Welcome to L.A.:During President Bush’s campaign appearance...

Welcome to L.A.:

During President Bush’s campaign appearance at the Bonaventure the other night, four people were arrested after several limousines parked outside were spray-painted. Bush’s limo apparently was not among those decorated. The vandals were said to be members of the Revolutionary Communist Party.

Haven’t they heard?

The incident calls to mind another L.A.-type surprise that greeted members of the press covering the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign two years ago.

The reporters had been given red and blue bandannas during a stop in Texas. When the campaign came to Southern California later in the day, Secret Service agents asked the news hounds to remove the scarves because the colors were the same as those worn by L.A. street gangs.

Here’s Murphy’s Law, as it applied to one CHP officer in downtown L.A. (see photo): When does your motorcycle choose to refuse to start? When you’re riding in a presidential motorcade.

The rest of the nation, as we all know, loves to hear about L.A.’s offbeat characters. The latest to gain some attention is Long Beach merchant Al Greenwood, who wears a crown and bills himself as The Bedspread King.

Greenwood, who inserts a brief commentary into each of his weekly newspaper ads, recently was quoted in the Chicago Tribune’s Metro column, which is called INC. (apparently “Only in Chicago” isn’t a common expression). He suggested the dispatch to Saudi Arabia of “a valuable strike force that our country has never utilized before: Our L.A. gang member street brigade.”

Greenwood, who recently wrote that people who refrain from bathing have strong sex appeal, revealed that he has a mailing list of more than 100 people for his pearls of wisdom.

He said he’s also being considered by a local TV station as a commentator--”a poor man’s Andy Rooney.” A spokesman for the unwashed.

That 825,000-square-foot structure under construction at 3rd and Spring streets will one day be the state office building. It’s been named in honor of Ronald Reagan. And the press routinely refers to it, quite naturally, as the Ronald Reagan State Office Building.

But when it opens, signs will identify it simply as the Ronald Reagan Building. Officials were reportedly worried that the longer name might give rise to unfortunate abbreviations involving the “S.O.B.” initials.

miscelLAny:

While presidential visits to L.A. may seem routine now, they weren’t always. L.A. was 99 years old before the first American President--Rutherford B. Hayes--dared set foot in the wild little pueblo. The year was 1880.