Today, in a speech at Harvard University, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley made it pretty clear that he isn't running for VP on a Hillary Clinton ticket.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) went after Hillary Clinton Thursday, accusing her of changing policy positions based on polls rather than her convictions. It's the first time the prospective Democratic presidential candidate has attacked Clinton since she announced her presidential bid Sunday.
"I’m glad Secretary Clinton’s come around to the right positions on these issues," said O'Malley, referring to same-sex marriage and immigration. O'Malley spoke to reporters at Harvard University, where he gave a speech on the economy.
"I believe that we are best as a party when we lead with our principles and not according to the polls," O'Malley added. "And every election is about the future. And leadership is about making the right decision, and the best decision before sometimes it becomes entirely popular."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
He then proceeded to compare HRC's previous positions on a constitutional right to same sex marriage and on issuing drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants (both of which she has supported now), to her previous positions on those issues. And I have to give O'Malley credit. As the Catholic Governor of a state that is more Catholic than most states, O'Malley was an early supporter of same sex marriage. And as both Mayor of Baltimore City and Governor of Maryland, he was very responsive to the needs of immigrants, including undocumented immigrants. He has every right to criticize other candidates for being timid on these issues, which too many of them were.
I like O'Malley, and voted for him twice for Governor, but I still haven't committed to him. The reasons are these: (1) I thought he was too cozy, as Governor, with the poultry industry on the Eastern Shore, including threatening the funding of a University of Maryland law school environmental law clinic that brought a suit he didn't like, and (2) an absolutely absurd standoff when he was Mayor of Baltimore City (and clearly planning to run for Governor) and Bob Ehrlich was Governor, wherein it became clear that neither of them would support anybody supported by the other for head of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (a position on which the Governor and the Mayor have to agree on the nominee). The BCDSS dispute reminded me of nothing so much as a contest between two young male bears to see which can scratch higher on the tree, or between two young male dogs to see which can pee higher on the fire hydrant.
But on balance, O'Malley was a good Governor, and I'd like to see a real contest for the nomination.