Affleck needs a new running mate

We asked Affleck, who has been stumping for Sen. John Kerry at the Democratic National Convention, why Sambataro was AWOL on the campaign trail.

"You can draw your own conclusions," Affleck told us. "It's difficult. I meet people, but I feel like I'm this walking nightmare. You get photographed with me once at a baseball game, and The Enquirer will find out every dirty little thing that ever happened in your family's history."

Splashnews.com posted a story about Sambataro that claimed she had taken out restraining orders on a previous boyfriend.

"It's too much," Affleck continued. "Who wants that? If I saw me, I would turn the other way. I'm trying to diminish it so that someone might actually be interested in dating me."

The activist actor had guests at GQ editor Jim Nelson's party Tuesday night at Boston's ultra-chic Federalist restaurant wondering whether that someone was Vanessa Kerry. As John Cusack, Anderson Cooper, Gifford Miller, Alan Cumming and Janeane Garofalo looked on, Affleck and Sen. Kerry's blond daughter whispered, giggled and touched each other affectionately.

Affleck recently called the 27-year-old "absurdly beautiful" and compared her to a "Nordic milkman's daughter, with her flaxen hair," in Harper's Bazaar.

Vanessa kissed the actor twice in a box at the convention Monday night and "he didn't resist," a witness tells us.

But an Affleck pal says, "I assure you they're just friends."

Perhaps the same cannot be said of Cusack and Vanessa's sister, Alexandra Kerry, a director. The two slipped out behind the boite at the 15 Beacon Street Hotel, and sat on a bench together to have a smoke. "They kissed on the lips between puffs," claims another witness. "After they got up, he put all her contact info into his Blackberry."

Not everyone wound up feeling festive. Word was the Secret Service wouldn't allow one Democratic governor, sans ID, into the party, which was held in honor of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. If true, he shouldn't feel so bad. Agents also blocked Seth Greenberg, who owns the hotel.

GOP movie blooper

When Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie went looking for someone to distribute his Kerry-bashing film, he went straight to the most illogical choice: die-hard Democrat Harvey Weinstein.

"I reached out yesterday to Miramax, and we have sent them a copy of it and asked them if they would consider distributing this documentary across the country," Gillespie said at a press conference yesterday.

Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik confirmed that he had spoken with Gillespie but said the company hadn't yet screened the "Kerry-Iraq Documentary," which is billed as a compilation of clips of Kerry contradicting himself.

Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney (Miramax's parent company), has made it clear that Disney/Miramax will not distribute any political movies this election season. Weinstein helped distribute "Fahrenheit 9/11" by forming his own company, the Fellowship Adventure Group.

"We don't do short films," Hiltzik pointed out, joking: "But I'm waiting for another even shorter film: 'What the National GOP Has Done for New York.'"

Nonspeaking roles

According to a spokesman for Eliot Spitzer, Sen. Charles Schumer and Spitzer have chatted and moved on since rumors erupted that New York's senior senator pushed the state's attorney general - and possible rival candidate for governor in 2006 - out of a speaking role at the Democratic National Convention.

But the New Yorkers are still far from chummy. They were seated two rows apart at the convention and steadfastly ignored one another. "You could cut the iciness with a knife," noted one observer.

A Lil' gift for Gotti

Victoria Gotti was bummed that Lil' Kim missed out on the premiere party for "Growing Up Gotti" on Tuesday night, but the gossip columnist-turned-reality TV star was consoled by a very bling present from the rapper. Along with her regrets, Kim, who sings the theme song for the show, sent her manager to give Victoria a diamond-encrusted watch.

Side dish

Alec Baldwin has been ubiquitous at the convention in support of Kerry. Baldwin told us, "Under the Republicans the infrastructure has broken down, the schools and the environment and health care are all suffering. All the Republicans know how to do is stimulate corporate profit and the Dow, and to make war. And they even screwed that up. They're useless. That's why I'm here" ...

"Politicians think all they need to do is learn Spanish to get the Hispanic vote," Rev. Al Sharpton told the Hispanic caucus in Boston on Monday. Sharpton then told the delegates he picked up a bit of Spanish himself, according to the Houston Chronicle. In a call-and-response about the issues the group can achieve, Sharpton repeatedly called out: "S¡¦¡ì?, se puerta. Yes, we can." The good reverend apparently missed a Spanish class or two, because "puerta" means "door." What he should have said was "S¡¦¡ì?, se puede" ...

Hell's Kitchen will trek out to the Hamptons this weekend. The Holy Cross School is hosting a fund-raiser at La Ronde Beach Club in Westhampton Beach Saturday night, providing free round-trip buses to ticket holders ($150) from the 42nd St. school. The dress is casual, and the party includes cocktails, dinner and dancing.