Governor O'Malley Will Address Democratic National Convention
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Governor Martin O'Malley is preparing to address the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week. O'Malley is one of the speakers who will set the stage for the party's nomination of President Barack Obama.
Political reporter Pat Warren has more on O'Malley's role, including making the rounds on national news shows.
Democrats are arriving in Charlotte for the start of their three-day convention Tuesday. Governor O'Malley answered what a lot of voters may be asking themselves on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday: whether they are better off now than they were four years ago.
"No, but that's not the question of this election," O'Malley said.
Republicans jumped on that answer. GOP Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan called O'Malley's comments proof that President Obama's policies aren't working. But in his answer, O'Malley went on to blame the Bush administration.
"Without a doubt, we are not as well off as we were before George Bush brought us the Bush job losses, the Bush recession, the Bush deficits," O'Malley said.
And he further clarified his remarks on CNN.
"We are clearly better off as a country because we are now creating jobs, rather than losing them," he said. "We have not recovered all that we lost in the Bush recession."
O'Malley is in Charlotte this week as head of the Democratic Governors' Association. He is also one of the convention speakers.
"What you're going to see in the next few days here in Charlotte is an agenda and a vision for America's future, where our middle class is actually growing, becoming stronger...where we create opportunity," he said.
Republicans are keeping close watch on the Democrats this week, with the GOP expected to keep returning to the "Are you better off?" question over the next few days.
In addition to the governor, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski is speaking at the DNC this week.
