Pat Dollard

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CNN:

WASHINGTON – Emmy Award winner Alec Baldwin is eyeing a post-acting career that could take him off a Hollywood soundstage into the halls of Congress.

Baldwin, who currently stars in the NBC comedy “30 Rock,” told Playboy magazine that he is seriously considering running for Congress. But he acknowledged his opponents would have plenty of fodder to use against him.

“I’ll put it this way,” he told the magazine. “The desire is there; that’s one component. The other component is opportunity.”

A native New Yorker, Baldwin said he has been approached by an unnamed Democratic law firm who wanted him to run for governor of Ohio, and he has also considered moving to New Jersey or Connecticut to run for office. “I’d love to run against Joe Lieberman,” Baldwin said of the Independent Democratic senator who is no favorite of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. But Baldwin dismissed the idea, saying “It’s all fantasy.”

In the interview, he emphasized his New York roots, and noted the unpredictable nature of politics, citing Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Sen. Hillary Clinton’s resignations.

He also asked hypothetical questions about the future of Sen. Chuck Schumer, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rep. Tim Bishop.

“How much longer will Chuck Schumer stay as senator? After 2013 Bloomberg will be gone. What happens then? Do I run for Congress on Long Island? What’s Tim Bishop going to do? He represents my district. People get sick, die. They’re offered lucrative deals and want to cash in and make money for their retirement. People misstep,” he said. “Unfortunately, an opportunity for me may mean bad things for someone else. I don’t wish that.”

Asked if he had ever turned down a sketch on Saturday Night Live, because it was too outrageous, Baldwin responded, “Probably a few. It’s hard to remember. I’m often asked if I think about going into politics. If I do, these guys will have a field day. I’ve given them so much crap to use against me… If I run for political office, they’ll have a forest of material to kill me with.”