Batman for governor

Actor Val Kilmer attends the Post Pre-Inaugural Ball hosted by The Huffington Post and MySpace at The Newseum on January 19, 2009 in Washington, DC.

Leslie Sanchez
CNN Contributor and Republican Strategist

Washington was a constellation of Hollywood stars and starlets this week, but one seemed to be moving in a particularly well-defined orbit - and he was clearly one of the most interesting people making the rounds.

Critically-acclaimed actor Val Kilmer (Tombstone, Batman Forever, The Doors and Heat) showed himself to be wonderfully personable, thoughtful about public policy issues and extremely inquisitive about the process.

Maybe too inquisitive.

What couldn't be missed was Kilmer's high-powered networking with several Democratic governors, including Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association. The two met at Monday's unity dinner honoring Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

During a discussion about the role of Democratic Governors in the new Obama administration, Kilmer invited Schweitzer out trout fishing on his 6,000-acre ranch in Pecos, New Mexico.

My guess is we'll be hearing a lot more from Val Kilmer in the days ahead – and not just on the big screen, either. His roots in New Mexico run deep (his family has lived in the Land of Enchantment for almost a century), and this is clearly a guy with politics and public service very much on his mind.

Call it a hunch, but I think this may be another case of an actor turning politician. Either way, it's bound to get more interesting.