Alvin Greene
Encyclopedia
Alvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party
's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election
in South Carolina
. He was defeated by incumbent Republican
Sen. Jim DeMint
by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and write-in candidates. He was the first African-American to be nominated for U.S. Senate by a major party in South Carolina. In the general election, Greene faced DeMint, Green Party
candidate Tom Clements
and write-in candidates Nathalie Dupree
and Mazie Ferguson. Greene won the Democratic primary race against candidate Vic Rawl
on June 8, 2010, with 59% of the vote, despite very limited campaigning and campaign spending, and having no website and no yard sign
s. The executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party voted 55 to 10 to reject Rawl's request for a new Senate primary after questions were raised about Greene's surprise victory.
Greene graduated from the University of South Carolina
in 2000 with a degree in political science
. He is a United States military veteran who served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force before receiving an involuntary honorable discharge in 2009. At the time of his Senate campaign, Greene was unemployed and living with and caring for his father in Manning
. On August 13, 2010, it was announced that he had been indicted on criminal charges of showing pornographic pictures to an 18-year old female college student.
Greene was reportedly considering a run for President of the United States
in 2012
, but later declined. On December 24, 2010, Greene filed as a candidate in the Democratic primary special election for the South Carolina House of Representatives
seat left vacant by the death of Representative Cathy Harvin
. That primary was held on February 15, 2011. The Democratic primary was won by Kevin Johnson who received 2369 votes, 65.23% of the vote. Alvin Greene came in a distant fourth, receiving only 36 votes out of the 3789 total cast.
|
|}>
Greene was born in Florence, South Carolina
. His father, James Greene, Sr., is a retired teacher from the Clemson Extension program and was a barber and a nightclub
owner. He was a prominent member of the community "who wanted blacks to play a bigger role in politics and entertainment" and "an outspoken activist for Democratic politics."
Greene graduated from Manning High School
in 1995 and received a bachelor's degree
in political science
from the University of South Carolina
in 2000. He served as an intelligence specialist and a unit supply specialist
in the U.S. Army and has also served in the U.S. Air Force and the Army National Guard
. He received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal
, and the National Defense Service Medal
. During Greene's time in the Air Force he received numerous poor evaluations from his superiors. The evaluations stated Greene was an ineffective leader who lacked organization and was unable to express thoughts clearly. Greene received an honorable but involuntary discharge from the Army in 2009 after a 13-year career and has been unemployed since.
. In the South Carolina Democratic primary held June 8, 2010, he received 100,362 (59%) votes out of 170,215 votes cast, while 69,853 (41%) went to Vic Rawl
. Voter turnout in most counties was in the range of 20-30%.
After Greene was declared the winner and after his opponent congratulated him on his win, officials in the Democratic party began to voice opposition and to raise questions about Greene and his campaign. South Carolina Democratic Party
chairwoman Carol Fowler said she had not seen Greene since he filed to run. Clarendon County Democratic Party Chairman Cal Land told local newspaper The Item that local party leaders had not met Greene, that he had not attended any local Democratic events and had not responded to any invitations to local stump meetings. He did not attend the state Democratic party convention, did not file the form with the Secretary of the Senate and the legally required form for the Federal Election Commission
, and attempted to pay his $10,400 filing fee with a personal check, rather than a check from a campaign account.
of Florida and Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mike Thurmond
were all unsuccessful in their races. Six African-Americans have served in the U.S. Senate
, but none from the South
since Reconstruction.
obscenity charges stemming from a November 2009 arrest for allegedly showing a pornographic picture on an Internet site to an 18-year-old female University of South Carolina
student in a computer lab
, and then allegedly saying to her "Let's go to your room." She then called campus police. The mother of the victim has claimed that USC authorities had warned Greene not to visit certain parts of campus in the past. Greene has since said that he was joking when he spoke to the student, and that he feels she owes him an apology for pressing charges against him. As a result of these charges, Fowler issued a statement calling for Greene to drop out of the race, saying
Greene refused to bow out of the race and announced that, "The Democratic Party has chosen their nominee, and we have to stand behind their choice. The people have spoken. We need to be pro-South Carolina, not anti-Greene." The executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party voted 5 to 1 to reject a call for a new Senate primary after Alvin's surprise victory.
Greene appeared on various news programs after his primary victory. He responded with short answers, refused to comment on the obscenity allegations, and rejected allegations that he is employed by the Republican political party.
