Senator Ben Affleck isn't happening. Yet.
In a new interview with Bob Schieffer, Affleck didn't deny that he would be interested in running as a candidate to replace John Kerry as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts should Kerry be nominated as Secretary of State, but said he was too busy at the moment to really consider it an option.
"For one thing, the state of Massachusetts has two extraordinary senators. So there is no vacancy," Affleck said. When pressed by Schieffer about what would happen if there was a vacancy, Affleck side-stepped this issue like an expert Washington insider. "Well, one never knows. I'm not one to get into conjecture."
Continued Affleck: "I do have a great fondness and admiration for the political process in this country, but I'm not going to get into speculation about my political future."
As Affleck told Schieffer, he likes being involved in government from the "outside," something that has allowed Affleck to advocate for the Congo and use his Oscar-contending film "Argo" as "a springboard for dialogue about our relationship with Iran."
"So, I've got a lot on my plate," Affleck joked.
Despite the tip-toeing, Affleck could find himself running for office eventually. An anonymous source told HuffPost Celebrity that anyone who underestimates the idea of Affleck as U.S. Senator is in for a rude awakening.
"He's very focused and smart. People once laughed when he said he wanted to be a director, and now they are not laughing. Also, never forget that this guy survived Bennifer -- so anything is possible."
Affleck was in Washington D.C. this week to discuss the human rights situation in the Congo, which he reported has endured 5 million deaths in the last 14 years.
"Resolving the cycle of violence does not necessarily require a significant new financial investment by the United States or U.S. boots on the ground. It does, however, require American political leadership -- moral leadership even -- to bring the parties together to address the larger sources of instability in the region," Affleck said in his testimony.
For more on Affleck's D.C. trip, head over to Politico. Watch Affleck chat with Schieffer in the video above.
The episode of "Face the Nation" will air on Sunday, Dec. 23.
[via THR]
