Senator Hardball?

Forget tonight's Pennsylvania primary -- ultimately it's much ado about little -- but think ahead to the Keystone State's 2010 senate race. According to Pennsylvania reporter Jacqueline Policastro, it could include Hardball maestro Chris Matthews:

Chris Matthews, host of Hardball on MSNBC, could be our next U.S. Senator. The PA native was on Comedy Central last night where he said, "I wanted to be a Senator." A few weeks back at a social event here in Washington, Matthews told me face to face that he's seriously considering a run, and that he wants Senator Arlen Specter's seat in 2010. Since it was a private conversation, I didn't report it. But after MSNBC replayed clips of Matthews declaring his desire for the Senate seat, I figured it's certainly safe to talk about.

Now that would be fun. As I note over on Robert Emmet, it wouldn't be Matthews' first attempt at elected office, though of course the first bout was nearly 35 years ago. Matthews of course was, briefly, a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter. And inadvertently he contributed to a Bill Clinton speech in 1995, as I recount in White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters.