Will Chris Matthews Run for the U.S. Senate in 2010?

Will he or won't he? That, apparently, is the burning question about perennial lightning rod, MSNBC journalist Chris Matthews.

(See Profile of Chris Matthews, Host of MSNBC's Hardball .)

Lightly regarded rumors have been whispered for months that Matthews may run for the U.S Senate as a Democrat from Pennsylvania in 2010, but those rumors have taken a turn for the serious since Barack Obama's election to the White House.

And Matthews has done little to discourage rampant speculation.

But is he serious about entering the national political arena, or is this merely a negotiating ploy to beef up his MSNBC contract which expires in June 2009?

Here are the basic stories in circulation:

• Per Politico.com on Dec 4, 2008: "Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania — and is shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest... "

• Per FiveThirtyEight on Nov 28, 2008: "According to multiple sources, who confirmed the Tip O'Neill staffer-cum-MSNBC host has negotiated with veteran Obama staffers to enlist in his campaign, Chris Matthews is likely to run for United States Senate in Pennsylvania in 2010."

  FiveThirtyEight backpedalled a bit, though, on Nov 4, 2008: "Matthews, we have strong reason to believe, is hiring staff for a run at the Senate, although there have certainly been candidates in the past who have staffed up but subsequently elected not to run."

• Per Wonkette speculation on Dec 4, 2008: "Will Chris Matthews be that awesome to the people of Pennsylvania? The answer is no, because no human mortal could.

  "That leads us to explanation number two for Tweety’s strange behavior: he actually has no intention of leaving his cush job at MSNBC and is just flirting with this Senate thing to make his bosses feel bad about giving Keith Olbermann a big fat raise."

It's true that Matthews' star seems to have dimmed some at NBC/MSNBC. David Gregory, 38 years old, recently landed the plum Meet the Press job; Keith Olbermann did receive a juicy $3.5 million raise; and Rachel Maddow is the rising new MSNBC sensation.

Responses among top liberal bloggers to Matthews' possible candidacy have been cautionary and surprisingly mixed.

• Per The Hill on Dec 4, 2008: "A simple YouTube search shows the possible perils of a Chris Matthews Senate candidacy: foul language, inappropriate touching and an offer to duel... All that information could provide Specter and independent groups with ample ammunition to attack the Hardball host."

• Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake writes: "Employee Free Choice is becoming the new gay -- the issue that wingnuttia is whipping itself into a frenzy over. If Matthews is indeed exploring a run, he needs to quickly bone up on this issue and figure out why the stakes are so high for millions of working people."

• Author and liberal activist David Sirota is appalled, blogging: "I just want to say I really hope Chris Matthews runs for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and is humiliatingly obliterated in a Democratic primary... The sense of entitlement that this blowhard personifies is truly stunning. "

I rarely miss Hardball, and generally find Chris Matthews as informative and independent-thinking as anyone else on MSNBC, FOX and usually CNN. What I admire about Matthews is his unedited, unabashed enthusiasm for politics and his deep grasp of the ways of Washington D.C.

He admittedly found it difficult during the campaign season to disguise his zeal for Barack Obama, but I understood and shared that sentiment. And Matthews, indeed, has made some crassly unacceptable comments, most notably about Hillary Clinton.

But this is politics, in which mistakes are commonly made, regrettable remarks are uttered, and life goes on.

Matthews was born and raised in Pennsylvania, so he's no political carpetbagger. He's a devoted Catholic, a former Peace Corps volunteer, a confirmed supporter of middle-class and blue-collar interests, a loving husband and passionate parent of three adult children, and a man who battles the health challenge of diabetes.

I think Chris Matthews' life experiences make him an interesting candidate with much wisdom to offer, and could make a terrific and effective U.S. senator.

So here's my thought: life is short, Chris. Follow your bliss, to quote the late Professor Joseph Campbell.

Go for it!

Take a few minutes to read my Profile of Chris Matthews, Host of MSNBC's Hardball.

(Photos taken on Oct 22, 2008 at 2008 California Women's Conference: Robert Buckman/Getty Images)