On August 12, 2010, a Richland County grand jury indicted Greene for disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity — a felony — as well as a misdemeanor charge of communicating obscene materials to a person without consent. The incident took place November 4, 2009, at the Bates House residence hall on the University of South Carolina's campus. A female student, Camille McCoy, reported that a man later identified as Greene, sat down beside her in the computer lab. He asked her for her name, room number, and phone number, but she did not give it to him. She told officers that five minutes later, he told her to look at his computer screen which contained pornographic images on it. McCoy told him that it was "offensive and not funny". The incident report states that Greene proceeded to ask if he could come to her room, and she told him to leave her alone. McCoy described the event: "It was kind of scary. He's a pretty big boy. He could've overpowered me." She then went up to her room and told her resident mentor about the incident. McCoy also reported the incident to the campus police and her parents who demanded that the police press charges. A warrant for Alvin Greene's arrest was issued on November 9, 2009 and he was subsequently arrested.
In an affidavit against Greene, police say they have surveillance video which shows the interaction. When campus police arrived, they spoke to residence staff, who said Greene had been entering the Bates House for some time using an old university ID card with his picture on it. The staff had been told not to allow him inside the building anymore, but the person working that day had not been made aware of this information, and let Greene in as he normally did.
The first charge, of disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity, is a felony and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. The second charge, communicating an obscene message to another person without consent, is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum of three years and a maximum fine of $10,000.
On June 6, 2011, Greene accepted the Richland County prosecutor's offer to enter a pretrial diversion program which would expunge his record of both charges after completing a course of counseling and community service. It will take about a year to complete.
released in late July found that Greene's campaign had received the most media attention of all of the 2010 political campaigns.
Greene hired South Carolina attorney Suzanne Coe as his campaign manager. Coe said she offered to assist Greene after being struck by his honesty and selfless motivation. She said that "If Alvin tells you he's hiking the Appalachian Trail, he really would be hiking the Appalachian Trail. You can believe what he says."
A Rasmussen Reports
survey released in early August of 500 likely South Carolina voters found that 20% of them backed Greene while 62% supported DeMint. As well, 51% of those polled said that they had a very unfavorable opinion of Greene. Although Greene repeatedly expressed interest in a debate, DeMint declined to participate.
The progressive watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
named Greene to their list of the 11 most crooked candidates vying for federal office in 2010. Greene took exception to this designation, saying that "I think my opponent should be on this list. He’s not doing his job and he doesn’t care about South Carolina or the United States of America."
candidates earning 9% of the vote.
, after he lost the 2010 midterm election to Jim DeMint. He told The Daily Caller
on November 9 that "We will have a Greene/Obama showdown in 2012." The next day, he confirmed to the Columbia Free Times that he was "seriously considering" a presidential campaign, although he was not sure for which party he would run. Greene justified his potential bid by saying "I’m the man. I’m the man. I’m the man. Greene’s the man. I’m the man. I’m the greatest person ever. I was born to be president. I’m the man, I’m the greatest individual ever.” A year later, Greene notified The Daily Caller that he would not seek the presidency.
and supports offshore drilling
. He supported a united Korea
under a democratic system of government. He supported allowing the Bush tax cuts
to expire and supported reform of the financial industry. Greene supported job creation, increased highway construction projects and pursuit of alternative energy
sources. He also called for better school facilities and pay raises for teachers. On the subject of firearms, Greene said he supported the Constitution
. Greene favored winding down the wars in the Middle East and "using that money for domestic programs, such as job creation, education, and Social Security
."
In his first speech after winning the nomination, Greene proposed to spend more money on education, building highways and tourism infrastructure. He proposed to build new evacuation routes from the coast. He also wanted to expand water and sewer systems into rural communities, use renewable energy where it is possible.
Greene stated that the government should break up large banks, shut down payday lenders
, and reform the debt collection
industry. He also pledged to work to end free trade
by enacting tariff
s or banning the importation of foreign goods to the United States.
as "The Alvin Greene manifesto for a fairer America", Greene explained his political views in more detail and attacked the political establishment. Greene advocated free universal health care
, saying that the United States should model its system on Austria, Britain
, or Canada
.
policy modeled after the system that had been in place in Britain.
as proof that greater accountability in government is needed. He criticized corporate influence on politics, saying that "Half the members of the US senate work for BP
. The other half work for Halliburton
."
, have stated that the fact that his name appeared above Vic Rawl
may have caused voters who were unfamiliar with either candidate to vote for Greene. South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford
claimed that the surname "Greene" is common among African-Americans, and suggested that fact may have caused African-American voters to identify with him. Rawl has said there were problems with the voting machines.
Some speculated that Greene might have been a Republican plant. South Carolina Democratic Party officials noted that the practice of running select candidates to pressure candidates and influence election outcomes has occurred in the past, in both Democratic and Republican primaries. Nu Wexler, the former executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, commented "You have consultants doing this kind of thing just because they get bored, and they want something to tell good stories about. It's almost like fraternity pranks." House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
, the first African-American elected to either the House or the Senate from South Carolina since Reconstruction, said that he suspected that Greene was a plant, and although there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, Clyburn called for an investigation into the primary. Clyburn also alleged that two other African-American candidates, Gregory Brown and Ben Frasier
, were plants. Brown campaigned against Clyburn for the 6th Congressional District seat, and Frasier beat state Democratic Party-backed candidate Robert Burton for the nomination in the 1st congressional district
. Clyburn said he "just felt this was 1990 all over again", referring to the events in the 1990 primary in South Carolina when political consultant Rod Shealy
recruited an unemployed black fisherman to run in a Republican congressional primary in order to boost white turnout for a different election on the same ballot.
Some commentators raised questions about the source of Greene's funding for the $10,440 filing fee. Federal and state law requires a candidate to pay a filing fee out of his own pocket. Greene claimed that he paid the filing fee by saving two years of his service pay. However, Greene qualified to be represented by a public defender
in his obscenity case. South Carolina law requires defendants who want to be represented by the public defender's office to file an "affidavit of indigency" in order to prove they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. On this affidavit, the applicant must disclose all income and assets, including checking accounts. Former state Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian told NPR
that this revelation raises doubts about whether Greene could afford the filing fee. He also said W. Barney Giese, the solicitor (district attorney
) for the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Columbia, will likely bring Greene before a judge to explain how he could pay the filing fee if he needs a public defender. Clyburn also doubts that Greene could have paid the filing fee on his own. Late on the afternoon of June 11, Fowler told WCNC-TV
in Charlotte
that the Federal Election Commission
had launched a probe into where Greene got the money for the fee.
In response to an official protest filed by Rawl, the executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party conducted a formal hearing on June 17, 2010, to review questions regarding the legitimacy of the primary election results. Greene neither attended nor sent a representative to the hearing. The executive committee found insufficient evidence of impropriety, and voted to uphold the June 8 election results.
On June 27, 2010, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the 5th Circuit Solicitor's office announced that they were investigating Greene's finances. On the same day, it emerged that Greene's public defender had been replaced by a private attorney.
On July 9, 2010, during a South Carolina investigation, it was determined that the filing fee of $10,440 had come from his personal funds. Greene was cleared and no charges were brought against him.
newspaper The Guardian
that one way to create jobs is to employ people to make "toys of me", or Alvin Greene toys. Greene later addressed this statement, saying that it was a joke geared for a British audience
. The Charleston RiverDogs
baseball team later held a promotion in which they gave away figurines with Greene's photo on them. Greene decried the promotion, describing it as tacky and pointing out that the statues did not look like him. Greene is the subject of a new feature-length documentary film entitled Who is Alvin Greene? to be directed by David Garrett
and Leslie Beaumont.
-based viral video
titled "Alvin Greene is on the scene" became a hit on YouTube
and other internet sites, garnering thousands of views an hour. It promoted Greene's candidacy and intermixed media clips of him with clips of LeBron James
. As well, AutoTune was used to manipulate some of the lyrics. The video credits Greene as producer, director, editor, and "second camera", his father as the "first camera", and the music is credited to 'MC Grassroots feat, The Real Americans, mixxed [sic] by Defeat Demint Posse' (a reference to Republican opponent Jim DeMint
). Jay Friedman, a San Francisco-based music producer, has come forward as the song's creator.
New York Times journalist Katherine Q. Seelye stated that the chorus "may be ringing in your ears for days after tuning in". NBC News
journalist Ali Weinberg stated that the video combined "some of today's most overplayed elements of pop culture". CBS journalist Jaywon Choe labeled it "catchy" with "several noteworthy rhymes". CNN journalist Peter Hamby called it "catchy", "clever", and "the political jam of the summer" while also praising its "throwback hip-hop
beat
". Greene has since denied that he played any role in the production of the video, although he told Hamby that "It sounds good." He also said he hopes that "everybody hears it." Freidman has described the video as "jokey" and said that "[p]eople are willing to believe very strange things when they come from the internet." Greene also said that if he heard the song in a club, he'd dance to it.
