O'Malley's Amnesia on Marriage

[Vattel]

There he goes again. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who once extolled the virtues of centrism, now wants us to believe — in an unintentionally hilarious rewriting of history — that he’s more liberal than Hillary Clinton and a “profile in courage” when it comes to fighting for marriage equality. . . .

The problem with O’Malley is that he’s had more positions on marriage than all the 2016 hopefuls combined. And after pushing for civil unions right up until 2011, he now wants voters to believe that he’s a pioneer on the issue. What nerve! . . .

In 2004, O’Malley told a Baltimore TV station, “I’m not opposed to civil marriages.” Also that year, he emailed a plaintiff in the state marriage lawsuit that read, “I’m just supporting something I strongly believe in,” referring to marriage equality. But by 2006, O’Malley’s position was shifting and he said, “I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is a fundamental issue of the state’s public policy, and a decision that ultimately should not be made by a single trial court judge.” When confronted by gay activists after issuing that statement, O’Malley disavowed any previous support of marriage equality. . . .

From 2008-2010, O’Malley publicly backed civil unions as bills to legalize marriage equality were defeated in committee. He was even booed off the stage at a private LGBT donor gathering after advocating for civil unions over full marriage rights.

See more at: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/04/20/omalleys-amnesia-on-marriage/#sthash.8V5P5I9c.dpuf

I agree with the main point of this editorial, which is that on the issue of marriage equality, both Clinton and O'Malley are profiles in convenience and not profiles in courage. Unlike those candidates, Sanders has consistently supported marriage equality.

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. Thanks for the info

. The Blade is the oldest LGBT newspaper in the United States and second largest by circulation, behind Gay City News of New York


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Blade

[Bluenorthwest]

2. I knew this.

Martin is pretty deceptive about his past.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. March 1, 2012

http://cnsmaryland.org/2012/03/01/omalley-signs-same-sex-marriage-bill-as-opponents-push-referendum/

Supporters said O’Malley, who made the bill a key part of his legislative agenda, will continue to actively support the measure, should it reach the ballot.

But opponents who decried the governor’s lobbying, particularly in the House of Delegates, said the governor’s influence will not translate to the referendum stage.

“I don’t think the governor’s bag of tricks is going to be that deep,” McCoy said.

The O’Malley-backed bill won narrow approval in the House last month after two late amendments helped win the support of a few key delegates, including two Republicans. It then moved quickly through the Senate the following week.

The law is scheduled to take effect in January 2013.

A high court ruled that MD must recognize same sex marriages that took place in other states.
If they had to recognize a marriage from another state - why not allow it in MD.
Bill passes by 72 votes.
He signs.
Opponents get sigs needed for a state referendum by June 2012.
Defeafedt Nov 2012.
Law of the land while Governor.

Now it's the law of the land in the US. Time to move on.


In the AA group - azmom is explaining to us that Bernie can't appeal to blacks or Hispanics because he will lose the white, male, union vote. We have to understand that. We have to. We have to trust he will address his issues because he has given speeches about it and such.

I don't understand why I have to wait for anything.

That doesn't make sense.

[bigtree]

4. most observers say MD's marriage equality law wouldn't have passed without his effort and support

After the defeat of a same-sex marriage bill in 2011, Governor O'Malley promised to bring the bill up again the next year when the General Assembly reconvened. With the weight of the governor's office behind it passed in 2012 and was upheld in a ballot box vote after opponents got it placed on a referendum. Part of the push for the law's passage was the 2011 appearance of Gov. O'Malley in a series of ads aimed at selling his same-sex marriage legislation.

The governor did much more than just 'sign' the bill.'

Gov. Martin O'Malley testifies before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Tuesday in favor of the Civil Marriage Protection Act. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

from Washington Blade:

___The first witness to testify in favor of the bill was Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who has made the bill part of his 2012 legislative agenda. O’Malley, who had at one time hesitated to support extending full marriage rights to gay couples, has become a proponent of the legislation.

