Elizabeth Taylor choked on a chicken bone at a political fundraiser in southwest Virginia. “Dukes of Hazzard” star Ben “Cooter” Jones couldn’t drive his congressional campaign out of the ditch.

Virginia hasn’t been kind to Hollywood celebrities who dabble in politics. That hasn’t stopped rumors that actor Ben Affleck is being courted to challenge Republican George F. Allen for his U.S. Senate seat in 2008.

The tidbit appeared this week in The Washington Post’s gossip column, which also noted that Affleck has been spotted shopping for property near Charlottesville. On Monday, C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the state Democratic Party, declined to discuss Affleck. Affleck’s publicist has denied the chatter.

But Allen’s campaign manager was busily doing some pre-emptive research on Affleck, who has long been a supporter of national Democratic candidates.

“Ben Affleck would get two thumbs down from the voters of Virginia for campaigning with fellow Massachusetts liberals John Kerry and Ted Kennedy,” said Jason Miller. “He would go over with Virginia voters about as well as 'Gigli’ did with the Academy Awards selection committee.”

Affleck starred in that movie, which bombed. But he helped write the Oscar-winning screenplay for and starred in “Good Will Hunting.” He once also tried his hand at directing with the satirical “I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal with Disney.”

I actually think Arnold is doing a rather suprisingly fine job.