Possible Hillary foe fires up Iowa Dems

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, rallied Iowa Democrats Saturday in the state that typically holds the first presidential caucus.

{mosads}Speaking before the Iowa Democratic Party Convention, O’Malley touted retiring Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) long tenure, but talked broadly in what sounded like a campaign speech.

“I want to talk with you about the story of us — the story of Baltimore and Iowa, the story of Maryland and America,” O’Malley said, according to the Des Moines Register. 

O’Malley talked at length about how he turned Baltimore around, as mayor, through an ad campaign that addressed the city’s problems with crime and poverty. 

He then explained that like Baltimore in the late 90s, the rest of the country seems to have lost its conviction to make improvements.

O’Malley also touted his recent record in Maryland, where he pushed to increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.10.

While O’Malley didn’t mention his own 2016 ambitions, he did note the importance of electing a Democrat during tough times.

“The truth is, after Hoover, America needed Roosevelt. After Eisenhower, we needed Kennedy. After Reagan, we needed Clinton,” he said. “And after eight miserable years of George W. Bush, America needed Barack Obama.”