“As you know we already recognize civil marriages that come from other states,” Gov. O’Malley said during his brief testimony, “the civil marriage equality bill draws upon the lessons that we have learned from these other states.”

“This bill balances an individual’s civil marriage rights with the important protections of religious freedoms for all,” O’Malley continued. “And because it protects both of these inalienable rights, it is supported by a broad coalition of Marylanders, which includes clergy, community leaders, faith-based organizations, civil rights groups and those who hold the most important title of all in our democracy, and that title is citizen.”

One day after testifying before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, Gov. Martin O’Malley called for a bill to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples during his State of the State address.

“It’s not right and it’s not just that children of gay couples should have less protection than the children of other families in the state,” he said.

At the committee hearing on Jan. 31, O’Malley was among several prominent elected officials to testify on behalf of the bill.

“This bill balances an individual’s civil marriage rights with the important protections of religious freedoms for all,” O’Malley said. “And because it protects both of these inalienable rights, it is supported by a broad coalition of Marylanders, which includes clergy, community leaders, faith-based organizations, civil rights groups and those who hold the most important title of all in our democracy, and that title is citizen.”

from Think Progress:

....during an appearance on WTOP, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley predicted that most state residents are “past” civil unions and are now in support of full marriage equality. O’Malley also reiterated his plan to sponsor a same-sex marriage bill in the upcoming legislative session, but refused to gauge the chances of success, saying only, “I think it should pass, I hope it passes”:

O’MALLEY: “I think with every day that goes by I think people become more comfortable with the notion, you know, that laws need to be protected equally in a pluralistic society. And we need to find a way to protect religious freedom. […] And sacraments should be left to churches and religious faiths, but a government of law needs to enforce rights and protect rights equally among all people.”

Earlier this summer, a handful of LGBT organizations launched a new effort to bring marriage equality to Maryland modeled after New York’s successful coalition. The new campaign for same-sex marriage includes Equality Maryland, Progressive Maryland, the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry, Service Employees International Union, among others.

watch:

from On Top:

O'Malley, a possible Democratic presidential candidate, campaigned for passage of and signed a bill making Maryland the eighth state to legalize gay nuptials. Three years later, gay couples can marry in 37 states, plus the District of Columbia.

In a recent interview with The Des Moines Register, O'Malley was asked how he reconciles his Catholic faith and support for marriage equality.

“I believe in the dignity of every person,” O'Malley answered. “And I believe that while we're all free to practice our religion and to hold whatever religious beliefs we choose, I think we can all agree that every child's home deserves to be protected equally under the law. That there is dignity in every child's home.”

“And so, I've found that the passage of marriage equality actually squares with the most important social teachings of my faith, which is to believe in the dignity of every person and to believe in our own responsibility to advance the common good.”

“And part of that advancement means changing laws when they are unjust,” he added.


Saturday, January 31, 2015
Revisiting O'Malley's March to Equality

Following the passage of marriage equality in New York State in June 2011, O’Malley took a far more proactive role in the 2012 General Assembly. Allaying the fears of religious conservatives, the bill—Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act—contained explicit language that would not force religious leaders and institutions to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies among other protections. O’Malley vocally supported the bill, testified on its behalf, and lobbied wavering legislators to vote for it.

The bill narrowly passed both houses, and the governor joyously signed it into law on March 1, 2012.

During the ensuing Question 6 referendum battle, O’Malley pushed hard for victory as this was to become a legacy issue for him along with the Dream Act, repeal of the death penalty and other social measures, which would showcase his progressive bona fides should he decide to run for President.

He continued to press for a win to uphold the law by persuading leading clergy to support the effort. He went outside the state to raise money for the referendum campaign that was run by the Human Rights Campaign-led Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition.

O’Malley admitted that his reluctance to use the term “civil marriage” early on was based on advice given by his political advisors while he was mayor. Nonetheless, he saw the light, perhaps motivated by the passage of marriage equality in New York whose governor Andrew Cuomo was a potential rival for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

Regardless, we would not have won marriage equality in 2012 without him. And the same could be said for the passage of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act in 2014 (Gov. O’Malley introduced and signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against transgender state employees earlier in his term) .


