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By Ravi Somaiya
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Wags are suggesting that the patchy military record of Alvin Greene, the unexpected Democratic Senate nominee in South Carolina, implies he could be a perfect fit in Washington. He was, reports the AP,"usually capable of handling mundane tasks with supervision."
Greene, who beat frontrunner Vic Rawl despite running almost no campaign and having no political experience, has fascinated politics watchers in the run-up to his November electoral race with Republican Jim DeMint. In a series of eccentric interviews (including one in which he mentioned the idea that unemployed people in South Carolina might be put to work making figurines of him), Greene has cited his military experience as an inspiration for his strange move into politics.
The Associated Press unearthed records for a slice of his service—three recent years he spent in the Air Force. His reviewer described him, according to the AP, as an "ineffective leader" who "lacked organization" and was "unable to express thoughts clearly." Though he was "usually capable of handling mundane tasks with supervision," he was "not able to adapt to any changes to daily routine."
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Later he was disciplined for accidentally posting sensitive information on an Internet server, and stayed on base while his unit was deployed because his superiors "recognized his inability to contribute to the wartime mission."
A year later he was reviewed again and was categorically damned with faint praise. "While Alvin is a decent person," said his reviewer, "he lacks the basic skills necessary for promotion."
Imagine how Vic Rawl feels.
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