Fred Dalton Thompson (below) was a two-term U.S. Senator.

Sam Waterston (right) sure as hell looks the part - and has a history of political activism in his own right.

Could a bipartisan Law & Order ticket featuring the two actors - a made-for-TV, 2008 version of the would-have-been John Kerry-John McCain ‘04 juggernaut - captivate the nation with a moderate approach and take the White House?

Wishful thinking. But the interesting thing is that both Law & Order stars are being talked about in political circles of late.

Waterston, a political independent and active humanitarian, is a vocal supporter of Unity08, a political action group intent on backing a bipartisan ticket in the 2008 election.

Thompson, a conservative, served as a prosecutor (appropriate) before winning two terms in the Senate from Tennessee.

But he’s seen as a uniter, and given some of his fellow party members’ concerns about frontrunners Rudy Giuliani, McCain and Mitt Romney, some within the GOP are reportedly urging him to consider running:

Alexander Bolton writes in his blog, The Hill, that “Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) is contacting power brokers in the Republican Party to build support for a 2008 presidential campaign by his one-time protégé, former Sen. Fred Thompson.”

Not sure if a Waterston-Thompson ticket would be progressive enough for our taste. Or even possible, given that they’d already be way behind in the race to $100 million. But as fans of both actors, it’s fun to speculate.