Martin O"Malley meets the moderates.

[merrily]

As most know, I support Bernie. However, I found this article interesting, given that some people see O'Malley as Third Way.

O'Malley meets the moderates
Appearance at N.Y. event raises questions about mayor's politics, goals
December 04, 2002|By Tom Pelton | Tom Pelton,SUN STAFF

NEW YORK -


.....



O'Malley said he was recruited to join the DLC soon after he was elected mayor three years ago. He said that although he enjoys debating strategy with the organization, he doesn't subscribe to all the positions of its leadership.

He said he made clear his differences in discussions that included leaders such as Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut and Evan Bayh of Indiana and focused on what the council calls the "battle over the soul of the Democratic Party."

........


During the closed-door strategy sessions yesterday, O'Malley said he advised the council not to forget about cities in its quest for suburban voters, and not to move too far to the right. He also talked about how spending money on homeland security measures should be viewed as investments in local economies.

"I don't agree with, `Oh my God! We're getting too close to the left, it's like a stovetop and we're going to get burned,'" said O'Malley. "I told them that they shouldn't confuse a lack of a Democratic agenda with a public shift to the right, which I don't believe has happened."

.....

n addition to opposing the death penalty, the mayor strongly supports affirmative action and opposes state tax cuts - all orthodox liberal positions.

But he has also privatized city jobs, angered local unions and approved tax breaks for developers to stimulate business.

Much more at the link

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2002-12-04/news/0212040053_1_martin-omalley-democratic-leadership-council-democratic-party

This 2002 article gives me comfort that O'Malley is not classic DLC who is only changing his tune now.

[Koinos]

1. O'Malley Motivated by Social Justice Religious Values

I believe that this article sheds additional light on O'Malley's values:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/03/for-2016-take-martin-o-malley-seriously.html

O'Malley regards himself as a problem-solver and not an ideologue. O'Malley's values are progressive, but they are based upon his religious faith. He is a social-justice Catholic who believes in universal moral values. I would classify him as a Christian humanist. He does not wear his faith on his sleeve, but carries it deeply in his heart.

[demwing]

2. People often say that Christianity will usher in Fascism

that could be true, but it could also be true that Christians could pave the way for a true American Democratic Socialism.

[Koinos]

3. Social Justice Christianity

Social justice Christianity is directly opposed to "fundie" fascism. It emphasizes the dignity of each and every unique human being and the importance of the common good. It is closely allied to socialism and democracy, in that it stresses the need to work together to improve the lot of everyone, through growth of community and communication. It stresses tolerance, compassion, and cooperation.

Being a humanist and not affiliated with any one religion, I am nevertheless entirely comfortable with progressive Christian humanism and am surprised but pleased to find it in O'Malley. I believe that this is not a man who will sell out or betray those who support him. He will make mistakes, but he will do his best to make make things better rather than worse for the majority of his fellow Americans.

O'Malley is a complicated, but simple and decent man. He believes in universal human rights, including marriage equality and women's rights. He also believes in getting things done, using common sense and practical organization.

He is a pragmatist guided by universal human moral principles, shared by all religious or non-religious persons who strive to improve the lot of human beings and their children.

I am more impressed by him every day.

[merrily]

5. Interesting. Thank you.

[swilton]

4. What concerns me is

the following 'privatized city jobs, angered local unions and approved tax breaks for developers to stimulate business.' This is related to his mayorship of Baltimore....and this is the linkage I draw to that most recent crisis...

I can't say it any better than John Angelos, COO of the Baltimore Orioles and son of Baltimore Orioles' owner.

"That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good, hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state."

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/orioles-john-angelos-baltimore-protests-mlb

On a personal note of Baltimore's context - Inner Harbor in Baltimore is very well developed and I've been there for many years to enjoy The Aquarium, restaurant, shops, etc. etc. That was viewed as Baltimore's success story..(Harbor was developed 1950's-80's; by the 80's it was considered an international success story.).. Having said that, a city needs more than tourist attractions to support a healthy local economy. It needs mass transit, and other sorts of blue-collar jobs. The Professional sports teams which are well enough attended by local elites do not provide those kind of jobs. Baltimore no doubt gets the spillover effects (both good and bad) from the Washington, DC area.

Don't know the details of the O'Malley Administration to see what he did - according to Wiki article, his record is mixed. According to articles from 2007, his Maryland budget cuts were made by downsizing state programs most critical to the poor.

[merrily]

6. Boston's harbor is its modern success story, too (aside from tourism).

It used to be a seedy area. Then someone got the bright idea that a view of the harbor was not nuthin'. Then some of the most expensive hotels and condos went up there.

As far as O'Malley, most politicians' records are mixed, as far as what one's ideal candidate might be. Bernie is my candidate, but I can point to things about him that concern me, both as a candidate and as a President.

[sabrina 1]

7. He is an interesting man. I like a lot of what he stands for but don't know enough about him yet

to support him. Although I was leaning that way before Bernie announced he would run.

I am glad he is running, the more debate the better and I am definitely not worried about Bernie in any debate.

Thanks for the information on O'Malley.

[merrily]

8. I'm glad he is running as well. He and Bernie may divide the

"left of the left," vote. If that happens, I guess one of them will drop out and the other will go head to head with Hillary. I don't see either Chafee or Webb lasting long.