Why I Love Politics So Much

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

It's a feelgood story...until you read on...


Surprise South Carolina Democratic Senate Nominee Refuses to Step Aside

By Jake Gibson

Published June 10, 2010

The surprise South Carolina Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate has turned down a request from the state party boss to step down.

Alvin Greene, a relative unknown, shocked Democrats in the Palmetto State on Tuesday night by winning the chance to face Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican, this fall with a commanding victory over state lawmaker Vick Rawl in the Democratic primary.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler on Wednesday asked Greene to withdraw from the race for U.S. Senate because of recently revealed court records which show the 32-year-old unemployed veteran was arrested last November in Columbia, S.C., for allegedly showing obscene photos to a college student.

However, Greene told Fox News he has no intention of ending his campaign.

"The Democratic Party has chosen their nominee with over 60 percent, and we have to stand behind their choice," Greene said during a telephone interview from his home in Manning, S.C. "We need to be about the issues. We need to be pro-South Carolina, not anti-Greene."

Fowler pressed Greene in a statement released earlier Wednesday to get out of the race.

"Today, I spoke with Alvin Greene, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, and asked him to withdraw from the race," Fowler said. "I did not do this lightly, as I believe strongly that the Democratic voters of this state have the right to select our nominee. But this new information about Mr. Greene has would certainly have affected the decisions of many of those voters."

Other staffers at the state party are baffled at Greene's win.

"As far as we know he has done no campaigning," state party spokesperson Keiana Page said. "We have no idea how he won."

Greene told Fox News he has never run for public office before, has no staffers and ran the campaign entirely on his own.

Greene is also being shunned by national Democrats, telling Fox News that neither the Democratic National Committee nor the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have contacted him in the wake of his big win.

National party officials didn't return calls Wednesday evening seeking comment for this story.

Court records indicate that last November, Greene allegedly showed graphic photos to a woman at the University of South Carolina and tried to follow her to her dorm room. He was charged with "disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity."

When asked about the allegations, Greene said, "I have no comment on that other, that negative story ... I want this to be about the issues."

On the issues, Greene says his platform will be about employment. "I want to put South Carolina back to work, I know about being unemployed."

Greene also says he is a supporter of the Democrats' national health care agenda and the economic stimulus packages.

But as for how he would have voted on TARP, or the Troubled Asset Relief Program, Greene was undecided. "TARP? What's that?" he asked.

After a moment he added, "I'll have to look into that and get back to you."

Greene says he wants foreign policy to be a part of his candidacy -- as a specialist in the Army, he was stationed in Korea for a year.

"I think there should be one Korea under a democracy, done peacefully," he said.

Greene said that could best be accomplished by "diplomatic efforts."

"It would be good for the economy of the nation and South Carolina and our allies," he said.

When asked what he thought of the latest events surrounding Iran and the United Nations
, Greene seemed to stumble.

"I think how we're going about, what we're doing is OK, I think ... Look, I have someone beeping on the other line, I have to move on ... I'm exhausted," he said.

Greene also said he was eager to square off with Sen. DeMint in a debate, preferably in September.

[Drunk Kennedy]

we should run whammybar against him!

[ijwthstd]

Wow, a sensible, honest and plainspoken Democrat.

I hope he gets elected.

[Crazy Levi]

Wow, a sensible, honest and plainspoken Democrat.

I hope he gets elected.

Saw Olberman interview this guy...he's a complete and utter moron. There are "conspiracy theories" that this guy is backed by republicans and voted in by republicans (open primaries in SC) - I thought it was silly conspiracy shit until I saw the interview.

Seriously, check it out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxnTYPZOmK0

[ijwthstd]

Wow, a sensible, honest and plainspoken Democrat.

I hope he gets elected.

Saw Olberman interview this guy...he's a complete and utter moron. There are "conspiracy theories" that this guy is backed by republicans and voted in by republicans (open primaries in SC) - I thought it was silly conspiracy shit until I saw the interview.

Seriously, check it out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxnTYPZOmK0

I saw that. He isn't very telegenic and seems nervous on television. He'll get used to it as the campaign wears on.

[Crazy Levi]

Wow, a sensible, honest and plainspoken Democrat.

I hope he gets elected.

