Annoyed at Dukakis : Quayle Says He’s Tired of Being Called J. Danforth

Republican vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle said today that he is not worried about either Michael S. Dukakis’ comments or a new poll concerning doubts about his qualifications for national office--but he is getting tired of having Dukakis refer to him as J. Danforth Quayle.

“I am delighted the governor of Massachusetts wants to talk about my qualifications for being vice president as compared to his qualifications for being President,” Quayle said at his first news conference in two weeks.

“He is the one who does not have the comprehension and understanding of national security issues,” Quayle said. “I will be delighted to compare my qualifications to his.”

Asked about a new CBS-New York Times poll, in which just one-third of the respondents said Quayle was qualified to be President compared to three-fifths who said Democrat Lloyd Bentsen was, Quayle said:

“We’re going to continue to talk about the issues of the campaign. . . . In due time the American people are going to see the real Dan Quayle.”

The Indiana senator also voiced annoyance at Dukakis for referring to him as J. Danforth Quayle, a tactic the governor has adopted in recent days. The name, Quayle said, comes from a friend of his family who was killed in World War II.

“That is my namesake. It is not a family name,” Quayle said.