Democratic Consultants Trying to Drag Alec Baldwin into Strickland Primary?

Actor and writer Alec Baldwin, in the latest issue of Playboy (Editor's Note : Before you start, let me note that I neither read it for the articles or the photos. I was simply doing...ahem...research...based on a Cleveland Leader piece I somehow stumbled across today) ...anyway, as I was saying... Baldwin is asked about his interest in running for office once his contract with NBC and 30Rock is done in 2012.

According to Baldwin, an Ohio law firm contacted him with a detailed pitch to run for Governor - including an outline of their credentials and experience in Ohio politics. I'm presuming they were asking about 2010, which raises some interesting questions about which Democratic consultants might be looking to stir the primary pot next year. (Would love that tip if anyone has it.)

Baldwin never answers the question about moving to Ohio, but instead kicks around some New York scenarios which may or may not be open to him down the road. Here's the entire interview, and the segment about his interest in Ohio and politics...

PLAYBOY: Will you run for office?

BALDWIN: I’ll put it this way. The desire is there; that’s one component. The other component is opportunity. A law firm in a liberal Democratic bastion in Ohio state politics sent me a binder with a cover letter that read, “Mr. Baldwin, here’s who we represent, the kinds of cases we handle, our credentials in Ohio state politics. We want you to move to Ohio and run for governor. We will launch your career.”

PLAYBOY: Could you live in Ohio?

BALDWIN: I have sometimes thought I could move to New Jersey or Connecticut and run. I’d love to run against Joe Lieberman. I have no use for him. But it’s all fantasy. I’m a carry-me-out-in-a-box New Yorker. Here, anything can happen. Who thought Eliot Spitzer would go down the way he did? Senator Hillary Clinton left to serve as secretary of state. Two of the biggest forces gone. Maybe Andrew Cuomo will run for one of their old seats. 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. Unfortunately, an opportunity for me may mean bad things for someone else. I don’t wish that.