May 13, 2009 4:34 pm US/Central
'CSI: NY' Star Rumored To Be Eyeing White House
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Gary Sinise surprised volunteers putting together care packages for U.S. troops at a Lisle, Ill., warehouse May 2, 2008.
CBS
You may know him as Mac Taylor, detective on the hit CBS show "CSI: New York," but as CBS 2's Mike Parker reports, Chicago native Gary Sinise may now go from the small screen to the political ring.
Nicolle Wallace, a former assistant to George W. Bush and McCain campaign operative, has written that Sinise could be the savior of the Republican Party.
"The natural strengths that an actor brings to politics would come in handy," Wallace said. "We will need an effective communicator who can stand toe-to-toe with Obama's eloquence."
State Rep. Jim Durkin, one of the top Illinois Republicans, is not laughing off the idea.
"I think Gary Sinise is an interesting individual," Durkin said. "He's a Chicago guy."
"This is a town that has a very special place in my heart," Sinise said in 2008.
Born in Blue Island, and raised in Highland Park, Sinise is known in Hollywood for his conservative politics and known nationally for his work on behalf of the U.S. Military.
"Clearly our defenders here are on the front lines between us and some dangerous times ahead," he said.
And he won a Presidential Citizen's Medal from President Bush last year. But should Sinise run for the White House?
"Well it's kind of out of the box a little bit. But we need some out-of-the-box thinking in the Republican Party," Durkin said.
How's all this playing with the voters? Can Sinise get votes? Could he become another Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Fred Thompson?
"Keep the day job," one Chicagoan said. "I'd vote for Barack Obama again anytime."
Another told CBS 2, "Ronald Reagan was an actor and it worked out," but had no idea who Sinise is.
CBS 2 was unable to reach Sinise himself for comment on all this buzz, and his publicist did not return calls.
There is some irony here. In 1998, Sinise won a golden globe for playing the title role in the TV biography of Democratic Party icon, Harry Truman.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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