Rappin' with Alvin

He doesn't know who did it, but Alvin Greene likes it.

The 3-minute rap video called "Alvin Greene is on the Scene" is getting some buzz, and some views on YouTube.

The video features shots of the S.C. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee from early TV interviews to last week's speech in his hometown of Manning. Credits at the end say Greene produced and directed the video. Which is not exactly true.

"We didn't do that, but it is good and it is worth mentioning and passing along," Greene told me this afternoon.

Greene is a man of few words but big ambitions. "My campaign," Greene said, "is about ending the recession." How?

"Like I've been mentioning before, with real solutions and real issues that are important to Americans in their day-to-day life, jobs education and justice," he said. "I have real plans and my opponent has nothin'."

Ian Headley, a spokesman for Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, declined to comment on that.

But, he said, "We have no plans for a DeMint rap video."

DCCC reserves air time for Kissell and Spratt

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved $871,000 in airtime on Charlotte stations for two Democrats considered vulnerable, according to today's Hotline on Call.

The online tip sheet says it's part of $7.7 million in TV time reservations the campaign group has made on behalf of Democratic House incumbents.

The DCCC has reserved an additional $290,000 in S.C. markets for Spratt.

The group had $33.7 million in the bank at the start of this month, about twice as much as its Republican counterpart.

Charlotte brings on consultants in effort to land 2012 Democratic convention

In its bid to land the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the City of Charlotte is bringing on two people very familiar with the Democratic National Committee.

Hired as consultants are Tom McMahon, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee, and Karen Finney, former communications director for the DNC.

The hirings are expected to be announced by Mayor Anthony Foxx at a 5 p.m. news conference at the Charlotte Chamber.

McMahon was the DNC's executive director from 2005-2009. Finney frequently appeared on TV news shows as a party spokeswoman.

Poll: Obama could drag down N.C. Democratic legislative candidates

A new survey by Raleigh's Public Policy Polling suggests that President Obama could hurt N.C. legislative candidates this fall.

The poll by the Democratic-leaning firm shows Obama's approval in the state is 46 percent while disapproval is 50 percent. But, says polling director Tom Jensen, "The big concern for Democrats at the state level is that voters unhappy with Obama are planning to vote Republicans for the Legislature this fall by a margin of 80-6."

Republicans are optimistic about winning either the House or Senate or both this fall.

The PPP poll comes out the same day as a new Washington Post/ABC News poll that shows public confidence in Obama at a new low.

Andrew Young: Elizabeth Edwards 'not facing the facts and not taking responsibility'

It's no secret that there's little love lost between Elizabeth Edwards and her husband John' s former aide, Andrew Young. Now Young has responded to Edwards' appearance Wednesday on the "Today" show.

Answering a question from Matt Lauer, Edwards dismissed Young's tell-all book, "The Politician."

"I wasn't particularly worried about anything Andrew Young said," she told Lauer. "His -- I don't mind saying that his book is just -- it's not that he didn't have a good story to tell, he did. But it's so filled with lies that ... I don't consider it having any bearing whatsoever on the truth, particularly with respect to me."

Young responded in an email to the Observer.

"As much as I admire Elizabeth's resilience and understand her pain, I am disappointed that she
is not yet facing the truth about the scandal that hurt so many people, and our country. She is not facing the facts and not taking responsibility for her role in constructing the myth of John Edwards and enabling him to carry on a terrible deception. Instead she continues to blame others and presents versions of events that are distorted. This approach -- an attempt to manufacture reality and deny responsibility -- set the stage for the Edwards debacle and only makes people feel even more cynical about our leaders and politics as it is practiced today.

"Having admitted she has not read my book, Elizabeth nevertheless declared it is inaccurate and false and that I present myself as a hero. Anyone who has read The Politician, or has seen me discuss my mistakes and failures in many interviews knows that I do not consider myself a hero. I am a man trying to share what I have learned about politics, human nature, and myself with the hope that the truth will benefit us all.

"Because of performances like yesterday, people are too quick to write this scandal off as just a soap opera. But there are powerful lessons that John and Elizabeth could teach this country, not about the two Americas - that opportunity is gone. But they could help us learn about the allure of the White House, the pitfalls of being in a position of such great power and how we can improve the current election system so a scandal like this doesn't jeopardize the presidency again."