Washington, D.C., is not only the political capital of the world but also a retirement mecca of sorts where former politicians flock to live and reminisce about the good old days.
They read the papers, talk about candidates and issues and generally agree that things got done much more smoothly when they were in office.Among the former politicians in the nation's capital are two Utahns, David S. King, former Utah congressman; and Bob Wright, former leader of the Utah Republican Party and twice a candidate for governor. Wright, who is serving in the capital as a mission president for the LDS Church, will be returning to Utah following this assignment.
But unlike some others who once held the political spotlight, King and Wright want little to do with politics anymore.
"You can't be as deeply immersed in politics as I was and not retain some interest," said King, a three-term member of Congress in the 1960s, "but my involvement doesn't go beyond reading the paper or visiting with old colleagues."
King is serving as the president of the Washington, D.C., Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wright, who came very close to winning the 1980 governor's race on the Republican ticket, said his political days are over as well.
"Once in a while we reminisce over political activities, but I really don't pay much attention to what's going on politically right now," said Wright. "I don't have any designs or desires to get back in politics."
Wright is currently presiding over the Washington, D.C., North Mission of the LDS Church.
Although he prefers to be excluded from politics now, King is no stranger to the Washington political scene. He grew up near the city while his father served as a senator for 24 years.
"It's hard to grow up in a political family and not have some of it rub off on you," King said. "I never knew anything else but a politically involved father and family - it was a very stimulating way to grow up."
After receiving a law degree from the University of Utah, King went into private practice and eventually his political background drove him to run for Congress in 1958. He served two terms and then ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 1962.
King returned to private practice long enough to get his campaign ready for the next congressional election, which put him back in Washington for another term.
"Those were very busy years . . . the pressures were incalculable," King said, "as I look back, I don't quite understand how I did it. But I did."
King said his political career was a "very dynamic experience, very wonderful but very difficult."
The difficulties came from not having enough time to do everything that is required of you and still have time for yourself and family. But although it was difficult, King said, he learned some valuable lessons.
"I learned to appreciate the value of individuals without passing judgment - I became less judgmental."
For Wright, the experience of being in politics has helped him deal effectively with the many full-time missionaries assigned to his mission, many of whom come from Utah.
"Meeting people from all walks of life taught me how to work with people," Wright said, "It taught me to appreciate the diversity of people and individuals."
And although he isn't involved with politics any longer, Wright has invited his old friends Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Jake Garn, R-Utah, to meet and speak with the missionaries on a couple of occasions.
It was Hatch and Garn who asked Wright, then the head of the Utah Republican party, to run for governor in 1980. After winning the Republican nomination with an 89.9 percent vote, Wright lost the general election to incumbent Gov. Scott Matheson.
Wright then was unable to obtain the Republican nomination in 1984.
Although his election tries were unsuccessful, Wright said he and his family benefited positively from the entire experience. "It was a very exciting and growing time for us as a family," he said. "We loved it and it was challenging, but there are other things, too, that we need to do."
Wright said he had his turn and now he encourages others to get involved with politics in one way or another.
"Our form of republic doesn't work unless people get involved; that's the basis of what makes this type of government the best in the world. . . people need to be voting and spending time and effort in getting involved to preserve the political integrity of this country," Wright said.
"I think it's a civic duty to get involved, from voting and in the most basic levels of volunteering on up to the highest levels."
Wright insists that he has had his turn in politics and will not return to the political arena. After serving one more year in Washington, Wright said, he will return to Salt Lake and resume his law career.
As King sits at his desk in the temple and thinks about the political games going on inside the beltway, he can't help but think that things have changed in the 30 years since he was in Congress.
"I think Congress has deteriorated rather substantially since the days when I was there," King said. "Not the individuals but the circumstances have brought about a deterioration.
"The fact that there are so many committees now has diminished the power of a congressman and put it more on his staff," King said.
"At most, a congressman can spend only a limited amount of time with each piece of legislation, so that shifts the work to the staff who has the time, expertise and knowledge to draft the legislation and address issues."
And, according to King, getting elected to Congress has become a profession. "It's like selling anything - the process is governed more by the rules of the game now and less and less by the issues."
King said politicians used to get elected because of what they stood for. But now, many of them don't even know what they stand for.
"With all of the confusion in politics, regardless of party, elected officials have to have bedrock principles," King said. "People have to know who you are and that they can count on you for certain things . . . you have to have morals to fall back on."
Wright, a Republican, may not have agreed with Democrat King on issues, but he does on principle.
"Regardless of party, you have to have elected people who are men and women of integrity who are running for the right reasons and who will be honest with people not only in their campaign, but even more so after they're elected," Wright said.
"I think those are basic attributes that all people should have."
Both men also agreed that their religious beliefs helped them throughout their careers in dealing with people and making decisions.
"Nothing is as simple as you think it is so you have to be able to ask yourself what is right," King said. "Even casting a vote can be very complex so you have to have a bedrock - morals, principles and judgment - to fall back on."
King said his current position gives him the opportunity and time to think about the principles he has kept throughout his life. "Really my first love is for things of the spirit."
After this assignment, King said, wants to spend the rest of his life "doing good . . . putting my Christian principles into action."
King said he would also like to spend time lecturing, doing research and writing.
"Up to now I've spent my life thinking about myself; now I want to spend the rest of my life thinking about someone else."
After spending some time in an interview talking about his political career and opinions, King walked quietly from his office to greet temple visitors. Although he recalls many fond memories of politics, he's glad those days are over. Now he has the time to do things he really loves to do.