Gov. Martin O’Malley (file photo)
By Matt McNab
Capital News Service
TAMPA, Fla. — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley made a surprise appearance in Tampa Tuesday, criticizing Republican candidate Mitt Romney and other high-profile Republicans, leading to a quick, critical response by the state’s delegates.
O’Malley appeared at the Democrats’ “rapid-response” center just outside the convention’s security perimeter at a press conference Tuesday, slamming Romney’s economic plan and his record at Bain Capital.
“Romney economics would spell disaster for America’s middle class,” he said. “Gov. Romney does not have what it takes to grow this economy. The lessons he learned as a corporate buyout specialist were not lessons that should be applied to a national economy.”
O’Malley, who as chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association has taken a prominent role in this year’s campaign, was especially critical of Romney’s private sector experience, calling Romney out over a lack of middle class job creation.
O’Malley slams Romney job creation, Christie
“The type of business experience that Mitt Romney has during his time at Bain Capital is not the experience of job creation,” he said. “It is not the experience that led to a stronger, growing middle class. It is not the experience that led to job creation on a national scale.”
Senate Republican Leader EJ. Pipkin
O’Malley also slammed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Romney’s running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, over middle class job creation.
“Tonight you’re going to see Chris Christie, a governor who has the fourth worst unemployment rate in the country, giving his angry, Don Rickles keynote,” he said, “extolling the virtues of their candidate, Mitt Romney, and holding up as their new face, Congressman Ryan, part of the most unpopular House of Representatives in modern times.”
O’Malley’s appearance led to members of Maryland’s delegation calling an impromptu afternoon press conference, held on a walkway in the Tampa Convention Center.
GOP lawmakers fire back
“Gov. O’Malley crashing our convention is a waste of time,” said State Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin, R-Upper Shore. “And he should not be talking about jobs after the dismal performance over the last few months.”
House of Delegates Minority Leader and U.S. House of Representatives candidate Tony O’Donnell said O’Malley was making “a mockery of the free-enterprise system” in the state.
Del. Tony ODonnell
“The country deserves to know what a fraud O’Malley is,” he said. “We have a structural deficit of over $1 billion, we’re losing jobs at a higher rate than anyone else in the country and we have an underfunded pension system. There’s much to do in our state. The Democratic folks are very desperate to hold on to their national power.”
Maryland Republican delegate and New Day Maryland PAC President Charles Lollar agreed.
“It’s not a tranquil state at all,” he said. “We have a $1 billion deficit and a governor who expects to cover that with revenues from taxes we haven’t even seen yet. We’re the second-wealthiest state in the country and we still continue to raise taxes.”
O’Donnell said O’Malley’s presence in Tampa likely would mean a Republican presence in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention next week, but he does not plan on attending.
“I won’t be in Charlotte,” he said. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry running against Steny Hoyer.”
Charlotte band appearance
Pipkin closed his comments by taking a dig at O’Malley’s Irish band, which is slated to perform at the Democratic National Convention next week in Charlotte.
“We look forward to his performance in the convention as part of his band,” he said.
Tuesday’s stop isn’t O’Malley’s only scheduled visit to Tampa. He is set to appear on an MSNBC talk show on Friday alongside Christie, but O’Donnell said he wouldn’t be watching.
“I’m going to avoid it at all costs,” he said.
OweMalley has some nerve talking economic policy. His only answer is to tax and spend and tax some more. I hope he keeps traveling and stays out of Maryland for a while and gives us a break. He never met a tax he didn’t like, he’s become a casino junkie, and he supports illegals, I’m sorry “new americans” every chance he can.
omalley is a joke and a black cloud over the state of md! And this joke really thinks he can run for president in 2016,we have enough trouble in the state now trying to exist,we dont need another obama clone destroying the nation!
This person has fooled the citizens of md. and has gotten away with it. At this point we just have to wait it out until the next election. I do not think he will be able to fool this whole country when it comes to his politics. He is way too extreme and he has now been exposed on his political practice. I also think that his party will take a huge hit in the next election. You need to be able to trust your leaders and this is one person who is not to be trusted. I think this person is self centered and is only thinking of his own goals and does not have the best interest of the St.of Md.
OMalley stay in Florida,Maryland will never miss you. AND DONTcall your self Catholic.
The return of O’Malley Watch!
http://www.daggerpress.com/2012/08/29/maryland-watch-keeping-an-eye-on-local-politics-like-larry-hogan%E2%80%99s-missed-opportunity-to-change-maryland/
OweMalley at his finest…Spend,spend, Tax,Tax…
Like O’Malley has room to talk. He is destroying Maryland. We want to know where the all the money is you jerk!
He needs him an ole’ fashion a** whoopin, long with Bush and Miller,( ya see, thats what I got when I got outa line, course now, thats when I just a kid growin up, which, them three boys aint’ done yet, theyr’ still tellin tales outa school) it helps ya to see with a lot more clarity, brings ya back down to earth, it’s a checks and balances sorta thing, reminds ya that ya ain’t no better than the next guy, lessen acourse the next guy is a whorin’ politician, (scuze my french), cause everybody knows ain’t nothin’ lower than a lyin’, whorin’ politician, specially one who gets away with it. That there Rudy guy has it right, thats a man, Dr. Paul
O’Malley says the RNC is speaking in code. Huh!? MOM hasn’t made sense since before he was mayor. He effed up the city then has been effing up the state. Code, my butt! Oh, that’s right. He’s the guy who rode in on “we don’t need slots; I’ll fix BGE!, etc.” What a piece of excrement!