At one point, YouTube administrators had removed the video due to a copyright claim
by Frank Strategies, LLC. The video featured footage from a Tea Party rally in 2009 that is owned by Frank Strategies, LLC.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election
United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010 along with other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He was defeated by incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Sen. Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and write-in candidates. He was the first African-American to be nominated for U.S. Senate by a major party in South Carolina. In the general election, Greene faced DeMint, Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
candidate Tom Clements
Tom Clements (politician)
Tom Clements is a South Carolina environmental activist and politician. Clements was the Green Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. Clements received more than 9% of the general election. He is the Southeastern Nuclear Campaign Coordinator for the US branch...
and write-in candidates Nathalie Dupree
Nathalie Dupree
Nathalie Dupree is an author, chef and cooking show host whose work has focused on American Southern cuisine. She was the first woman since Julia Child to host more than one hundred cooking episodes on public television...
and Mazie Ferguson. Greene won the Democratic primary race against candidate Vic Rawl
Vic Rawl
A. Victor Rawl is a member of the Charleston County council in Charleston, South Carolina. Rawl was a candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina in 2010; he lost the Democratic primary to Alvin Greene in a surprise upset and unsuccessfully protested the outcome of the race.-Personal:Rawl grew up...
on June 8, 2010, with 59% of the vote, despite very limited campaigning and campaign spending, and having no website and no yard sign
Lawn sign
Lawn signs are used for local advertising. They can be used by business such as real estate and are popular in election campaigns in some countries. They are small signs that can be placed on the property of a business or on the lawns of a candidate's supporters...
s. The executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party voted 55 to 10 to reject Rawl's request for a new Senate primary after questions were raised about Greene's surprise victory.
Greene graduated from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
in 2000 with a degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He is a United States military veteran who served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force before receiving an involuntary honorable discharge in 2009. At the time of his Senate campaign, Greene was unemployed and living with and caring for his father in Manning
Manning, South Carolina
Manning is a city in South Carolina and the county seat of Clarendon County in the Southeastern United States, located in the center of the county, just to the east of Interstate 95 and at the intersection of U.S. 301 and U.S. 521. The population was estimated to be 3,943 as of 2008, down 2% from...
. On August 13, 2010, it was announced that he had been indicted on criminal charges of showing pornographic pictures to an 18-year old female college student.
Greene was reportedly considering a run for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 2012
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
, but later declined. On December 24, 2010, Greene filed as a candidate in the Democratic primary special election for the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
seat left vacant by the death of Representative Cathy Harvin
Cathy Harvin
Cathy Jane Harvin was an American Democratic politician and legislator from South Carolina.Born to Janet A. and Hyman J. Brand in Quantico, Virginia, she graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1975...
. That primary was held on February 15, 2011. The Democratic primary was won by Kevin Johnson who received 2369 votes, 65.23% of the vote. Alvin Greene came in a distant fourth, receiving only 36 votes out of the 3789 total cast.
Background
|}>
Greene was born in Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
. His father, James Greene, Sr., is a retired teacher from the Clemson Extension program and was a barber and a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
owner. He was a prominent member of the community "who wanted blacks to play a bigger role in politics and entertainment" and "an outspoken activist for Democratic politics."
Greene graduated from Manning High School
Manning High School
Manning High School is one of two high schools in Manning, South Carolina. It is part of the Clarendon County's Clarendon County School District 2 and serves grades 9-12. Manning High School has approximately 870 students instructed by 39 teachers. The student body is predominantly black and a...
in 1995 and received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
in 2000. He served as an intelligence specialist and a unit supply specialist
Unit supply specialist
A unit supply specialist is a job title in the US Army that includes the "general upkeep" and maintenance of supplies and equipment. There are five skill levels. Training includes 7 weeks at Fort Lee, Virginia....
in the U.S. Army and has also served in the U.S. Air Force and the Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
. He received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003...
, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
The Korea Defense Service Medal is a United States military award that was first created in 2002 when it was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The bill to create the proposal was introduced and championed by Rep. Elton Gallegly and Sen. Ben "Night Horse" Campbell...
, and the National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
. During Greene's time in the Air Force he received numerous poor evaluations from his superiors. The evaluations stated Greene was an ineffective leader who lacked organization and was unable to express thoughts clearly. Greene received an honorable but involuntary discharge from the Army in 2009 after a 13-year career and has been unemployed since.