Saw Olberman interview this guy...he's a complete and utter moron. There are "conspiracy theories" that this guy is backed by republicans and voted in by republicans (open primaries in SC) - I thought it was silly conspiracy shit until I saw the interview.

Seriously, check it out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxnTYPZOmK0

I saw that. He isn't very telegenic and seems nervous on television. He'll get used to it as the campaign wears on.

"nervous on television?"

You must be referring to the 15 second gap between being asked a question and answering one.

It probably had more to do with him waiting for an answer given to him from his offscreen minder than it did about being nervous.

Pretty bizarre story...it's hard to take this guy seriously and I'm pretty open to the idea that he's a plant. Don't tell Mattfig, he'll crucify me.

[ijwthstd]

"nervous on television?"

You must be referring to the 15 second gap between being asked a question and answering one.

It probably had more to do with him waiting for an answer given to him from his offscreen minder than it did about being nervous.

There could also be some sort of transmission delay where he is hearing the questions later than we are adding to the awkwardness. Since the establishment candidate who assumed he was entitled to the nomination lost, the establishment is going to do everything they can to make him look bad.

Pretty bizarre story...it's hard to take this guy seriously and I'm pretty open to the idea that he's a plant. Don't tell Mattfig, he'll crucify me.

More detailed story here

http://free-times.com/index.php?cat=199 ... 6102495579

[Crazy Levi]

"nervous on television?"

You must be referring to the 15 second gap between being asked a question and answering one.

It probably had more to do with him waiting for an answer given to him from his offscreen minder than it did about being nervous.

There could also be some sort of transmission delay where he is hearing the questions later than we are adding to the awkwardness. Since the establishment candidate who assumed he was entitled to the nomination lost, the establishment is going to do everything they can to make him look bad.

Please, this is 2010 and this was not a fucking sattelite feed to Kosovo. I was watching this broadcast and Olberman confirmed that his "attorney" was standing next to him out of frame for the whole interview.

I have no idea what to think about this but obviously "something ain't right." The guy did zero campaigning, has no money or job, can't string 2 words together, and still won. It's odd to say the least.

I do like this though!

"Last fall, Greene allegedly used an old student ID card to get access to the USC library where he sat down next to a freshman girl and asked her to look at his computer screen. When she did, she got a face full of porn. Greene laughed and suggested that he and the girl go back to her dorm room. "

[ijwthstd]

Please, this is 2010 and this was not a fucking sattelite feed to Kosovo. I was watching this broadcast and Olberman confirmed that his "attorney" was standing next to him out of frame for the whole interview.

What the party needs to do is get behind the nominee, get him access to funds and get him some better handlers and up to speed on some of the nuances of the various issues of importance to voters.

Stupider people than him have been elected to and held office. Sonny Bono, anyone?

I have no idea what to think about this but obviously "something ain't right." The guy did zero campaigning, has no money or job, can't string 2 words together, and still won. It's odd to say the least.

Some people in the article admitted to voting for him and gave their reasons. And it was a decisive victory. Maybe people just didn't like the other guy?

I do like this though!

"Last fall, Greene allegedly used an old student ID card to get access to the USC library where he sat down next to a freshman girl and asked her to look at his computer screen. When she did, she got a face full of porn. Greene laughed and suggested that he and the girl go back to her dorm room. "

Wonder if there is a single verifiable case of that strategy ever working? A little tacky and he should know better. Also, innocent until proven guilty.

[ijwthstd]

Quote of the Day

"Does the candidate get paid?"

-- South Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D), when first asked if he would grant an interview with Time magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/artic ... -1,00.html

[Crazy Levi]

Quote of the Day

"Does the candidate get paid?"

-- South Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D), when first asked if he would grant an interview with Time magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/artic ... -1,00.html

holy shit

[crazystix]

Greene says that he wants to create jobs in South Carolina by having people make action figures of himself:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010 ... igures-me/

[tin00can]

Greene says that he wants to create jobs in South Carolina by having people make action figures of himself:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010 ... igures-me/

I'd vote for him. Dude knows how to think outside the box.

[ijwthstd]

His first speech

http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/18/1382 ... acked.html

"Let's get South Carolina back to work from Alvin, South Carolina, to Greenville, South Carolina. Let's reclaim our country from the terrorists and the communists."