Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Kara DioGuardi's Dad Announces U.S. Senate Run

American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi was a guest last night on The Tonight Show.

Video here.

She said that her dad, Republican Joe DioGuardi, would be announcing his candidacy to run for the U.S. Senate.

From FOX News:

Move over, Scott Brown, you're not the only politician with an "Idol" connection.

Former New York Rep. Joe DioGuardi on Tuesday announced his bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, returning to politics less known as a former GOP congressman than as the father of "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi.

DioGuardi served two terms in Congress during the 1980s and has since written a book, but recently has been asked more about his famous daughter, who just did a racy photo shoot for Maxim magazine, than his political ambitions.

"What am I, chopped liver here?" DioGuardi asked Fox News after being regaled with his daughter's accomplishments.

Seriously, though, DioGuardi said Kara was a big source of support during his campaigns two decades ago and "of course" backs his run this time around.

"She's encouraged me to do it," he said.

DioGuardi is the second Senate candidate with a claim to the hit show. Ayla Brown, the daughter of recently sworn-in Republican Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, was a semi-finalist in 2006.

...DioGuardi joins New York attorney Bruce Blakeman in the Republican field.

Since leaving office DioGuardi, who says he was the first practicing CPA elected to the U.S. Congress, founded Truth in Government, a non-profit organization dedicated to fiscal sustainability and decreasing the national debt.

He told Fox News on Tuesday that, as he did two decades ago, he wants to focus on reining in the "credit card mentality" on Capitol Hill.

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