Senate campaign
Greene said that he originally got the idea to run for office in 2008 when he was stationed in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. In the South Carolina Democratic primary held June 8, 2010, he received 100,362 (59%) votes out of 170,215 votes cast, while 69,853 (41%) went to Vic Rawl
Vic Rawl
A. Victor Rawl is a member of the Charleston County council in Charleston, South Carolina. Rawl was a candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina in 2010; he lost the Democratic primary to Alvin Greene in a surprise upset and unsuccessfully protested the outcome of the race.-Personal:Rawl grew up...
. Voter turnout in most counties was in the range of 20-30%.
After Greene was declared the winner and after his opponent congratulated him on his win, officials in the Democratic party began to voice opposition and to raise questions about Greene and his campaign. South Carolina Democratic Party
South Carolina Democratic Party
The South Carolina Democratic Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. The Democratic party thrived during the Second Party System between 1832 and the mid-1850s and was one of the causes of the collapse of the Whig Party....
chairwoman Carol Fowler said she had not seen Greene since he filed to run. Clarendon County Democratic Party Chairman Cal Land told local newspaper The Item that local party leaders had not met Greene, that he had not attended any local Democratic events and had not responded to any invitations to local stump meetings. He did not attend the state Democratic party convention, did not file the form with the Secretary of the Senate and the legally required form for the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
, and attempted to pay his $10,400 filing fee with a personal check, rather than a check from a campaign account.
Post-primary
Greene was the first African-American to be nominated for the U.S. Senate by a major party in South Carolina. He was one of three black Democratic Senate candidates from Southern states in the 2010 elections; Greene, U.S. Rep. Kendrick MeekKendrick Meek
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for from 2003 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate election for the seat of Mel Martinez, but he lost in a three way race to Republican Marco Rubio along with Independent Charlie Crist.-Early life,...
of Florida and Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mike Thurmond
Mike Thurmond
Michael L. "Mike" Thurmond is the former Commissioner of Labor for the state of Georgia and was the Democratic Party's nominee for United States Senate in 2010....
were all unsuccessful in their races. Six African-Americans have served in the U.S. Senate
African Americans in the United States Congress
African Americans began serving in greater numbers in the United States Congress during the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War after slaves were emancipated and granted citizenship rights. Freedmen gained political representation in the Southern United States for the first time...
, but none from the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
since Reconstruction.
Criminal Charges
The day after the primary election, the media reported that Greene was facing felonyFelony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
obscenity charges stemming from a November 2009 arrest for allegedly showing a pornographic picture on an Internet site to an 18-year-old female University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
student in a computer lab
Computer lab
A computer lab, also known as a computer suite or computer cluster is typically a room which contains many networked computers for public use...
, and then allegedly saying to her "Let's go to your room." She then called campus police. The mother of the victim has claimed that USC authorities had warned Greene not to visit certain parts of campus in the past. Greene has since said that he was joking when he spoke to the student, and that he feels she owes him an apology for pressing charges against him. As a result of these charges, Fowler issued a statement calling for Greene to drop out of the race, saying
Greene refused to bow out of the race and announced that, "The Democratic Party has chosen their nominee, and we have to stand behind their choice. The people have spoken. We need to be pro-South Carolina, not anti-Greene." The executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party voted 5 to 1 to reject a call for a new Senate primary after Alvin's surprise victory.
Greene appeared on various news programs after his primary victory. He responded with short answers, refused to comment on the obscenity allegations, and rejected allegations that he is employed by the Republican political party.
On August 12, 2010, a Richland County grand jury indicted Greene for disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity — a felony — as well as a misdemeanor charge of communicating obscene materials to a person without consent. The incident took place November 4, 2009, at the Bates House residence hall on the University of South Carolina's campus. A female student, Camille McCoy, reported that a man later identified as Greene, sat down beside her in the computer lab. He asked her for her name, room number, and phone number, but she did not give it to him. She told officers that five minutes later, he told her to look at his computer screen which contained pornographic images on it. McCoy told him that it was "offensive and not funny". The incident report states that Greene proceeded to ask if he could come to her room, and she told him to leave her alone. McCoy described the event: "It was kind of scary. He's a pretty big boy. He could've overpowered me." She then went up to her room and told her resident mentor about the incident. McCoy also reported the incident to the campus police and her parents who demanded that the police press charges. A warrant for Alvin Greene's arrest was issued on November 9, 2009 and he was subsequently arrested.