Lis Smith ?@Lis_Smith
Jonathan Capehart @CapehartJ: “@GovernorOMalley only 2016er who put his own political capital on the line” for marriage equality.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. You always bring it!

[FSogol]

6. "GovernorOMalley only 2016er who put his own political capital on the line” for marriage equality."

-Jonathan Capehart

[Vattel]

7. Nothing here contradicts the editotial I posted. But it does provide more information

and, like you, I am happy that O'Malley fought for marriage equality beginning in 2011. I didn't like his wavering prior to that nor the hypocrisy of attacking Clinton for letting political convenience dictate her public views on the issue. O'Malley was safely into his final term as Governor before he managed to "change his mind."

[Raine1967]

14. This is truth. It would not have happened.

O'Malley is a friend to the LGBT community.

Now I am going to say this, neither Clinton or Sanders EVER had the chance to sign into legislation marriage equality.

To my very best knowledge — neither introduced marriage equality into the senate. To be fair, very few did… that said to act like O'MAlley isn't an ally is disingenuous.

Now, I Am going to be really honest. Up until about 2005, I thought civil unions were enough. I was never against same sex marriage, I just didn't understand the important difference between civil unions and marriage. You can call it my education of straight privilege when dear friend of mine made a very clear point that same sex marriages enjoyed a whole hellova lot more privileges from the federal government than same sex couples. My mind was changed.

I am not perfect, however I can learn.

I don't believe in the premise that the OP puts forth suggesting that O'MAlley's support of marriage equality was one of convenience.

[Cheese Sandwich]

8. O'Malley has earned his reputation as a slick fraudster who will say anything for money and power.

[bigtree]

9. in this case, what he said

and did, made a real difference in the lives of real people.

It's certainly no fraud in my state, but a very important change in the law; the eighth state in the nation to achieve it with 37 now with similar legislation.

That's more than a Cheese Sandwich.

[elleng]

11. Joking, right?

'reputation as a slick fraudster who will say anything for money and power.'

Martin O'Malley:

1. Ended death penalty in Maryland
2. Prevented fracking in Maryland and put regulations in the way to prevent next GOP Gov Hogan fom easily allowing fracking.
3. Provided health insurance for 380,000
4. Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.
5. Provided meals to thousands of hungry children and moved toward a goal for eradicating childhood hunger.
6. Enacted a $10.10 living wage and a $11. minimum wage for State workers.
7. Supporter the Dream Act
8. Cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders (raised taxes on the rich).
9. Reformed Maryland’s tax code to make it more progressive.
10. Enacted some of the nation’s most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

Mother Jones magazine called him the best candidate on environmental issues.
Article here:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/martin-omalley-longshot-presidential-candidate-and-real-climate-hawk

The Presidential Candidate With a Plan to Run the US on 100% Clean Energy

That leaves Martin O'Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore and two-term governor of Maryland, who's trailing all of the above in the polls. In the wake of the pope's headline-grabbing encyclical on the environment, which champions the moral need to fight global warming and calls for a swift transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, the presidential contender published an op-ed in USA Today outlining an extremely ambitious plan to do precisely that.

"I believe, within 35 years, our country can, and should, be 100% powered by clean energy, supported by millions of new jobs," O'Malley writes. "To reach this goal we must accelerate that transition starting now."

"As president, on day one, I would use my executive power to declare the transition to a clean energy future the number one priority of our Federal Government."


Whole article here:

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/martin-omalley-clean-energy-candidate

We have a choice.

For all of the progress we've made in rebuilding our economy after the 2008 crash, there is still so much that needs to be done. Right now, there are more repercussions for a person driving with a broken taillight in our country than there are for the CEO of a big bank being a chronic violator of SEC rules. No one is holding CEOs accountable for reckless behavior, and they're putting our economy at risk. We must not allow another Wall Street meltdown to bring down hard-working families.

