from Robert Reich

[elleng]

Today, former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley began his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination by attacking big banks and giant corporations. “We cannot rebuild the American Dream here at home by catering to the voices of the privileged and the powerful,” he told the crowd gathered at Baltimore’s Federal Hill Park. “They were the ones who turned our economy upside-down in the first place. And they are the only ones who are benefiting from it.” O’Malley called for breaking up the big banks, boosting the minimum wage, passing comprehensive immigration reform, and combating climate change. (Has he been watching our videos?)
He's not just talk. When O'Malley was governor of Maryland the state spent record amounts on education, despite the recession, and also saw steep drops in crime and a substantial increase in people covered by subsidized health care – all made possible by unpopular tax increases.
O’Malley’s populism is good for the Democratic Party, good for Hillary Clinton, and good for America. The 2016 election will be won on turnout, which will depend on enthusiasm, which, in turn, will depend on whether a candidate is perceived to be a real fighter for average people who know the game is rigged against them. Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley might together push Hillary Clinton to (1) be tough on Wall Street (including resurrecting Glass-Steagall, busting up the big banks, closing the “carried-interest” loophole, and putting a sales tax on Wall Street transactions); (2) oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership; (3) support a $15 minimum wage; (4) call for a tax increase on the wealthy (including raising the estate tax) in order to finance better schools and free higher education; (5) demand an end to big money in politics (reversing “Citizens United,” requiring full disclosure of all sources of campaign funding, providing public financing of elections, and stopping the revolving door between government and the private sector); (6) support a single-payer healthcare system; (7) suggest saving Social Security and increasing its benefits by eliminating the cap on income subject to Social Security payroll taxes; (8) call for strengthening labor unions; and so on. (See our videos!)
The only thing we can say with any confidence at this juncture is there's hope.

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[Koinos]

1. Good catch!

Always good to hear Robert Reich's take on the candidates.

As Reich says, O'Malley's not just talk. He didn't invent his positions recently to garner votes. He has held these principles for a long time and has acted on them:

He's not just talk. When O'Malley was governor of Maryland the state spent record amounts on education, despite the recession, and also saw steep drops in crime and a substantial increase in people covered by subsidized health care – all made possible by unpopular tax increases.

Principles, pragmatism, and common sense: He has progressive goals, but he knows he has to do what works.

[FSogol]

2. K&R. n/t