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01/29/2008: "A Bush In My Backyard"

Things should get interesting tomorrow here in the South Bay as President Bush makes his first (and presumably only) visit to the area. His destination is the Robinson Helicopter factory, located on the south side of Torrance Airport. Makers of the fragile-looking R22 and R44 helicopters, they're the largest civilian builder of rotorcraft in the world. Presumably this will be another "Buy American" speech, along with glad-handing with Governor Schwarzenegger and Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto.

No matter your politics, it's always a special day when the President visits. This is only the fourth time in the last half-century that a president has visited the South Bay, and the first since President Clinton visited Harbor General Hospital ... er, Harbor - UCLA Medical Center ... in Carson back in 1999. Of course, there'll be the disruption to air traffic coming into LAX, the security cordon at the west end of the field as Air Force One awaits the president's return, and the traffic impact of the motorcade to and from the airport. But it's probably not nearly as much of a nuisance as the onslaught we'll receive this week from folks looking to take his job ...