Dems sure messed up this one

The South Carolina Democratic Party on Friday announced it was going out of business, effective immediately, citing gross negligence, a bankruptcy of ideas and just plain stupidity.

Oh, wait, that's just what it should have announced.

Instead, Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler reacted to the federal indictment of Alvin Greene, her U.S. Senate candidate, on obscenity charges by simply asking Private Gump to resign. Again.

"In June, I asked Mr. Greene to withdraw his candidacy because of the charges against him," Fowler said. "Following today's indictment, I repeat that request."

That's telling 'em. But what she didn't mention was that her party let a guy with pending felony charges on the ballot without vetting him in the first place. And, for some reason, a lot of people thought it would be a swell idea to vote for him.

Somebody said it not too long ago: Elections have consequences. And as a consequence of negligence and stupidity, the Democrats have royally screwed up this one.

G.I. No

You know, for a while, there were people out there actually thinking about voting for Greene. After all, he is one of those fresh faces like the tea party folks say they want to see -- you know, not a career politician.

At least he wouldn't refuse money to dredge Charleston Harbor, like some politicians we all know.

Sure, he's a poor public speaker. But not everyone can be a Ronald Reagan or a Bill Clinton.

Maybe he even had some good ideas. Well, besides the whole Alvin Greene action-figure thing.

But then you read what the military said about him -- or, more telling, what it didn't say -- and you realize something's wrong here. Greene needed a to-do list to follow orders given to a private, and he couldn't handle a change in routine. They didn't even consider him safe enough to take to war. To war.

Now a grand jury has indicted Greene on federal obscenity charges, accusing him of showing porn to an unsuspecting USC freshman. That would be sleazy and predatory, even by the standards of Congress.

For the first time in a while, the Democrats are right -- Greene should resign.

Maybe next year ...

Fowler tried as subtly as she could to plead her case to Greene in the media. "It will be impossible for Mr. Greene to address his legal issues and run a statewide campaign," she said.

Yeah, that would be a problem -- if he was actually running a campaign. But despite his employment status -- which is "un" -- he's not really doing much. He was at home Friday when our reporter Schuyler Kropf reached him for comment about his indictment.

"My lawyer is dealing with that," Greene said before hanging up.

That's all he had to say about that.

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But Friday's statement shouldn't be all the Democratic Party has to say about this. The party has fouled up several important races around the state, yet still wonders why it seems to be the permanent minority in South Carolina these days.

One thing's for sure. Republicans better thank the "Dims" first when the GOP sweeps in November.