Political denials are the latest weapon for celebrity PR, and we've got a twofer:

This image was lost some time after publication.

• Patrick Crowe of Kansas City has spent far too much of his free time campaigning for Oprah Winfrey to run for president; he's published a book, written a song and has a website devoted to his cause. This would all matter very little, were it not for the Big O's legal team, which garnered media attention when they sent Crowe a ceast and desist order. On Monday, she told the Associated Press that she believed her lawyers overreacted; she was "flattered" by Crowe's attention and is considering calling him herself — but she has no intention of running. [AP]

This image was lost some time after publication.

• At a legislative event yesterday, stalker-fearing actor George Clooney deflected questions about his candidacy. Reporters told the star that fans would love to see him run for office, to which he replied, "Believe me, you don't want me in politics." Clooney also said that people wearing "Clooney '08" t-shirts "were probably kidding" and putting his name on a ballot would be "a bad idea." [AP]