OMalley uses local soup supper to encourage Democrats to fight.

"Our country is worth fighting for."


That was the message from former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley who gave the keynote address to roughly 250 people at this year's Story County Democrats Annual Soup Supper Saturday night.

O'Malley finished in third place last year during the Iowa Caucuses, but while speaking in front of local Democrats on Saturday, he returned to many of the ideas he spoke about while on the campaign trail in the months leading up to his eventual exit from the 2016 presidential race.


"When workers earn more, they can spend more and our whole economy grows," O'Malley said. "That's why as Democrats we want to make it easier and not harder for people to join labor unions and bargain collectively for better wages. We want more affordable college, we want our kids to learn more so they can earn more. This is truly the American way."


During the speech, O'Malley also discussed the future of the Democratic Party and what the role of the party should play be playing under a President Donald Trump administration. According to O'Malley, being a Democrat under Trump means to fight for the dignity of every person, a secure retirement for all people, a quality education for each students and affordable access to health care for all Americans. O'Malley said the party also needs to fight in every state as well as on every issue.


"If we're going to be the party that fights for everyone, we also need to be the party that fights everywhere," O'Malley said.


That means to focus on races up and down the ballet, not just at the top of the ticket, O'Malley said. . .

"I suppose for every light there is a shadow but about this I have no doubts, every time something as massively negative as this administration happens to our country, people rise up and the goodness is revealed," O'Malley said.'

http://www.amestrib.com/news/20170304/o8217malley-uses-local-soup-supper-to-encourage-democrats-to-fight