A behind-the-scenes factor may have played a significant role in bringing about a relatively quick resolution to this week’s standoff in Topeka between Kansas legislators and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

The standoff, which attracted national attention, centered on legislators demanding the governor sign a Republican-designed budget bill that called for major cuts before they approved fund transfers necessary to pay state salaries, income tax refunds and other state obligations.

Technically, legislators were correct in their argument, but there were ways the governor could — and past governors have — worked around the requirement. However, in this instance, the Republicans stood firm in their demand, far firmer than they have in past challenges with the governor.

During this two-day face-off, the governor showed her political skills in public relations by making GOP lawmakers appear to be the bad guys while she was the hero fighting for all state employees and others who needed the state dollars. Never mind what the law requires.

Regardless, there may have been another issue that influenced the actions of both parties.

There has been increased talk that Sebelius is about to be asked to join President Obama’s cabinet as secretary of Health and Human Services. And she apparently wants the job.

The trouble is Obama does not want to choose as a cabinet member a governor whose state is out of cash, bouncing checks and can’t meet its payroll.

Maybe Kansas Republicans realized the political pickle facing the governor. They knew of her desire to have the cabinet position and that the president would want to nominate a person clear of any embarrassing entanglements like those that fouled several early cabinet appointments.

This being the case, Republican leaders realized this was the best possible time to force Sebelius to deal, something she obviously doesn’t like to do and hasn’t done many times during her two terms as governor.

Now, checks will be delivered to thousands of state employees and taxpayers will get back some of their own money in the form of tax refunds. Lawmakers got what they wanted, and the governor got a small win because she used her line-item veto to reduce cuts legislators had approved in K-12 school funding.

It would be nice to believe that all parties were playing this high-stakes game with the best of intentions, but it will be interesting to see whether Sebelius does indeed leave the hot seat in the governor’s office for a cabinet position and whether Republicans played this possibility to their advantage to get the governor’s signature on their budget bill.