Former Vice President Dan Quayle announced on Tuesday he is backing former Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination.
"I am humbled to have Vice President Quayle's support," Romney said in a statement. "He has served our country with honor and distinction. I hope to work with leaders like Vice President Quayle to re-establish faith in our economy, stop the growth of government, and ensure that the United States remains the strongest country in the world.
"Because of President Obamas failed leadership, Washington has become dysfunctional, Quayle said. We need a leader from outside of the Washington establishment to get America back on track. Mitt Romney has proven over and over that he is a leader. He is a man of integrity. He understands budgets and financial markets. He is strong on national defense and has a deep love of the conservative philosophy that makes America great. Governor Mitt Romney has what it takes to be a great president of the United States and that is why I enthusiastically endorse him for president."
First elected to Congress from Indiana in 1976, Quayle upset longtime Democratic U.S. Birch Bayh, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976, in 1980. George H.W. Bush surprised the political world when he named Quayle as his running mate in 1988.
Quayle was plagued by a series of gaffes and missteps during the campaign and during his four years as vice president. While there were rumors that Bush would drop him from the ticket, Quayle stayed on through the 1992 campaign, which they lost. During his years on the national stage, Quayle remained a favorite of social conservatives since the vice president used the bully pulpit of his office to fight for traditional values.
Quayle made a brief bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 but dropped out after finishing eighth place in the Iowa Republican straw poll in Ames.
Since then, Quayle has been out of political life. He moved to Arizona and there has been buzz that he would resurface in politics in the Grand Canyon State. While Quayle has passed at opportunities to run for governor in Arizona, his son Ben ran and won a congressional seat there during the 2010 election cycle.
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