Alvin Greene, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina. (South Carolina Democratic Party)
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 [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Democrats[/color][/color] 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 [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]photos[/color][/color] to a college student.
However, Greene told Fox [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]News[/color][/color] 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 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 [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]employment[/color][/color]. "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 [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Korea[/color][/color] 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.
__________________
John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
Yep, the Democrats in SC are disorganized. Worse that that they are totally nuts. The Republicans ain't so great either: Some of them have really low testosterone levels because a female ran for governor on the Republican ticket.
Meet the Republican operatives who accused the Tea party candidate for governor, Nikki Haley, of having sex with them. Meet the morbidly ...Deleted by CalHunter... Republican state congressman, Jake Knotts, who called Haley a "raghead."
Hey falcon, this thread is about the Dem ticket not a past primary race. If you want to discuss it, start your own thread.
So the dems have actual law breaking that has taken place by the President's administration, but there's no need to investigate. However, get caught sleeping and your choosen one isn't on the ticket, yep, let's spend federal tax dollars in order to dig up ANYTHING!
Quote:
Clyburn Calls on Feds to Probe South Carolina Senate Candidate
The No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House called on federal authorities Thursday to investigate how an unemployed South Carolina military veteran entered and won the state's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
"Here is Alvin Greene, unemployed, he goes into the Democratic headquarters and pays $10,000. That's no little bit of money for an unemployed person," House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said. "This guy, who is he? Where did he come from?"
Greene, 32, stunned the Democratic Party establishment Tuesday night when he handily defeated Vic Rawl, a four-term state lawmaker and former judge, for the party's nomination. Rawl, who had campaigned little but already raised $186,000, was forced to scrap a fundraiser planned for Thursday night.
Greene has not reported any fundraising, run any ads, or put up signs or a website in his challenge of Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint. He had been considered such a long shot that neither his opponent nor the media bothered to check his background, which includes a November arrest on a charge of felony obscenity.
"There are a number of things that are taking place in the South Carolina political process that I find suspicious," Clyburn said. "I believe there's a coordinated effort to circumvent state and federal laws and seriously subvert the electoral process. Something needs to be done."
Greene, who says he left the military last August after 13 years in the Army and Air Force, has said he paid the $10,440 filing fee by saving up two years of his service pay. On Thursday, Clyburn said he's skeptical Greene paid the fee himself and demanded that federal authorities investigate where the money came from.
Clyburn said state law makes it illegal for candidates to let someone else pay their filing fee if their candidacy is intended to damage another candidate.
Party officials asked Greene to sit out of the race after The Associated Press reported he faces a felony charge, which stems from a University of South Carolina student's complaint that he showed her a pornographic website, then talked about going to her room at a university dorm.
But Greene insists he's staying put.
"I am a legitimate candidate," Greene said Thursday, in response to questions about Clyburn's investigation request. "There's no need for it."
Arriving for interviews at a Columbia television station Thursday afternoon in a dark suit, driven in a hired car, Greene marked a stark contrast to the day before. On Wednesday, Greene greeted a reporter at his childhood home in Manning, clad in a T-shirt and sweat pants.
Greene would be required to report campaign spending to the Federal Election Commission, which regulates federal campaign finances. But the cash for the filing fee itself is given directly by candidates to the state party they wish to represent, and that money isn't subject to FEC filing requirements, officials with the agency said Thursday.
That answer doesn't satisfy Clyburn, who suspects there is more to be learned about Greene's pursuit. Clyburn also raised concerns about the possibility of a whisper campaign to encourage voters to pick the ballot's first name, which happened to be Greene's. He wants anything "untoward" in the race to be investigated.
"He's been paid to stay in it, by somebody," Clyburn said. "I just think this is a ploy by someone to dishonor and embarrass the Democratic Party."
Joel Sawyer, executive director of South Carolina's Republican Party, said Clyburn's allegations are evidence that the state's Democrats know they can't defeat DeMint.
"The Democratic Party is grasping at straws, and making absurd accusations to cover for their laughable incompetence in vetting candidates," Sawyer said. "That being said, if they're not even going to bother doing basic things like checking to see if their candidates have pending felony charges, we're feeling pretty doggone good about November already."
In Washington, the head of the committee to elect Democrats to the Senate tried to distance himself from the South Carolina primary results.
"South Carolina is not a place I'm focused on a lot," said Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "I'm simply saying the DSCC is not engaged."
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
Hey falcon, this thread is about the Dem ticket not a past primary race.
Yep, only those dastardly Democrats are capable of goofing up big time in SC. We all know that those wonderful Republicans in SC never make a mistake. Prior to the last primary on Tuesday oast, two Republican operatives claimed that they had slept with the Tea Party (read Republican) candidate for governor. A ...Deleted by CalHunter... Republican called her a "raghead."
Yep, only those dastardly Democrats are capable of goofing up big time in SC. We all know that those wonderful Republicans in SC never make a mistake. Prior to the last primary on Tuesday oast, two Republican operatives claimed that they had slept with the Tea Party (read Republican) candidate for governor. A fat butt Republican called her a "raghead."
It's a primary. Did they win? Even you ...Deleted by CalHunter... could actually run for office in a primary. The purpose of it is to decide who should go forth. However, remined when have the "independents" actually held a primary and choosen their candidate? Hmmm, I don't even remember their platform. I guess it's because independents wait til the last minute to decide which chowline is bigger.
To your defense, we know your only "core" belief is if your in office, you won't vote for them. Other than that no issues come to mind.
__________________
John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
He may be serving time, and from a new blurb I heard a while ago he was "involuntarily" discharged from the Air Force, although it was honorable. He won't elaborate.
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Greene also said he was eager to square off with Sen. DeMint in a debate, preferably in September.
I don't ever remember supporting any democrat. But, if Mr. Green is still unemployed, and the whole democrat party has turned their back on him, I would be more than willing to send him some gas money to get to that debate with DeMint.
That should be some pretty good reality TV.
C. Davis
__________________ Am I greedy because I don't want to give you what is mine?
or
Are you greedy because you want to take what is not yours?
It's a primary. Did they win? Even you a clueless wonder, could actually run for office in a primary. The purpose of it is to decide who should go forth. However, remined when have the "independents" actually held a primary and choosen their candidate? Hmmm, I don't even remember their platform. I guess it's because independents wait til the last minute to decide which chowline is bigger.
To your defense, we know your only "core" belief is if your in office, you won't vote for them. Other than that no issues come to mind.
With Charlie Crist going independent, I was just thinking. Maybe there are enough independents now to field their own primary in a presidential election year. If Jim Jeffords would come out of retirement, you then have Bernie Sanders, and Joe Lieberman.
If that don't get the independent, third party crowd excited, I don't know what would.
C. Davis
__________________ Am I greedy because I don't want to give you what is mine?
or
Are you greedy because you want to take what is not yours?
Meet the Democrat on the SC ticket. TOO FUNNY!