Marty, Florida has NO STATE INCOME TAX> Learn a thing while you are down there.
This makes my dislike of him even stronger. How can he actually talk about private sector jobs when he has never held one. the only thing that would make him plausible was if he listed community organizer on his resume. and by the way- Chris Christie will eat him alive. Go Mitt!
4th highest tax rate in the nation and you want to RAISE taxes?!!? Corporations that are here are leaving in droves and those that WERE coming are going elsewhere, Baltimore ranked 8th most dangerous city in the U.S., Maryland at #18 in the nation for unemployment…and this list goes on..REALLY Mayor O’Malley..you REALLY think you’re in a position to criticize?!?! How about you clean up your own house NOW and focus on your presidential aspirations later?!?! Just a thought…..
I WONDER HOW MUCH OF OUR TAX DOLLARS PAID FOR HIS TRIP TO TAMPA???
Don’t hold your breath while waiting for an answer…
HE is the WORST THING that ever happened to Maryland and yet the SHEEP keep voting for him…Watch when Maryland starts looking like Chicago, WHO WILL THEY BLAME THEN??? Wake up Maryland and vote this P.O.S. OUT OF HERE…
These are the same ignorant,unthinking,apathetic,easily distracted & manipulated,blindly loyal,living in the ’30’s, “voters” who vote Democratic time and time again…
We seriously need to push a change in our state’s constitution. Our current constitution does not allow for a recall of the governor. I looked into it after the Scott Walker recall. So, I guess all we can do is wait him out, and hope he doesn’t do too much more damage. What scares me is who comes next? Voters in this state just continue to validate Einstein’s definition of insanity!!!
With all due respect Governor, you’re an idiot. Stay in Florida and don’t come back to Maryland.
instead of criticizing the other party’s ideas… what is your plan, it’s easy to criticize. I have yet to see or hear anything from dem’s that will fix the problems that we have nationally… it is all about expanding government through socialist ideaology for the dem’s… we fought a cold war for 50 years against socialism and communism and now we have the dem’s adopting their principals and portraying it is as their solutions… it is a sad day for America… hopefully they will stopped
Such an embarrassment to the great state of Maryland!
O’Malley needs to be put in a carnival stand @ the RNC so we can throw pies (or bricks) at him!! He’s a freaking Clown!!!
I vote for the bricks…… lol
O’Malley is such a loser…he is killing our state!
This just proves how much the non compos mentis Maryland governor lacks in class. As state senator Pipkin said maybe O’Malley should concentrate on playing his guitar at the democrat convention. Maybe he can do that better than he does running the state of Maryland. O’Malley’s tax and spend in Maryland showedhim to be a complete flop. Consider him as president. He would be as bad asor worse than the pretender.
Its not so much that Omalley is right as that the new RNC machine is wrong. This is the same Romney machine that organized the destruction of black man Michael Steele because he would not play the yes masta house nigga. This is the same RNC that is patronizing jews and hispanics and in the end wont really do anything for them but take their money and their votes. What is even more amazing is how Romney does not even fit the GOP mold himself. And those who support him are the least conservative people.
You need to rescrew your head on and straighten it out.
If he/she has a head to re-screw on…
You need to put down the “fool-ade” and step away slowly. Some nice folks will be along shortly to take you to a place where you can get some help.
I love your term : ” fool-ade” !
It seemed appropriate. I borrowed it from someone else. Feel free to use it.
That’s true. What they did to Ron Paul is unforgivable. I’ll be watching movies on 6 November. Forget them.
Ron Paul has been running for years he lost the primaries and wants to up his ego he has some GREAT points but he isn’t a Leader.He would rather have Obama win so the country is screwed and he can run next time.He could have made his points and have some effect if he works with republivans or help Obama by taking his ball and going home.
So Obama will win again ? Is that what you want ? Standing on principle as America decays into putrescence ?
Maybe he was out with O’Malley getting PLASTERED last night.Will the Sunpaper follow up on reports he was smashed at the bar in Florida after his round of attacks? Hope so I hear there is pictures that will be out going viral next week during his speech.
O’Malley needs to get back to Maryland and put the interests of Maryland Citizens like me and my family first. Instead of traveling all around the country on the Obama bandwagon trying to line up his next political stepping stone. We have ALOT of problems in Maryland and O’Malley needs to be back in Maryland working on them. O’Malley has done a terrible job so far and we are far worse with O’Malley, maybe it’s better he’s not here at home, screwing up more things.
Rarely is O’Malley’s dismal tax & spend record mentioned in LSM. The country is treated to the fairytale abt O’Malley’s deft fiscal handling of budget issues & how MD’s pension system problems were solved with a wave of the Teflon Leprechaun’s magic wand. No mention of billion dollar deficits year after year. No mention of the assortment of higher taxes, fees, & tolls dumped on MD taxpayers with O’Malley’s blessing, nor his quick approval of the formally “morally corrupt” gambling legislation giving casino owners a break on taxes, while stiffing everyday taxpayers. No mention of the waste, fraud & abuse of taxpayers money under our lame duck governor’s savy leadership.
It’s the old bait & switch we’ve come to expect from O’Malley & this current crop of Democrats. Never tell the truth to the people. Just more b*ll crap that encourages devisive reactions while THEY pick winners & losers.