I sat down with Gov. John Baldacci this morning to talk about a few different topics. You'll see the results of that interview in the paper sometime over the weekend (or maybe Monday).

And, of course, I couldn't resist asking him about his political future. He's consistently said for the last year or more that he isn't running for another office. But I figured I'd ask him specifically about taking a shot at the U.S. Senate in 2012, when Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican, is up for reelection -- if she chooses to run again.

Baldacci's spent his entire adult life in office, whether it was Bangor City Council, state Senate, Congress or the Blaine House. His term as governor is up in January 2011.

Here's what Baldacci had to say about Snowe's seat:

"Right now I love Maine. I was in Washington for eight years. I loved and was honored by the work I did in Washington, but my heart is here.

"My wife and I bought a place in Holden and we're gradually getting ready to move on, get Jack (their teenage son) in college, trying to encourage my wife to look at kindergarten teaching.

"There's an easy chair out there that has my name all over it.

"In terms of any other politics, I've told people I'm not running again. There's enough challenges right here in Maine."