Rep. Chris Murphy vs. Lieberman?

Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sounds as though he may challenge Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in 2012.

Connecticut Democrats are pretty set with state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in 2010, now that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has stepped aside.

But Murphy is acknowledging an interest in the upper chamber, and some are talking him up as a Lieberman foe.

"As for my future plans, the Senate is something I’m certainly interested in down the road,” Murphy told a local paper. “But today my focus is on recognizing Chris Dodd’s lifelong record of delivering for his beloved state and continuing to do my job representing northwest Connecticut in the House.”

Blumenthal was widely thought to be a likely Lieberman foe in 2012, so his candidacy in 2010 opens the door for other Democrats to eye that race. Murphy appears to be laying a marker for two years from now.

Of course, he'll first need to get past one of two Republicans — Justin Bernier or state Sen. Sam Caligiuri, who dropped his own Senate bid this year in favor of going after Murphy — in this year's election. That may prevent him from being too forward about his 2012 plans.