O'Malley, too, said there needs to be a more holistic approach to teaching.

"Increasing the frequency of tests doesn't necessarily increase the quality of education," O'Malley said. "We have to be mindful of the whole child – their development, their nutrition, their health. Learning is about more than that feedback loop of tests and quizzes."

O'Malley used his remarks to focus on his time as governor, saying that during his tenure from 2007 to 2015, Maryland "made public education a priority by partnering with teachers, and by not doing less but by doing more." He also defended the federal government's role in K-12 education, which lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said needs to be scaled back to some extent.

"No child is a spare American. In Maryland, we came together to forge the consensus to make the investments at the state level to give our children the quality education they deserve," O'Malley said. "There's so much the federal government can do better in education, but we won't do better if we insist on doing less, not more."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/19/bernie-sanders-and-martin-omalley-talk-testing-equity-with-teachers-union-chief

A single life in America is worth more than all the guns in the United States.

https://www.facebook.com/MartinOMalley?fref=nf

An angry O'Malley calls for an assault weapons ban.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/06/19/an-angry-omalley-calls-for-an-assault-weapons-ban/?_r=1

NEA names Maryland’s Martin O’Malley ‘America’s Greatest Education Governor’

http://www.nea.org/home/40032.htm

[Raine1967]

15. Do you have any links to back those accusations up?

Post em.

Do it.

[Raine1967]

16. That 'slick fraudster' signed into law legislation that ensured my friends have marriage equality.

It was no fraud, and it wasn't slick. it was the right thing to do and he is a politician that made sure it happened in Maryland.

[PATRICK]

10. The more they search for this

sort of typical politician hedging, the more Sanders looks extraordinary compared to nearly all past American presidential contenders except perhaps Eugene Debs or possibly La Follette in the days when the others COULD pretend easily to move to the left and steal their message. Not so easy now and most all other contenders are nearly hobbled by Big Money into not acknowledging the left in the slightest or being plainly disingenuous or feebly incrementalist. If O'Malley is more vulnerable they are taking a risk in taking him down as he may split the left vote with Sanders. I suspect all the other typical and typically disheartening candidates will be forced to ignore Sanders altogether until it is too late.

[swilton]

12. Lived in MD from 96-2010

Totally believe this about O'Malley. He's part of the establishment....

While I wouldn't go as far as saying he's the bosom buddy of the Clinton's that McAuliffe (Va. Gov.) is, he's definitely pro-establishment and tweaks his resume for convenience. The issues with Baltimore are baggage that he brings but consistent with 'inside-the-beltway' neo-liberalism.

He's young enough to go for a Clinton Veep slot, despite his rhetoric of 'the presidency not being a crown you pass between families'....It's interesting that Veeps play pivotal rolls for electoral convenience and all is forgotten once it's convention time...Never will forget Ronald Regan's selection as his veep former primary contender George 'voodoo economics' HW Bush.

[elleng]

13. 'Tweeks his resume for convenience???'

To START with:

Martin O'Malley:

1. Ended death penalty in Maryland
2. Prevented fracking in Maryland and put regulations in the way to prevent next GOP Gov Hogan fom easily allowing fracking.
3. Provided health insurance for 380,000
4. Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.
5. Provided meals to thousands of hungry children and moved toward a goal for eradicating childhood hunger.
6. Enacted a $10.10 living wage and a $11. minimum wage for State workers.
7. Supporter the Dream Act
8. Cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders (raised taxes on the rich).
9. Reformed Maryland’s tax code to make it more progressive.
10. Enacted some of the nation’s most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

Mother Jones magazine called him the best candidate on environmental issues.
Article here:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/martin-omalley-longshot-presidential-candidate-and-real-climate-hawk

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gov-martin-omalley-takes-on-gop-speech-to-firefighters/video/bc-4103291832001

NEA names Maryland’s Martin O’Malley ‘America’s Greatest Education Governor’

From 2010, Award presented at NEA’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1281944

among other things.