Meghan and Dennis Flannery descend from an odd and infamous cast of characters that turned the family into what Inside America magazine would later dub "The First Family of American Politics."

Eugene Flannery runs for president as the Radical Party's nominee nine times -- once from a prison cell, where he is incarcerated for organizing a labor strike. He travels the country, delivers thousands of speeches, shakes thousands of hands -- and wins no more than 2.5% of the vote.

He always assumed his eldest son, Sean, would inherit the Radical Party's mantle. And he did -- reluctantly. But the son lacks the political acumen and ambitions of the father.

Sean goes to Vietnam, where he falls in love with his sergeant and, after his sergeant's death, deserts the Army. Back in America, he will live the rest of his life in the closet, fearing a lack of acceptance. Perhaps as a coping mechanism, he resorts to a form of professional rebellion, in which he keeps his position as nominal Party chairman but undermines its efforts at every turn.

By the time the year 2000 rolls around, Eugene is years past his prime and Sean is an unwilling champion. It's time for the twins, Dennis and Meghan, to