Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, on Thursday accused Republican governors across the country of attacking American’s rights rather than trying to create jobs.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow noted that the governor had previously accused Republicans of having an agenda “to go against abortion rights and privacy rights and union rights and gay rights and — Umm.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“Voting rights,” O’Malley interjected.

“Voting rights, absolutely,” Maddow continued, asking if there was a “fundamental difference” between the Democrat and Republican governors.

“Oh, there absolutely is,” O’Malley said. “Democratic governors throughout our country are trying to do the things that work in order to accelerate this jobs recovery, because we know there is no progress unless we are creating more jobs and unless we’re expanding opportunity. Republican governors right now, many of them instead when they get into office after promising to do good things for the economy instead take these hard right turns. Trying to roll back women’s rights, roll back voting rights, roll back workers rights and I think it is a very sad development, not just for their party but really for our country.”

“We would be much better off as a people if we had a Republican Party that was more like the party of Lincoln,” he added. “A party were there are actually some moderate voices. But sadly that’s not what we’re seeing.”

Watch video, courtesy of MSNBC, below:

ADVERTISEMENT

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy