George Wallace, who became a legend in the Alabama governor`s office, held fast Wednesday to the possibility that he might run for an unprecedented fifth term, even after a trusted aide left him to seek the position himself.
Gov. Wallace`s longtime confidant and press secretary Billy Joe Camp announced Wednesday that he was resigning, effective Friday, to campaign for governor.
Recognizing Camp`s unswerving loyalty to Wallace, observers viewed this as a sure sign that the 66-year-old governor had assured Camp he would not seek re-election.
Within a few hours, Wallace called a news conference. He discussed his accomplishments and his hopes to lure more industry to Alabama, and then accepted some blame for Camp`s decision–saying he has told aides he wouldn`t run, then changed his mind. ”I`ve been wishy-washy about it,” he conceded.
But he refused to say whether he would step down after his term ends this year.
And Camp, 47, told reporters his decision ”should not be construed as an indication of what the governor will do.”
Assistant Press Secretary Frank Mastin Jr. admitted in a phone interview that the day`s events left him confused.
”Billy Joe said he would have to wait and see what he`d do if the governor decides to run,” Mastin said. ”The governor has not indicated to me when he`s going to announce or what he`s going to say. I don`t even know at this point if I`m the press secretary or not.”
Jimmy Faulkner of Bay Minette, Ala., whose friendship with Wallace dates back to being fellow delegates to the 1948 Democratic National Convention, said the governor called him Wednesday morning.
”He said he was trying to talk Billy Joe into reconsidering his resignation. He said he knows Billy Joe wouldn`t run against him if he ran, but that he just hasn`t made up his mind.”
Faulkner, who was finance director for Wallace`s 1970 gubernatorial campaign, said: ”George wants to run again, that`s for sure. But he doesn`t want to lose, and that`s the hitch.”
There are already four announced Democratic candidates for governor–Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley, former Lt. Gov. George McMillan, former Gov. Fob James and Atty. Gen. Charles Graddick.
A number of polls have been taken including Wallace in the field and showing him running second to Baxley and not far ahead of the pack.
”Wallace has slipped a good bit. Most polls show Baxley with 25 to 30 per cent of the vote, and the rest bunched between 12 and 20 per cent,” said Irvin Penfield, dean of Birmingham Southern College.
Wallace, crippled by a would-be assassin`s bullet in 1972, has been frequently hospitalized in recent years with complications of paralysis and pain killers.