In an affidavit against Greene, police say they have surveillance video which shows the interaction. When campus police arrived, they spoke to residence staff, who said Greene had been entering the Bates House for some time using an old university ID card with his picture on it. The staff had been told not to allow him inside the building anymore, but the person working that day had not been made aware of this information, and let Greene in as he normally did.
The first charge, of disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity, is a felony and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. The second charge, communicating an obscene message to another person without consent, is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum of three years and a maximum fine of $10,000.
On June 6, 2011, Greene accepted the Richland County prosecutor's offer to enter a pretrial diversion program which would expunge his record of both charges after completing a course of counseling and community service. It will take about a year to complete.
Media coverage of campaign
A study by the Pew Research CenterPew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
released in late July found that Greene's campaign had received the most media attention of all of the 2010 political campaigns.
Greene hired South Carolina attorney Suzanne Coe as his campaign manager. Coe said she offered to assist Greene after being struck by his honesty and selfless motivation. She said that "If Alvin tells you he's hiking the Appalachian Trail, he really would be hiking the Appalachian Trail. You can believe what he says."
A Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
survey released in early August of 500 likely South Carolina voters found that 20% of them backed Greene while 62% supported DeMint. As well, 51% of those polled said that they had a very unfavorable opinion of Greene. Although Greene repeatedly expressed interest in a debate, DeMint declined to participate.
The progressive watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
named Greene to their list of the 11 most crooked candidates vying for federal office in 2010. Greene took exception to this designation, saying that "I think my opponent should be on this list. He’s not doing his job and he doesn’t care about South Carolina or the United States of America."
Election results
On election day, Greene lost to DeMint by a margin of 63% to 28%, with third partyThird party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
candidates earning 9% of the vote.
Potential 2012 presidential campaign
Greene reportedly asked the South Carolina Democratic Party how much the filing fee would be to run for President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, after he lost the 2010 midterm election to Jim DeMint. He told The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
on November 9 that "We will have a Greene/Obama showdown in 2012." The next day, he confirmed to the Columbia Free Times that he was "seriously considering" a presidential campaign, although he was not sure for which party he would run. Greene justified his potential bid by saying "I’m the man. I’m the man. I’m the man. Greene’s the man. I’m the man. I’m the greatest person ever. I was born to be president. I’m the man, I’m the greatest individual ever.” A year later, Greene notified The Daily Caller that he would not seek the presidency.
Economy
During his campaign, Greene described himself as a moderate Democrat. His campaign slogan was "Let's get South Carolina back to work." Greene favored measures to lower the price of gasGasoline and diesel usage and pricing
The usage and pricing of gasoline results from factors such as crude oil prices, processing and distribution costs, local demand, the strength of local currencies, local taxation, and the availability of local sources of gasoline...
and supports offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
. He supported a united Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
under a democratic system of government. He supported allowing the Bush tax cuts
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 , was passed by the United States Congress on May 23, 2003 and signed into law by President George W. Bush on May 28, 2003...
to expire and supported reform of the financial industry. Greene supported job creation, increased highway construction projects and pursuit of alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
sources. He also called for better school facilities and pay raises for teachers. On the subject of firearms, Greene said he supported the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. Greene favored winding down the wars in the Middle East and "using that money for domestic programs, such as job creation, education, and Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
."
In his first speech after winning the nomination, Greene proposed to spend more money on education, building highways and tourism infrastructure. He proposed to build new evacuation routes from the coast. He also wanted to expand water and sewer systems into rural communities, use renewable energy where it is possible.
Greene stated that the government should break up large banks, shut down payday lenders
Payday loan
A payday loan is a small, short-term loan that is intended to cover a borrower's expenses until his or her next payday. The loans are also sometimes referred to as cash advances, though that term can also refer to cash provided against a prearranged line of credit such as a credit card...
, and reform the debt collection
Collection agency
A collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
industry. He also pledged to work to end free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
by enacting tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s or banning the importation of foreign goods to the United States.
