Prospector Bush Enters ’88 California Gold Rush

BUSH LEAGUES--Vice President George Bush makes his first major fund-raising foray of the next presidential campaign into Los Angeles on Feb. 19. The Grand Old Party’s Old Guard will be out in full force--as will the next generation of carefully cultivated heavy-hitter contributors. On the committee for the $1,000-a-person reception at Sogno, the Bel-Air estate of Howard Ruby, are old hands like Margaret Brock, San Diego’s Gordon and Karon Luce, Arco’s Robert O. and Patty Anderson, Parker and Haddon Montgomery, Philip and Mary Hawley, Howard Allen, Holmes and Virginia Tuttle, Glen and Gloria Holden. But look at the Newer Guard on the committee list--sure there are Mike and Linda Curb but there are also Brad Freeman and Jay Grodin as well as the next generation of old L.A. families like Will and Libby Doheny and Stephen and Iris Dart. Other interesting and newer names--Columbia Savings’ Tom Speigel, who in November co-sponsored a fund-raiser for Colorado Democrat Rep. Tim Wirth, and developer Richard Traweek, who with his wife, Victoria, will be hosting a $1,000-a-person benefit Feb. 13 for Sen. Robert Dole’s Senate campaign at their La Marina Inn. After the Ruby reception for Bush, longtime buddies Jerry and Jane Weintraub host a dinner at their Beverly Hills home for supporters who have raised or contributed $10,000 per couple. Irvine’s Don Bren--yet another second-generation GOPer, whose mom is Marion Jorgensen--sent out the letter inviting these heavy hitters. One important note--the stress on “a couple” is a direct result of federal limits on campaign contributions. These contributions are to Bush’s political action committee, Fund for America’s Future, and the limit is $5,000 per year per person. Dole kicks off his PAC fund-raising with a lunch next week, leading up to a dinner for Campaign for America on April 3. So there’s still lots of gold in these hills.

JOB NEWS--Donald Livingston, longtime vice president for public affairs at Carter Hawley Hale, next month sets up his own public-affairs company, the Livingston Group. It’s all very familial, though, since among his clients are the department store chain and VIP individuals like William M. Keck II.

TEA TIME--Where to catch some of Los Angeles’ most powerful women? Of all things, at a “welcoming tea.” Hosting the Feb. 25 event are Kathy Moore Moret, a political adviser to L.A. Councilman Richard Alatorre, and Andrea Van de Kamp (the Mrs. Attorney General and public affairs director at Carter Hawley Hale). Getting welcomed is Sharrell Blakeley Alatorre, the wife of the new councilman. Already RSVPed are UC Regents Chair Vilma Martinez, May Co. president Judi Hofer, L.A. First Lady Ethel Bradley, Marcia Medavoy Ross, Special Assistant Atty. Gen. Barbara Y. Johnson, Municipal Judge Diane Wayne (Mrs. Ira Reiner), Protocol Chief Bee Lavery, the Dodgers’ Annette O’Malley, the Rams’ Georgia Frontiere, UC Regent Yvonne Burke, Joan Weiss, Karen Gould, Hollywood Park’s Marje Everett, Joanne Kozberg, Kathleen Arias, Deputy Mayor Grace Davis and Councilwomen Joy Picus, Joan Flores and Pat Russell.

CLEANING UP--Art maven Joan Quinn twisted the talented arms of her good buddies--painters like Laddie John Dill, Chuck Arnoldi, David Hockney, Billy Al Bengston and Ed Moses--to design and/or paint aprons to be auctioned at the March of Dimes Gourmet Gala cook-off March 4. Dill designed his by wearing it for two weeks while working on his large glass sculptures, so it turns out to be red and blue with a cement wash over it. Bengston used his new Manchester terrier, Dodger, as his model. Ed Moses carried out his recent spider motif. Hockney, along with Robert Graham and Peter Alexander are keeping their aprons secret. But of course.

OLE--Those well-known L.A. hosts, the El Adobe’s Frank and Lucy Casado, get hosted themselves Sunday at a benefit for the In-School Scouting Committee for Greater East L.A. Former U.S. Treasurer Romana A. Banuelos is chairing the event at the Hancock Park home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Garcia.

WARNING TO THE RICH--Out next month from Crown--”The Great Getty--The Life and Loves of J. Paul Getty--Richest Man in the World.” Getty authored two of the most memorable phrases of our times--”The meek shall inherit the Earth--but not the mineral rights” and “If you can count your money, you don’t have a billion dollars.”

OFFERS YA CAN’T REFUSE--NBC is meeting with Susan Lucci, whose contract with ABC’s “All My Children” runs out this spring. She’s gotten very popular at NBC since her made-for-TV movie, “Mafia Princess,” was the No. 6 program in the ratings the week it ran . . . Racing ace Danny Sullivan, a source tells us, was approached by Dino De Laurentiis to star in the upcoming “King Kong Lives.” But five months of filming would keep Sullivan from starting the racing season, which he does April 6 in Phoenix.