Presidential hopeful O'Malley touts experience, results at Davenport event.

Presidential candidate and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley said Sunday he believes the U.S. is capable of a sensible rebound.

Mr. O'Malley spoke to a crowd of about 100 people Sunday at Jersey Grille, Davenport, touting his record as the only Democratic candidate who has 15 years of executive experience and achieving progressive results.

He said President Barack Obama has moved the country forward, and under his leadership the U.S. has experienced 65 months of month-over-month job growth. "This is the hard, difficult truth. Seventy percent of us are earning the same or less today as we were 12 years ago. That is not how our country is supposed to work. It is not how our economy is supposed to work. And it is not how the American dream is supposed to work," Mr. O'Malley said.

To turn things around, he advocates practicing "common sense" economics. Mr. O'Malley proposes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, pushing for paid family leave and expanding social security "so our seniors can retire in dignity and not in poverty," he said.

Mr. O'Malley said he is the first candidate to propose a plan to have a 100 percent clean electric future by 2050, to increase median family wealth by $25,000 in the next 10 years, to cut youth unemployment in half, eradicate childhood hunger in the U.S. in five years and make a universal option for a debt-free college education.

He is against the Trans-Pacific Partnership and said the government needs to stop turning a blind eye to "irresponsible, reckless and sometimes criminal" actions of Wall Street.

Mr. O'Malley said the path to follow is "a sensible rebounding, based on our concern, our compassion, our care for one another and the common good we share. The other path is pitchforks, or rocks or stones, more and more of them in the hands of angry, unemployed young Americans who feel they are unwanted, unneeded and unnecessary in their own country," he said.

When Mr. O'Malley opened the floor, audience members asked if he would support more debates, compulsory national service, his stand on gun control and immigration.

I believe one of the big drags on wages in this country is we have 11 million people, many oftentimes working off the books and running around the economy. I am in favor of comprehensive immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for those 11 million of our neighbors," Mr. O'Malley said.

After hearing Mr. O'Malley speak, Chris Jansen, of East Moline, said she decided she will continue to support U.S. Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Ms. Jansen said she believed Mr. O'Malley was hedging on some the answers he gave to audience questions. "With Bernie, you get straight answers," she said.

David Mall, of Davenport, said he is a political junkie and will listen to as many candidates as he can from both parties. As a Republican, he also attended to learn more about what shape the Democratic platform will take.

Mr. Mall described Mr. O'Malley as a "dynamic speaker" who catered his message to the audience who attended. "I suspect he is a lot more liberal than many Iowans will appreciate," he said. "He will have to prepare for a more conservative audience to win the allegiance of Iowa."

Mr. Mall said he can't predict how this will play out. "I wish him the best of luck," he said.

http://www.qconline.com/news/local/presidential-hopeful-o-malley-touts-experience-results-at-davenport-event/article_30708197-a31f-5279-826a-b2231befb911.html