Political Briefing; From Arizona, Talk Of a Bid by Quayle

Former Vice President Dan Quayle made a few headlines in 1999 when he briefly considered running for president. But the money wasn't there, not to mention the poll numbers, and so by first frost, a good four months before the spring 2000 caucuses and primaries, he was gone, saying as he departed, ''There's a time to stay and a time to fold.''

Mr. Quayle has all but dropped off the nation's political radar since then, much to the dismay of those who didn't want him to go and much to the chagrin of those who don't have him to kick around anymore.

But maybe both groups should take hope.

In Phoenix, where Mr. Quayle is an investment banker, there is talk among some Republicans and speculation in some newspapers that he may run for governor in 2002, the thought being that his conservative ideology might be a good fit with Arizona voters.

''It's definitely something that's active and alive out there,'' said Nathan Sproul, the executive director of the Arizona Republican Party. ''There are people who want him to run. But I don't sense that it's coming from him.''

Mr. Quayle insists he has no plans to run. He says he is happy with his life as an investment banker.

But the talk continues that he may soon resurface on the nation's political radar, if not as a candidate for governor then perhaps as an ambassador. Last week, a Bush administration aide told The Wall Street Journal that Mr. Quayle wanted to be ambassador to NATO. Other Washington whispers have him serving as ambassador to China or Japan.