Veteran Alabama Political Commentator Bob Ingram Dies at 81

By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Veteran journalist Bob Ingram, who spent six decades reporting on Alabama politics in newspapers and on TV, died Thursday night, ending a career that made him as well known as the politicians he covered. He was 81.

Ingram passed away after a two-year battle with the blood disorder myelodysplasia, his son, Ragan Ingram, said Friday.

Bob Ingram reported on the big events in Alabama from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 through the governor's race of 2006. His weekly column, "The Alabama Scene," was a fixture of small newspapers throughout the state for nearly 50 years until he had to discontinue it in May due to his declining health.

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This is very sad news. I never got the chance to meet Mr. Ingram in person but we did speak on the phone once. Those of you who followed the election last year should remember Mr. Ingram real well. It was his quipping about the fact that I have cleavage in the following article that launched 'the twins' into the international media spotlight and gave me unbelievable opportunities to talk about drug policy reform and the rest of my campaign to the masses.
(click to enlarge)


It also led to the creation of the most hilarious campaign gear ever.


I remember the day I traveled to Montgomery intending to meet with Mr. Ingram, if I could, to give him a piece of my mind about his cleavage column. I went to the Montgomery Independent office and got a copy of the paper, then I asked for his phone number, which the clerk gave me. I called and left a message. He called me back within a minute.

I was pissed off at the beginning of the conversation but by the end of it we were talking about my drug policy reform ideas, prison overcrowding and potential ways to deal with it and his grandson, who lives here in Alexander City. I was surprised to learn that Mr. Ingram agreed with a lot of what I had to say. Despite the fact that I feel he was overly rude and dismissive of my campaign I was and still am grateful for his paragraph on how boobies offended his mama...if not for that paragraph the 2006 Alabama general election would not have been nearly as entertaining.

Mr. Ingram you will be missed.

Loretta Nall