What can we say about South Carolina that hasn't already been said? From Joe Wilson to Andre Bauer, from Mark Sanford to Alvin Greene, the place seems like it belongs in another universe sometimes. I know there are good, intelligent, and compassionate people there. The law of averages has probably seen to that, but damn, talk about twisted...
This Alvin Greene (the man no one has heard of) incident is nothing new in Southern politics. It has even happened in the North, but so rarely at the level of Senate campaigns, that it barely deserves a mention. Since Republicans are able to legally vote for Alvin Greene in the primary, I smell something particularly foul. This seems to me to be a pretty transparent attempt to rig an election by advancing an unacceptable candidate in the opposition (as far as Republicans are concerned) and trying to establish a fault line for division in the African American community. In an interview with Keith Olbermann, Greene was prompted and advised by a lawyer who stood just off-screen. Who this lawyer might be, must be known by a number of people. Who worked with Greene on his "campaign?" Where did the money come from?
While the events that propelled Mr. Greene to his victory in the Democratic primary may well be legal in South Carolina (although I don't know that), they nevertheless warrant looking into for malfeasance, especially in regard to where the money for Mr. Greene's filing fee came from. That fact alone might tell us quite a bit. My gut feeling is there will be many people to blame, when all is said and done.
Any budding journalists out there? This would be a prime assignment on which to "cut your teeth." Someone will talk, probably for a price.
Tags: Alvin, America, Carolina, Greene, South, politics