (1)

O'Malley

Raised taxes on the rich in Maryland
Closed Maryland's most abusive prison
Ended the death penalty, commuted the sentences of those remaining on death row
Allowed felons who served their time the right to vote
Doubled drug treatment programs in Maryland
Raised the minimum wage
Prevented fracking
Supported the dream act and took in more refugees than any other state per capita
Provided health insurance for 380,000
Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.
Froze college tuition
Expanded early voting and same-day voter registration
Expanded Pre-K
Increased minority hiring of the police
Created a civilian review board for the police
Reduced police shootings to their lowest level in a decade.
Decriminalized small amounts of marijuana
Doubled the states investment in renewable energy
Signed a state Lilly Ledbetter Civil Rights Restoration Act
helped Maryland become the first state in the nation ever to defend marriage equality at the ballot box
Added gender identity and expression to its anti-discrimination laws.


If these liberal accomplishments make him a moderate, then we need more moderates. There are not many liberals or progressives that can point to such a record of accomplishments. It is time to cut out the "he's a moderate or centrist" malarkey.

[NCTraveler]

1. Apparently I am a big fan of the "Moderate Agenda."

His record is excellent and full of actual accomplishments. One after another over and extended period. Not just speaking to progress, but accomplishing things that make progress a reality.

[elleng]

2. I'll do my best to not call TOO many posts in GD 'bull shit,'

as it's not good for my (or OUR!) reputation!

[FSogol]

4. Good point, I'll consult my thesaurus.

[elleng]

5. :grouphug:

[FSogol]

6. How about "malarkey"? Props to Joe Biden. n/t

[elleng]

7. GOOD one,

and additionally apropos due to MO'M's heritage!

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Oh dear lord!

This is an excellent post! O'Malley is no moderate.

What? Because he doesn't want every single American to make the exact same amount of money? That's never going to happen anywhere in the world except for MAYBE - North Korea.

[Koinos]

8. Why is it so hard...

for some people to admit that O'Malley really accomplished all this stuff and MORE?

This group alone has posted hundreds of O'Malley's progressive achievements and awards (from the NEA and many others) for his conduct as mayor and governor. Yet some on GD act as if he is a centrist or "moderate" who only pretends to be or talks like a progressive. Some simply choose to ignore factual information and rely instead on a TV fictional account of a fictional mayor. Or they retrieve talking points cooked up by Ehrlich or Hogan. Some even claim he is working for Hillary.

O'Malley is a candidate committed to progressive changes in America -- many of which he already brought about in the state of Maryland. He has a record as a fighter for progressive values. And he was there today for the celebration:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251414952

I am confident that, when and if the smoke clears, O'Malley will be standing there, recognized for who he really is. Not a god. Just a human being. Made mistakes, but learned from them. Has a resume as governor that ought to shame Walker and Jindal. When character is good, all else follows.

[elleng]

9. They have their 'hearts' stuck on others,

so find it uncomfortable to recognize facts that might interfere.

[Koinos]

10. Facts are a nuisance, aren't they?

I try to be open-minded and see the benefits of each candidate, but O'Malley keeps impressing me, surprising me. Even when he disappoints me in some way, he usually comes right back with something amazing. He is certainly more complicated and political than he seems sometimes, but i think there is a good heart down there, along with confidence and humility. Yet, he is a sort of stealth candidate. He isn't a celebrity, hasn't appeared on TV as much as the others, and doesn't get noticed. I really believe that he will get the biggest boosts in the debates. He will look rational, pragmatic, fact-driven, moral, reflective, and humble. People will like him.

But the resume speaks for itself -- volumes. He had a lot of help. Maryland ought to be proud of its legislators. Sometimes they led the way. Sometimes he led the way. But they got it done together. A lot.

[elleng]

11. They are UNLESS one is REALLY interested in the best way to go about things.

[Koinos]

12. Absolutely true.

Without facts, no amount of theory or pie-in-the-sky speculating will get things done. But humans sometimes prefer illusions. Both theories and illusions are spun by imagination.

Ideology is appealing. Pragmatism appears dull, but shows us the way.

Maybe that's why O'Malley looks dull to some people. They don't find pragmatism "exciting." I do, because it works.

O'Malley's career is full of actions brought to successful conclusions.

Maybe he is too much the adult for this particular presidential campaign.

Lots of yelling and screaming and not too much reasoning going on.

Just my opinion.

ETA: O'Malley himself said that we have to get beyond ideology of "left" and "right." What matters is problem-solving. We have to be careful not to let progressive thought become a religion with doctrines and loyalty tests. Life is too messy for that. I think of how messy Baltimore was for O'Malley.

[elleng]

13. Great analysis, Koinos.

[FSogol]

14. +1. Agreed. n/t

[Raine1967]

15. Good. This is the kind of moderate I will support any day of the damn week.

Once upon a time liberal was a bad word… I will take him any day of the week.

He has the legislation to back it all up.

And I don't care who called him that, I want to know, what makes him less than a liberal?

Because , ya know, he's a liberal. He's a damn sold liberal Democrat. He's up there with Wellstone, Feingold and pretty much every member of the progress caucus.

I am not joking. Drones are a good example. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-omalley-calls-for-discussion-on-drone-use-following-hostage-deaths-20150423-story.html

"There will and should be much discussion in the coming days and weeks about examining the military and intelligence parameters that need to define our nation's use of drones," O'Malley said in a statement hours after President Barack Obama announced that Marylander Warren Weinstein and an Italian national had been killed in a U.S. operation in January.

O'Malley praised the White House for the "decision to share this tragic information in a forthright way with the American people." The former governor also applauded Weinstein, the Rockville resident who was held in Pakistan by al Qaeda since 2011.

"Warren Weinstein represented the best of Maryland — and the best of America — in his selfless efforts on behalf of the people of Pakistan," O'Malley said.

and this. from the DPC: http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/hot-topics/cpc-amendment-requiring-audit-of-drone-killings-rejected-by-rules-committee1/

WASHINGTON—Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement after the House Rules Committee rejected a CPC amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act requiring the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to audit the use of targeted lethal force operations conducted by unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Congress must exercise its oversight authority and demand more transparency in the U.S. drone program. The White House acknowledged last month that a drone accidentally killed Warren Weinstein, an American hostage, while targeting al-Qaeda operatives. Mr. Weinstein’s death is not an isolated tragedy; U.S. drone strikes have killed at least five Americans since 2002.

“Targeted drone strikes claim the lives of innocent civilians too often, creating deep resentment towards the U.S. around the world. We are disappointed that the Rules Committee rejected this opportunity to begin bringing accountability to this program.”

[lovemydog]

16. He looks like a liberal to me.

In the best sense of the word. I'm impressed with O'Malley's accomplishments.