The prospect of Chris Matthews running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania has state party Chairman T.J. Rooney thanking his political stars.

"If I weren't really intrigued with the whole idea, I could probably be sued for political malpractice," Rooney told PolitickerPA.com during an interview Thursday.

Matthews potential run has become the news of Pennsylvania politics the last week. Reports have pegged the MSNBC host talking to an array of Pennsylvania Democrats as he makes inquiries about a potential run.

One of whom he met with was Rooney, and the chairman said afterward he doesn't doubt the sincerity of Matthews' interest.

"The conversations have been very substantive," he said. "They're the kind of conversations you have with someone who is very serious."

He described Matthews during their conversations as "curious," "very thoughtful," and "very serious."

The two politicos have talked to each other from time to time, Rooney said, but only recently have they begun talking about the "mechanics" of a Senate run. Those mechanics include things such as finding residency in Pennsylvania, knowing the lay of the land and whom to talk to, Rooney said.

The chairman said he's excited about the "Hardball" host's potential candidacy because he thinks Matthews would be running for office for the right reasons.

"It would be for really good, sound, altruistic reasons," Rooney said. "Not for the fame, fortune and glory that can come with being a U.S. Senator."

Matthews already has those things, Rooney said.

So is he going to run?

"I'll leave that for him to decide," Rooney said. "He's given it a lot of thought the last two weeks. I don't know if he's in.

"But he's doing all the right things," he said, "that a candidate contemplating a serious life-changing endeavor would do."

See also on PolitickerPA.com:

• Dauphin County D-Party Chair says she's talked with Matthews 
• Rasmussen: Specter 46 percent, Matthews 43 percent
• Matthews talking to Western Pa. official