By Staff
Bob Ingram, Alabama Scene
MONTGOMERY–The telephone has been my best friend the past couple of weeks. Last week a call led me to an interview with Elmer Harris, the former president of Alabama Power Company, and in that interview he made it known he was taking a long look at running for governor next year.
The phone rang again this week, this time it was from a former First Lady of Alabama…Lisa Taylor Wallace, the third wife of Gov. George C. Wallace. I had wondered what had happened to her…now I know.
Mrs. Wallace is still involved in the coal mining operation in Walker County founded by her late father but she lives in Birmingham.
But the purpose of her call was purely political…she wanted the world to know that she is actively supporting her former stepson George Wallace Jr., who has announced he will give up his safe seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission to run for lieutenant governor in 2006.
She was also excited at the prospect that Wallace may be challenged in that race by another gubernatorial son, Jim Folsom Jr.
"If they run against one another it will attract a lot of attention," she said. And she is right.
Interestingly there may be two other gubernatorial sons on the statewide ballot in 2006. Street talk has it that two of former Gov. Fob James' sons are looking hard at the 2006 election. Tim James continues to hint of a race for governor and the word is that Fob James III may run for a seat on the State Supreme Court.
The sign was erected years ago by Montgomery contractor W. S. Newell who owns the land on the interstate north of Prattville. But it has fallen victim to politics. Replacing the old billboard is a new one: "We Love Lucy". As Newell explained, although no explanation was necessary, he is a fan of Lucy Baxley, who will be a candidate for governor in 2006.
My hope is that once the election is over…no matter who wins… Newell will put the old sign back up.
Those were the first words I spoke when I heard that former Jefferson County Commissioner Chris McNair had been indicted on charges that he accepted kickbacks from several companies which were involved in a $2.2 billion sewer contract in Jefferson County. Of all the legislators I have known over the years one of my favorites was McNair. I had met him long before he came to Montgomery under tragic circumstances. One of the victims of the horific 16th Street Street Church bombing was his daughter.
McNair was a professional photographer and like any man in that trade he was never without a camera…or several of them. It was not unusual for him to have two or three cameras around his neck while debating bills in the Legislature.
I know nothing of the charges brought against him in Birmingham but I pray he is innocent.
If the law doesn't pass, Atty. Gen. Troy King will have to wear one of those devices until the regular session in 2006. He strapped one on last week and said he would wear it until the law passed the legislature. For his sake, lets hope the measure passes in the special session.
The abortive move made last week by a group of conservatives urging President Bush to nominate Roy Moore for the vacant seat on the U. S. Supreme Court was sheer lunacy.
Whoever came up with that idea must have been standing behind the door when the Lord was giving out smarts. All this effort did was make the Moore supporters look ridiculous.
He does indeed.