Kansas' governor says he would seriously consider an offer to join the Bush administration.
If Texas Gov. George W. Bush is elected president next year and if he asks his Kansas counterpart to be his secretary of transportation, there's a good chance Gov. Bill Graves would accept.
"It's an 'if question' that Linda and I have discussed," Graves said Friday, referring to his wife.
"If he called and if an offer was made and if the offer was significant enough, it's something we would give serious consideration to," Graves said. "And I say that very sincerely because for anyone at anytime to walk away from their job as governor is a pretty big decision. It's one that you'd best not take lightly."
He added: "I think the best thing I can do -- and I must do -- for Kansas and for myself as it relates to the future is to continue to do best job I can as the governor of Kansas, and the future will take care of itself."
Graves met with Bush on Wednesday, during a brief campaign appearance at the Kansas City Downtown Airport and at a private fund-raiser at the Mission Hills home of Adele and Donald J. Hall, chairman of Hallmark Cards Inc.
Graves, now in the second year of his second four-year term, talked about his admiration for Bush during a Friday evening fund-raiser for state Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, at the rural Lawrence home of John Bush.
"I think a lot of him. I think he has a very good chance of being elected, and I have a great deal of respect for the presidency," Graves said, adding, "I don't think any of us would not take a president's call if it came, and " I guess I'll deal with that scenario if, by chance, it were to happen."
Though he made little effort to quell Statehouse rumors that, if asked, he would accept a position in a Bush administration, Graves said he's in no hurry -- politically or personally -- to go to Washington.
"I love what I'm doing," he said, "and I have every intention of being governor through Jan. 3 of 2003.
Graves, 46, also said he enjoys spending time with his daughter, Katie, who will be 4 years old next month.
"Everything in my life right now that's definite says I'm going to do what I told Kansans I would do when they voted for me."
Graves' grandfather founded Graves Truck Line, a staple in the Kansas economy for more than 50 years.
Campaigning for governor in 1992, Graves promised to apply his family's business principle -- "Stack 'em high and tight" -- to running state government.
Since then, Graves said Friday, "you might say I've had a diversity of experiences since my early trucking days." He cited this year's passage of a $12.6 billion transportation package and work on several railroad disputes within the state.
Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, a longtime Graves supporter, said that if George W. Bush is elected president, she thinks he'll ask Graves to join his administration.
"They're good friends," she said. "I think there'll be a place in his administration for the governor."
Three Kansas governors have resigned to accept other positions:
- Samuel Johnson Crawford resigned in 1868 to accept a military appointment.
- Frank Carlson resigned in 1950 after winning election to the U.S. Senate.
- With two weeks remaining on his term, Fred Hall resigned in 1957 after arranging his appointment to the Kansas Supreme Court.
-- Dave Ranney's phone message number is 832-7222. His e-mail is dranney@ljworld.com.
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