Judicial reform
Greene strongly promoted idea of the reforms in judicial system to make sure that punishment fits the crime. Greene supported the idea that the severity of penalty for a misdeed or wrongdoing should be reasonable and proportionate to the severity of the infraction. He said that first-time non-violent offenders should have a chance to go into pre-trial intervention programs, instead of going to jail. “Fairness saves us money,” he said in an interview. “There are innocent people incarcerated. We spend more than two times of our taxpayer dollars on inmates than on students.”Health care
In an editorial published in The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
as "The Alvin Greene manifesto for a fairer America", Greene explained his political views in more detail and attacked the political establishment. Greene advocated free universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
, saying that the United States should model its system on Austria, Britain
Healthcare in England
Healthcare in England is mainly provided by England's public health service, the National Health Service, that provides healthcare to all permanent residents of the United Kingdom that is free at the point of use and paid for from general taxation. Since health is a devolved matter, there are...
, or Canada
Health care in Canada
Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly-funded health care system, which is mostly free at the point of use and has most services provided by private entities. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act. The government assures the quality of care through federal standards...
.
Education
Greene also stated that the United States should adopt a free college educationFree education
Free education refers to education that is funded through taxation, or charitable organizations rather than tuition fees. Although primary school and other comprehensive or compulsory education is free in many countries, for example, all education is mostly free including...
policy modeled after the system that had been in place in Britain.
Government reform
Greene cited the example of mismanagement at the PentagonThe Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
as proof that greater accountability in government is needed. He criticized corporate influence on politics, saying that "Half the members of the US senate work for BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. The other half work for Halliburton
Halliburton
Halliburton is the world's second largest oilfield services corporation with operations in more than 70 countries. It has hundreds of subsidiaries, affiliates, branches, brands and divisions worldwide and employs over 50,000 people....
."
Questions about candidacy
Though his primary victory baffled many, several explanations have been offered. Some observers, including State Representative Bakari SellersBakari Sellers
Bakari T. Sellers is a Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 90th District since 2006. He was elected in 2006 at the age of 22...
, have stated that the fact that his name appeared above Vic Rawl
Vic Rawl
A. Victor Rawl is a member of the Charleston County council in Charleston, South Carolina. Rawl was a candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina in 2010; he lost the Democratic primary to Alvin Greene in a surprise upset and unsuccessfully protested the outcome of the race.-Personal:Rawl grew up...
may have caused voters who were unfamiliar with either candidate to vote for Greene. South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford
Robert Ford (politician)
Robert Ford is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate since 1993, representing District 42, which is located in Charleston...
claimed that the surname "Greene" is common among African-Americans, and suggested that fact may have caused African-American voters to identify with him. Rawl has said there were problems with the voting machines.
Some speculated that Greene might have been a Republican plant. South Carolina Democratic Party officials noted that the practice of running select candidates to pressure candidates and influence election outcomes has occurred in the past, in both Democratic and Republican primaries. Nu Wexler, the former executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, commented "You have consultants doing this kind of thing just because they get bored, and they want something to tell good stories about. It's almost like fraternity pranks." House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
Jim Clyburn
James Enos "Jim" Clyburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the Assistant Democratic Leader since 2011. He was previously House Majority Whip, serving in that post from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, the first African-American elected to either the House or the Senate from South Carolina since Reconstruction, said that he suspected that Greene was a plant, and although there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, Clyburn called for an investigation into the primary. Clyburn also alleged that two other African-American candidates, Gregory Brown and Ben Frasier
Ben Frasier
Ben Frasier, Jr. is a frequent political candidate in South Carolina and the Democratic Party nominee for a congressional seat in the November 2010 election....
, were plants. Brown campaigned against Clyburn for the 6th Congressional District seat, and Frasier beat state Democratic Party-backed candidate Robert Burton for the nomination in the 1st congressional district
South Carolina's 1st congressional district
The 1st Congressional District of South Carolina is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina. It stretches from Seabrook Island in the south to the North Carolina border and includes parts of Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Georgetown counties and all of Horry county...
. Clyburn said he "just felt this was 1990 all over again", referring to the events in the 1990 primary in South Carolina when political consultant Rod Shealy
Rod Shealy
Rod Shealy, Sr. was a Republican political consultant and publisher from Lexington County, South Carolina. He worked on numerous campaigns as a political strategist, including those of André Bauer, Jim DeMint, Jake Knotts, Lindsey Graham, and George W. Bush...
recruited an unemployed black fisherman to run in a Republican congressional primary in order to boost white turnout for a different election on the same ballot.
