Sarah Palin Vs Martin O'Malley

"Yet another anti-freedom politician jumps in the race today for POTUS. As cool as he is with his rock 'n roll persona, this typical liberal's erroneous grasp of our Bill of Rights merely continues the strange and disastrous agenda of Barack Obama. Good to know he doesn't have much chance of winning. The democrats have greased the skids for their chosen one, despite the media games that play the public with various 'competing' campaigns used for gamey distractions. With today's more-of-the-same distract-sphere – with the politician sounding exactly like all the others – don't you wonder if there are ANY good old fashioned Blue Dog democrats who can represent the left’s party in the 2016 race? I feel kind of bad for democrats who are as embarrassed about their party leaving them as some of us Republicans are about our own party when we hear the GOP talk a good game but dishonorably capitulate when given the majority power to stop Obama's nonsense." - Sarah Palin, writing on her Facebook page.

Hillary Welcomes O'Malley To Race

LIVE VIDEO: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Announces 2016 Presidential Bid

Watch it here.

More 2016 Announcements This Month

Martin O'Malley: No Senate Run In 2016

Via the Associated Press:

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley says he will not seek the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski. He is keeping open his option of running for president in a Democratic primary likely to include Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a statement Tuesday, O'Malley praised Mikulski's service and says he expects that "very capable public servants with a desire to serve in the Senate will step up as candidates," and adds: "I will not be one of them." Mikulski announced plans to retire on Monday, giving O'Malley a second option if he wanted to skip what looks to be a longshot bid against Clinton. Little known outside his home state, O'Malley has yet to gain much traction in a hypothetical matchup against Clinton, who has a network of super PACs already working on her behalf and much of the party's establishment eagerly waiting for her to announce her candidacy.

Tea Party supporters are already floating Ben Carson as a possible replacement for Mikulski. Carson is registered to vote in Florida but owns a home in Maryland, a state which has not sent a Republican to the Senate since 1980.

Maryland Gov Busks With Banjo

Via the Washington Post:

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who is weighing a 2016 presidential bid, spent part of his Memorial Day doubling as a street musician in downtown Annapolis. As captured by photos on Twitter, O’Malley played a six-string banjo at City Dock on Monday night, wearing a Baltimore Ravens t-shirt, cargo shorts and flip flops. He appeared to accept tips in his open banjo case. Aides confirmed the authenticity of the photos — including one captured by Eye on Annapolis — but offered nothing on the record as to what possessed the governor to play.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Speaks On His Potential 2016 Bid For President

While other top Democrats continue to hold their breath while they wait for word from Hillary Clinton, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley this weekend spoke about his own potential 2016 run for president.  Politico reports:

“By the end of this year, we’re on course to have a body of work that lays the framework of the candidacy for 2016,” he told a handful of reporters over a beer in the Hilton bar here. The term-limited governor, at his final National Governors Association meeting, noted that he has delivered a series of high-profile talks recently to flesh out the big issues he would build a run for the Democratic nomination around: a commencement at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, an address on climate change, a Center for American Progress speech about growing the middle class and a speech in Ireland. O’Malley is cutting checks to “like-minded candidates” in Iowa and New Hampshire through his political action committee, which has also begun to ramp up its investment in online and social media.

Tweet Of The Day - Gov. Martin O'Malley

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Denounces Lies About Marriage Equality

Maryland Gov. O'Malley For Marriage

MD Gov. Martin O'Malley Reacts

"I'd like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual. Thanks to our elected leaders, clergy and faith-based leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, civil rights groups, and citizens from across our state, Maryland will now be able to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom equally." - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

MD Senate To Vote On Marriage Today

I'll post an live stream when it's ready.

After a request by Republicans to delay the measure, discussion is expected to begin Thursday morning. Debate comes less than a week after the House of Delegates barely passed the bill. Last year, the Senate passed a similar proposal 25-21 and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said the vote is not expected to change. Passing the measure would put Maryland on track to be the eighth state to legalize same-sex unions when Gov. Martin O’Malley signs the bill.

Just like in Washington, the repeal clock starts ticking once O'Malley signs the bill.

Washington & Maryland Governors Slam Chris Christie On Marriage Ballot Issue

(Via - Igor Volsky)

Maryland Gov Introduces Marriage Bill

(Via - Towleroad)

Pelosi's SOTU Guests

Noticeably absent: Chris Christie.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

MARYLAND: Gov. O'Malley To Introduce Marriage Equality Bill Tomorrow

Tomorrow Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will introduce his marriage equality bill.

O’Malley (D) is scheduled to host a breakfast gathering of same-sex couples at Government House and then tout his legislation at a news conference afterward. Aides say O’Malley will be joined outside his residence by supportive legislators, clergy and labor leaders. Word of his plans spread as O’Malley prepared the formal release Monday night of his legislative agenda for the 90-day session that began this month. A same-sex marriage bill cleared the Senate last year but fell short in the House of Delegates. In a bid to attract more support, O’Malley’s bill will include more explicit protections for religious organizations opposed to gay nuptials, aides indicated.

VIDEO: MD Del. Heather Mizeur rants for the good guys.

Gov. O'Malley For Maryland Marriage

MARYLAND: Gov. Martin O'Malley Renews Vow To Pass Marriage Equality

(Via - Towleroad)

Archbishop: Maryland Isn't New York

The Archbishop of Baltimore, Edwin O'Brien, has a message for Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who earlier this week vowed to support the renewed push for marriage equality.

“Maryland is not New York,” wrote Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore in a statement to LifeSiteNews Tuesday. “During the 2011 session, Maryland lawmakers chose not to redefine marriage because they listened to their Maryland constituents and stood by their deeply-held moral convictions.” “Government’s interest in marriage has been to promote the procreation of children, protect the best method of raising children and therefore protect society for future generations,” he said. “There are many ways to protect basic human rights; sacrificing marriage is not one of them. The successful coalition that upheld the time-honored definition of marriage in Maryland, which includes many leaders of African-American churches throughout the state, remains intact and will continue to be vigorously involved in upholding marriage in Maryland,” said the archbishop.

MD Gov Vows Marriage Support

As Maryland's activists gear up to take another run at marriage equality, Gov. Martin O'Malley has pledged his full support.

"I certainly plan to be very active in support of it, and we'll have other announcements in upcoming months," O'Malley said at the National Governors Association meeting in Salt Lake City. O'Malley has long supported civil unions and has said that if lawmakers passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, he would sign it. But Friday marks the first time O'Malley has made same-sex unions a legislative priority. The Democratic governor said he would favor a measure in Maryland that mirrors the same-sex marriage law recently enacted in New York, which protects religious organizations from being required to ordain same-sex marriages.