TOPEKA, Kan. - Mark Parkinson, Kansas' 45th Governor, is the tallest Governor we've ever had, and possibly the brightest. And he's proving, during his short tenure, to be one of the best. During the worst state budget crisis in memory, Parkinson is being praised by both sides of the aisle for stepping up to the plate and making unpopular budget cuts.
Parkinson seems to be the consummate anti-politician. He's not running for anything, so he's not asking for, or taking, campaign donations. He has his own money, so he doesn't panhandle for freebies like some politicians. He doesn't make wiseacre remarks to belittle the opposition. He just wants to fix things.
Parkinson's deepest roots are Democratic. His family in Scott City, Kansas was always active in Democratic politics. Parkinson's father chose the Republican party---perhaps just to be a maverick. And his father grew to a powerful position in Washington in Republican politics. Growing up, Parkinson saw both parties up close.
As a WSU student, Parkinson threw down the gauntlet and challenged longtime Republican State Representative Ben Foster in the Republican primary. Foster no doubt scoffed at the young upstart. But Parkinson walked. And walked some more. And knocked on more doors, and more doors----the Wichita Eagle called his efforts "indefagitable". He barely lost to Rep. Ben Foster. And Parkinson now acknowledges that had he won that race, it would have "ruined his life."
Instead of becoming the youngest member of the House of Representatives, Parkinson finished school at WSU, and attended KU Law School, graduating first in his class and becoming National Moot Court Champion, and meeting his wife, Stacy, a fellow law student.
After practicing law a few years, Parkinson took another shot at the Kansas House of Representatives from Olathe, where he practiced law. This time Parkinson won, and entered the legislature as an established businessman, lawyer and academic.
When Parkinson was first ushered to his assigned desk in the House of Representatives, he sat down and opened the desk. The names of former legislators who had been assigned the desk are written in the drawer---and there was that name: "Ben Foster." Yes, Parkinson ended up with Ben Foster's seat in the Kansas House of Representives after all, but now with a fat resume and not as a freckle-faced college undergraduate.
Parkinson ran for State Senate two years later and won. One of his signal accomplishments was drafting the death penalty bill that is now Kansas law. He retired from the State Senate a few years later, and returned to private life, where he had great success as a lawyer and businessman. Stacy and Mark have three kids---Alex, Sam and Kit. Alex attends Harvard University, and Sam and Kit now attend Topeka West High School.
After serving as State Republican Chairman, Parkinson saw the Kansas Republican party pulling to the right, to the right, further to the right. Social issues like abortion became a litmus test, and Parkinson realized he was looking at his political party from the other side of the fence.
Parkinson's decision to switch parties in 2006 didn't surprise me, as he ran and was elected as Lt. Governor on the ticket with Governor Sebelius. And his decision to not run for re-election as Governor doesn't surprise me. After all, if he did, he couldn't be
doing the budget cutting he is doing. Most Governors would try to make the budget cuts the legislature's problem. Parkinson has stepped up to the plate and made the cuts. And his actions are not blown out of proportion as "political" precisely because he isn't running again. Both as a child and as an adult, Parkinson has been exposed to both political parties. He knows what to do. His decisions as Governor are stark, but never mean or petty.
Ambition is only one factor in Parkinson's life. Family comes first. When he has passed on running for high office before, he often said: "We like our life the way it is right now." Parkinson has been successful in business, and he simply doesn't need politics to survive or even to feel good about himself.
Vaclav Havel once said: "It is not true that only coldhearted, cynical, arrogant, haughty or brawling persons can succeed in politics. Such people are naturally attracted to politics. In the end, however, politeness and good manners weigh more."
In this age of political cheap shots, Parkinson offers politeness and good manners. His bi-partisan problem-solving approach has been the consummate class act. And his wife Stacy has been a superb first lady. I hope lots of Kansans get to know the Parkinsons as he gets Kansas through a dark time.
Governor Sebelius was a great Governor, and one of her best gifts to Kansans may have been making sure her replacement was Mark Parkinson.
Post your own comment here