MR POTATOE HEAD WANTS TO GO TO WASHINGTON 13FEB10

Announcing The Next Dynasty In Congress: The Quayles
3:08 pm

Since we're talking about the Quayle family, we certainly can't forget Marilyn; she even had her own fan club button.
Shortly after the news arrived that Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) was retiring at the end of the year -- ending, perhaps forever, the Kennedy dynasty in Congress -- we got word of another potential family dynasty: The Quayles!

Ben Quayle, the 33-year old son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, says he is running to succeed Rep. John Shadegg, an Arizona Republican who is not seeking re-election. The younger Quayle says he is running to "clean up the mess made by the politicians in Washington." It was Dan Quayle who first made the announcement, this morning on Fox News.

You can watch the senior Quayle announce the junior Quayle's candidacy here:


Dan Quayle served in the House from Indiana for two terms before ousting Sen. Birch Bayh (D) in 1980. Eight years later he was elected VP under George Bush.

Hmm, sounds like there are Bayh and Bush dynasties too?

After the ticket was defeated in 1992, the family moved to Arizona.

Ben Quayle will not be able to get the GOP nomination uncontested. Others said to be interested in running are former state Sens. Pam Gorman & Jim Waring, ex-state Rep. Sam Crump and Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker.

Our friend Lou Stanley at member station KJZZ in Tempe, Ariz., tells us that Paulina Vazquez Morris (R), a former legislative intern in the U.S. House and currently the general counsel at the Arizona Department of Administration, is also thinking of running. Lou says she's a former Friends of Public Radio AZ board member.

The only Democrat in the race so far is attorney Jon Hulburd.

Of course, I'm just teasing about a Quayle "dynasty." There are plenty of other such mini-"dynasties" already in Congress. In the current Senate alone, there's:

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) -- daughter of former Sen./Gov. Frank Murkowski.
Mark Begich (D-AK) -- son of former Rep. Nick Begich.
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) -- son of former Rep. John Kyl (R-IA).
Mark Pryor (D-AR) -- son of former Rep./Gov./Sen. David Pryor.
Mark Udall (D-CO) -- son of former Rep. Mo Udall (D-AZ).
Chris Dodd (D-CT) -- son of former Rep./Sen. Tom Dodd.
Evan Bayh (D-IN) -- son of former Sen. Birch Bayh.
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) -- daughter of former New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu and sister of Lt. Gov./now New Orleans Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu.
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) -- wife of former Rep./Gov. John McKernan.
Carl Levin (D-MI) -- brother of Rep. Sandy Levin.
Judd Gregg (R-NH) -- son of former Gov. Hugh Gregg.
Tom Udall (D-NM) -- son of former Rep. Stewart Udall (D-AZ).
Bob Casey (D-PA) -- son of former Gov. Bob Casey.
Bob Bennett (R-UT) -- son of former Sen. Wallace Bennett.
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) -- nephew of former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R-NY).

And lest we forget: Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, is running this year for a seat in the Georgia State Senate.