O’Malley cutting short trip to Ireland amid unrest in Baltimore.

[elleng]

Amid the unrest in Baltimore, former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley is cutting short a planned series of paid speeches in Ireland and returning home Tuesday morning, an aide said.

The Democrat, who has been aggressively positioning himself for a White House bid, had been scheduled to give several speeches Tuesday and Wednesday in Dublin. He was in London on Monday to give another paid address.

O’Malley served for seven years as Baltimore’s mayor before becoming governor of Maryland in 2007.

In a statement Monday night, O’Malley said he is “saddened that the city I love is in such pain this night.”

“All of us share a profound feeling of grief for Freddie Gray and his family,” O’Malley said. “ We must come together as one city to transform this moment of loss and pain into a safer and more just future for all of Baltimore's people."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/04/27/omalley-cutting-short-trip-to-ireland-amid-unrest-in-baltimore/

[blue neen]

1. Maybe he can do some type of good in this sad situation.

It's hard to hope when everyone is feeling so helpless.

[elleng]

3. Maybe he can.

He surely knows the city, lives there, and he also knows the present mayor, who seems to be doing as much as she can.

But dealing with those who want to make trouble, for whatever reasons, will be difficult for every and anyone.

[ram2008]

2. A respectable move from O'Malley but,

I think he's our own Democratic version of Tim Pawlenty.

[elleng]

4. Meaning what?

[ram2008]

5. Angling for veep

Just a boring dude angling for the VP position, but at the end of the day will probably lose out to someone with more charisma (Julian Castro).

Didn't mean to be negative, just an observation.

[elleng]

6. Didn't mean to be negative,

'just a boring dude . . ?'

Learn a few things, maybe: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026537384

[ram2008]

7. I know about him

Good guy, decent record-- just not charismatic. Sort of inoffensive really which is why I called him our Pawlenty. I still think he's angling for Veep though, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

[FSogol]

10. You don't have to date him, just vote for him. He's a lot more charismatic than

the twisted fucks running for the GOP nom.

[elleng]

16. Thanks, FSogol.

[FSogol]

15. He's not angling for VP, he sees a path to the WH the same way

Obama defeated HRC in the primaries. AAR, why would HRC name him VP? Maryland will vote for her anyway if she gets the nomination. She'll need a VP candidate from a swing state.

[ram2008]

17. He is; she doesn't need a swing state

Obama picked Biden because he was lacking in foreign policy/washington credentials. Not because he needed to win Delaware (a solidly democratic state).

Clinton will have two choices for her VP, someone safe who you know won't mess up when placed in front of a camera and who solidifies her liberal credentials (O'Malley).

Or someone transformational, who excites the base and electrifies the ticket. I'm assuming she would do this if she needed a shakeup of the race, in which case she would pick Julian Castro.

[FSogol]

18. You are the one claiming O'Malley is angling for VP, he is not for the very reasons you stated.

[Jesus Malverde]

8. He heard Vicky Neuland was in town...nt

[FSogol]

11. What does Nuland have to do with O'Malley?

[Cha]

9. Good on O'Malley.. I imagine he would want to be there. mahalo elleng~

[Vattel]

12. O"Malley should stay away. We have a better mayor there now.

To quote David Simon (who I agree with):

"In my city, Baltimore, we had a mayor, Martin O'Malley, who decided he was going to escalate the drug war. Zero tolerance was his mantra, and he put it out there: "Get everybody off the corners. Clear the corners." He was running for governor, so, for political reasons, he was basically trying to clear the street a year in advance of the election. We were filming The Wire in Baltimore at the time. And it got to the point that my African-American crew members and actors couldn't get back to their hotel without getting locked up, because they were driving while black. It was just presumed they were out there to cop drugs. So every now and then I'd have to go down and bail out my assistant director or one of my actors. Now, that was what was happening to people who were somewhat notable and had something to say to the cop. Can you imagine how many regular Baltimoreans went down to the city jail charged with nothing?"
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/mar/30/david-simon-americas-war-on-drugs

[MerryBlooms]

14. rec. Here's an Al Jazeera America article discussing Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC)

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore City Detention Center is old. It was in business before Abraham Lincoln was president. Ghosts are everywhere – in the concertina wire lacing the sky, the ancient stone façade, the trash swirling on the sidewalk, and the white door with a small barred window set hard on the street. It was once said that inmates who walked up the steps and through that jail door exited on a gurney.

The jail was also, until recently, run by a gang.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2015/4/23/baltimore-jail-gang.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. It does look like Belfast in the 70's, so...

The American Troubles, 2015 style.