Members in the News
All joking aside, Ron Kirk’s a fine pick
11:55 AM CST on Monday, December 22, 2008
James Ragland, The Dallas Morning News
A long-running joke in Dallas' political circles is that Ron Kirk, who became the city's first black mayor, "is one of the few lawyers who managed to practice law without actually ever practicing law."
He makes it all look so easy – lawyering, lobbying, politicking, often all at once.
"He's one of the few who can pull that off," noted Carol Reed, a well-heeled consultant who has directed Mr. Kirk's political campaigns, including two winning bids for mayor in the '90s.
Jeffrey Chapman would be the first to tell you, however, that the well-worn joke about Mr. Kirk is off the mark for a man suddenly, if not unexpectedly, thrust in the international spotlight as President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be U.S. trade representative.
"He has, in fact, practiced law for us and he's done so quite effectively," said Mr. Chapman, a partner at Vinson & Elkins who helped recruit Mr. Kirk in 2005. "When we hired Ron, the last thing we wanted him to do was go in the law library for 10 hours a day."
If you know Mr. Kirk, a gregarious political figure who can light up a room, you know that's not what he's cut out for, either. He likes to mix it up.
At Vinson & Elkins, he's known for "his problem-solving skills and ability to engage clients," said Mr. Chapman. "And he's been involved in some significant transactions."
He's a master at breaking the ice and brokering a deal. "There's no one who's better at bringing people to the table, getting a deal done and crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's," Ms. Reed said.
But some of those who've sat across the table from Mr. Kirk expressed concern about his sketchy record with workers and organized labor. Mr. Kirk is a strong supporter of business and free trade and, as mayor, led trade delegations to South Africa, Asia and Mexico.
"It was tough to get anything from him," said Glenn White, president of the 2,400-member Dallas Police Association. "It always came down to what was best for the company instead of the workers."
Still, Mr. White offered Mr. Kirk a backhanded compliment. "I'm glad to see him get trade representative instead of labor secretary, because I'm not sure he would have been very kind to the workers."
Fair or not, most Dallas mayors are greeted with the same hard-line rhetoric. Given that Mr. Kirk didn't preside over a strong-mayor system in Dallas, the criticism may be too sweeping, especially for a politician whose mother was a teacher and whose late father integrated the U.S. Postal Service in Austin.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said Mr. Kirk strikes him as someone who's sensitive to American workers but also finely attuned to the challenges faced by businesses.
"The biggest issue we're going to have to deal with in the next two years is protectionism," said Mr. Leppert, who has led delegations to China and Mexico.
He said the Obama administration will face growing demands from organized labor as the economy and jobs continues to slip. "If it grows into a demand for protectionism, it's a death knell for the economy."
It's an assessment that underscores the intricate complexities of Mr. Kirk's new assignment, assuming he wins congressional confirmation.
"Ron's a fast learner and a very smart guy," said Tom Dunning, a businessman and past chairman of the Dallas Citizens Council. "He's very good at getting his point across."
Many questions remain, including how long Mr. Kirk and his wife, Matrice, a partner in a headhunting firm, will stay in their M Streets home. The Kirks have a daughter in high school and one enrolled at Columbia University in New York, so don't expect a for-sale sign to crop up anytime soon.
"All I can say is that you can't find anyone better suited for that job than Ron Kirk," said Veronica Lewis, a law partner colleague. "He just has the ability to build consensus."
If nothing else, we'll have one less joke to tell when Mr. Kirk goes to Washington.
"I've got one question," quipped Mr. Dunning. "Do we have to call him Mr. Ambassador now?"
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