Bet his campaign DOESN'T use Robo-Calls...

Rising to speak it's the Senator from Connecticut, Alec Baldwin. This was probably a pretty funny story yesterday across forty-nine of these United States and probably some, if not all, of our territories and possessions. Around here in The Constitution State, not so much.

I didn't find the story especially humorous for a plethora of reasons: I live in Connecticut; I don't find Joe Lieberman effective; in comparison to the other Senator from The Nutmeg State, Joltin' Joe looks like a dynamo and we are, after all, talking about Alec Baldwin, for crying out loud.

His celebrity, I guess, qualifies him to opine aloud about his own qualifications for, and chances of, election to representative office, and he's certainly entitled to exercise his freedom of speech. Judging from his physical expansion in recent years, that's about all he's been exercising-but the good news on that front is it just means there's more of him to love. I'm sure his former spouse, Kim Basinger, is thrilled at that prospect.

Alec is, of course, the star of NBC's 30 Rock where he single-handed, okay-along with Tracy Morgan-continues to save Tina Fey's slight, little concept of a cute program and has propelled it to the heights of most-viewed, must-see television. And if you don't think so, ask their respective publicists, I'm sure. Fey is lucky to have them, especially Alec. Though between looking like the former Governor of Alaska and having to work with Mr. Baldwin, she could be forgiven for praying that her luck changes.

You know, the more I think about Monday's announcement, the more I'm warming to the idea of Mr. Baldwin Goes to Washington. I mean, it takes all kinds of people to make a world and some of them (I'm sure) have enough chromosomes to pass whatever tests are required to sit in the United States Senate. I mean, look who's there now. This is where Republicans could cringe, but there's something about fish in a barrel....maybe we're near a Long John Silver's? And did you hear the splash boring just made? As for their colleagues across the aisle, three words: William Jefferson Clinton.

In the coming days, Alec will get roughed up and then we'll all move on to The Next Big Thing, whatever that will be. And that may actually be too bad, because underneath 30 Rock's Jack character, who can utter a line such as "If I wanted to lick a hippie, I'd just return Joan Baez's phone calls" could be a man who offered some quiet insights about Michael Vick that probably escaped your notice during all that hub-bub. My concern is that we here in The Land of Steady Habits could wind up with way more Jack than anyone bargained for.
-bill kenny