Quayle, in Nevada, waiting to see on Obama

Former Vice President Dan Quayle, in Tahoe over the weekend for a golf tournament, largely held his fire when it came to criticizing President Obama in an interview with the AP's Scott Sonner.

Republicans' best asset in next year's elections, Quayle said, is Democrats in Congress, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Quayle said he's still waiting to see whether Obama will prove to be a left-wing liberal or will govern as a moderate.

"Now I think they will have to make some tough decisions," Quayle said of the current administration. "He knows the deficit is menacing. Whether he is willing to stare down the left wing of his party and say, 'Guys, we've got to get this budget in order before we take on too many things,' I don't know."

The former veep was playing in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe when he took a break after the opening round to talk politics on Friday.