Report: O'Malley To Officially Challenge Hillary in "Late May"

Splendid news. Progressives might finally have their Left-of-Hillary, pro-gun control, tax-and-spend liberal candidate in 2016: ex-Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Politico reports:

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s supporters are getting ready for a likely presidential campaign launch in Baltimore in late May, while the candidate meets with prospective donors in the San Francisco area this week.

It’s part of a significant ramp-up in activity to take advantage of the media vacuum that’s resulted from Hillary Clinton’s status as the only declared Democrat in the presidential race. O’Malley, who left the Maryland governor’s mansion in 2015 after eight years, has recently given a handful of national interviews, including one with NPR during which he raised eyebrows — and his profile — by labeling Republican claims that regulation leads to income inequality as “kind of patently bullshit.”

Realistically, what are his chances? If, for instance, it’s only him vs. Mrs. Clinton, perhaps not zero. The safe bet is, after all, that HRC will be the nominee, period. No one can hold a candle to her infrastructure or lead in the polls. That’s especially true if no one serious puts his (or her) name forward. But after comparing resumes, O’Malley certainly has a case to make, doesn’t he?

He’s served in government (in an executive capacity) for some 16 years, and he doesn’t have the kind of baggage that Hillary has. And while he’s polling in the low single digits, it’s still early.

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Question: Doesn’t he have a better argument to make than, say, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is reportedly eager to stretch his presidential legs and fill the progressive void?

The X factor here, of course, is whether or not Elizabeth Warren will take the plunge. Some say she might. If she does, all bets are off. Progressives, given the option to pull the lever for Martin O’Malley, or the progressive senator from Massachusetts, will likely choose the latter every time.

But at least to his credit, O'Malley's attacks on Mrs. Clinton are becoming increasingly more explicit. So it begins:

Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Md.) is prodding his fellow Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton in a fundraising email designed to highlight his opposition to the trade deal burgeoning on Capitol Hill.

The email includes the subject line “Hard choice?” a less-than veiled reference to Clinton’s 2014 book of the same name. The reference conjures up questions about Clinton’s recent support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which she’s backed away from in recent public appearances.