AMES, Iowa—Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley spoke at a casual backyard house party here Sunday evening, celebrating with Iowans a “tremendous week” that saw Democrats win big in the Supreme Court.
“What a tremendous week we had,” said O’Malley, who is a democratic candidate for president in 2016. “If you ever doubt whether or not our country’s headed to a more compassionate, more generous, and more loving place, this was a good week to see that in the United States of America.”
Last week, the Supreme Court decided to legalize gay marriage and allow nationwide health care subsidies under Obamacare.
O’Malley, speaking to a crowd of about 120 people, jokingly said that in one week the Supreme Court became “more progressive than every single candidate running for the Republican nomination for president.”
“There’s hope for our country,” O’Malley said, before prompting the crowd to turn to a neighbor and tell them the same message.
O’Malley also commended the American people for their compassionate response to the recent tragedy in Charleston, S.C., where nine African-Americans were murdered inside a church.
“It was one of the most inspiring things just to see the transcendent goodness of all of the people that rose out of that horrible racist massacre,” O’Malley said. “And just to see the love and the generosity and the coming together of people in South Carolina.”
He continued, “We are a good people. And President Obama certainly tapped into that in his eulogy there.”
While crediting President Obama for making the country better, O’Malley said he feels America’s better days are ahead.
He wishes to “invest in a more creative and productive economy.”
“Our economy is not money,” O’Malley said. “Our economy is people.”
O’Malley, who is also the former mayor of Baltimore, said that in Maryland, “We believe in doing things that work.”
Under his watch, the state passed a comprehensive gun safety law, repealed the death penalty and raised the minimum wage.
The state also achieved in education.
“We partnered with our teachers to deliver better results for our kids,” O’Malley said of Maryland’s highly ranked public schools.
Other policies on O’Malley’s radar include wanting comprehensive immigration reform, making college more affordable—including pursuing free community college—and expanding Social Security.
He emphasized the importance of becoming a more connected and compassionate country.
O’Malley, declaring himself “totally unknown” to Iowans, made a point to connect with locals.
He praised Iowa for investing in wind and renewable energy.
He promised to campaign the old fashioned way and meet with Iowans in every county.
After the event, Carolyn and John Klaus, who hosted the O’Malley speech at their home, told The Daily Signal that they chose to host the event to give Democratic voters more options than front-runner Hillary Clinton.
