WASHINGTON (AP) – Fred Thompson thinks there is not enough “star” power in the Republican presidential field, so the “Law & Order” star and former Tennessee senator is considering getting into the 2008 race.

Thompson, who plays district attorney Arthur Branch on NBC’s drama, said Sunday that he is going to “leave the door open” and make a decision in the coming months.

“I’m going to wait and see what happens,” Thompson said. “I want to see my colleagues on the campaign trail, what they say, what they emphasize, whether they can carry the ball next November.”

“I think people are somewhat disillusioned. A lot of people are cynical out there. They’re looking for something different,” he said.

Thompson, 64, said he was pondering a run after former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and other Tennessee Republicans began drumming up support for his possible Republican candidacy, citing his conservative credentials.

On the issues, Thompson said he:

–Is “pro-life,” and believes federal judges should reexamine the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, which established a woman’s right to an abortion.

–Opposes same-sex marriage, but would let states decide whether to allow civil unions. “Marriage is between a man and a woman, and judges shouldn’t be allowed to change that.”

–Supports President George W. Bush’s decision to increase troops in Iraq. “Wars are full of mistakes. You rectify them. I think we are doing that now,” he said. “We’ve got to give it a chance to work.”

–Would pardon former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice now, rather than waiting until all his appeals are exhausted. Libby was found guilty of perjury and obstruction in the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity.

Libby is “bearing the political brunt of something that should’ve never come about,” Thompson said, noting that “practically every witness at trial had inconsistent statements.”

Thompson said he was not setting a deadline to make a decision and believes he will not be at a disadvantage if he waited until summer. “The lay of the land will be different in a couple of months than it is today, one way or another,” he said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

Thompson, the minority counsel in the Watergate investigation, was elected to the Senate in 1994 to fill the unexpired term of then Vice President Al Gore. He was chair of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and left the Senate in 2003 to resume his acting career.

Thompson has acted in films such as The Hunt for Red October, Cape Fear and In the Line of Fire.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, who is pursuing the Democratic nomination for president, said Thompson was as qualified as anyone “to credibly throw his hat in the ring.” Added Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham: “I think he makes a great president in the movies and he might make a great one in real life.” Both men spoke on CNN’s “Late Edition.”

If he decided to run, Thompson would join a crowded Republican field led by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain of Arizona. The number could grow on Monday when Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel makes an announcement on his future plans.