Martin O’Malley Had a Footnote Mishap—But Don’t Overlook the Policy
Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, speaks while announcing he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., on Saturday, May 30, 2015. O'Malley said he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016, launching a long-shot challenge against front-runner Hillary Clinton. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Photographer: Andrew HarrerThis much is clear from the early weeks of Martin O'Malley's presidential campaign: he is positioning himself as the bane of Wall Street's existence. He attacked Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein during his campaign announcement speech. He's repeatedly used his stump speeches to call for more restrictive Wall Street regulation and more concrete consequences for executives at the helm of the largest banks during the 2008 financial crisis.
"If you—and your megabanks—which we, the American taxpayer, saved want to begin to restore the confidence in your leadership, you need to start by saying two things: “we’re sorry” and “thank you,” O'Malley, the former Maryland governor, wrote in an open letter to Wall Street released Thursday by his campaign.