One of the advantages of being a member of parliament or a senator is that you have Parliamentary Privilege for anything you say in the house or senate. Perhaps if Assange got in he could leak stuff in the senate without having to pretend to be a journalist. Quite a big advantage if you live in a country with only an implied constitutional freedom of speech limited to political matters vs punishing defamation laws.<p>If he were to enter politics it might be as effective a way to neuter him as a show trial or assassination. Peter Lalor was one of the rebels at Australia's only real civil insurrection/revolution, the Eureka Stockade, but when he got into parliament he became an anti-democratic protector of wealth and privilege. Then you have Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil "US forces give the nod, its a setback for your country" fame who is a Labor minister and not at all outspoken these days.