Some commentators raised questions about the source of Greene's funding for the $10,440 filing fee. Federal and state law requires a candidate to pay a filing fee out of his own pocket. Greene claimed that he paid the filing fee by saving two years of his service pay. However, Greene qualified to be represented by a public defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
in his obscenity case. South Carolina law requires defendants who want to be represented by the public defender's office to file an "affidavit of indigency" in order to prove they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. On this affidavit, the applicant must disclose all income and assets, including checking accounts. Former state Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian told NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
that this revelation raises doubts about whether Greene could afford the filing fee. He also said W. Barney Giese, the solicitor (district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
) for the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Columbia, will likely bring Greene before a judge to explain how he could pay the filing fee if he needs a public defender. Clyburn also doubts that Greene could have paid the filing fee on his own. Late on the afternoon of June 11, Fowler told WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV
WCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
that the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
had launched a probe into where Greene got the money for the fee.
In response to an official protest filed by Rawl, the executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party conducted a formal hearing on June 17, 2010, to review questions regarding the legitimacy of the primary election results. Greene neither attended nor sent a representative to the hearing. The executive committee found insufficient evidence of impropriety, and voted to uphold the June 8 election results.
On June 27, 2010, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the 5th Circuit Solicitor's office announced that they were investigating Greene's finances. On the same day, it emerged that Greene's public defender had been replaced by a private attorney.
On July 9, 2010, during a South Carolina investigation, it was determined that the filing fee of $10,440 had come from his personal funds. Greene was cleared and no charges were brought against him.
Media coverage
Greene has been called "one of the most enigmatic figures" in American politics. Much attention has been devoted to his manner of speaking due to his habits of frequently interrupting himself, halting mid-sentence, and saying "OK" between statements. He was frequently satirized in the media for this reason. At times, his jokes were not well understood by the media, such as when he told BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that one way to create jobs is to employ people to make "toys of me", or Alvin Greene toys. Greene later addressed this statement, saying that it was a joke geared for a British audience
British humour
British humour is a somewhat general term applied to certain comedic motifs that are often prevalent in comedic acts originating in the United Kingdom and its current or former colonies...
. The Charleston RiverDogs
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
baseball team later held a promotion in which they gave away figurines with Greene's photo on them. Greene decried the promotion, describing it as tacky and pointing out that the statues did not look like him. Greene is the subject of a new feature-length documentary film entitled Who is Alvin Greene? to be directed by David Garrett
David Garrett (screen writer)
David Garrett is an American filmmaker best known for directing and producing the feature-length documentary film "Who is Alvin Greene?", following South Carolina's unlikely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Alvin Greene on the 2010 campaign trail. The film is co-directed and co-produced by...
and Leslie Beaumont.
Viral video
In late July 2010, a hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
-based viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
titled "Alvin Greene is on the scene" became a hit on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and other internet sites, garnering thousands of views an hour. It promoted Greene's candidacy and intermixed media clips of him with clips of LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
. As well, AutoTune was used to manipulate some of the lyrics. The video credits Greene as producer, director, editor, and "second camera", his father as the "first camera", and the music is credited to 'MC Grassroots feat, The Real Americans, mixxed [sic] by Defeat Demint Posse' (a reference to Republican opponent Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
). Jay Friedman, a San Francisco-based music producer, has come forward as the song's creator.
New York Times journalist Katherine Q. Seelye stated that the chorus "may be ringing in your ears for days after tuning in". NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
journalist Ali Weinberg stated that the video combined "some of today's most overplayed elements of pop culture". CBS journalist Jaywon Choe labeled it "catchy" with "several noteworthy rhymes". CNN journalist Peter Hamby called it "catchy", "clever", and "the political jam of the summer" while also praising its "throwback hip-hop
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
". Greene has since denied that he played any role in the production of the video, although he told Hamby that "It sounds good." He also said he hopes that "everybody hears it." Freidman has described the video as "jokey" and said that "[p]eople are willing to believe very strange things when they come from the internet." Greene also said that if he heard the song in a club, he'd dance to it.
At one point, YouTube administrators had removed the video due to a copyright claim
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
by Frank Strategies, LLC. The video featured footage from a Tea Party rally in 2009 that is owned by Frank Strategies, LLC.
External links
- Alvin M. Greene for United States Senate official campaign site
- Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
- Candidate profile at OurCampaigns.com
- Who Is Alvin Greene?, Suzi Khimm, Mother JonesMother Jones (magazine)Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
, June 8, 2010 - Alvin Greene The Big Picture on SCETV, June 10, 2010 (video of interview)
- Democrats Are Hinting Foul Play In South Carolina Senate Primary, Ken Rudin, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, June 10, 2010 - ALVIN GREENE IS ON THE SCENE music video at YouTube