The Reagan Library, being a good neighbor, provided local officials with several choice seats in the small spectator section at Wednesday evening's Republican presidential debate.

Among them was Rep. Elton Gallegly, who shared a good story about his day. He had flown from Washington with President Bush aboard Air Force One. When Bush asked him to come along on his visit to a helicopter plant in Torrance, Gallagly said he needed to get to Simi Valley because it was his wife's birthday. Bush then picked up the airplane phone and called Janice Gallegly to wish her a happy birthday...

Other locals in the crowd included state Sen. Tom McClintock, District Attorney Greg Totten, Supervisors Linda Parks and Peter Foy, Simi Valley City Councilman Glen Becerra, Thousand Oaks Mayor Jacqui Irwin, Thousand Oaks City Councilman Dennis Gillette, Oxnard attorney Jeff Gorell and former Amgen CEO Gordon Binder.

The list, I'm certain, isn't exhaustive, but those were the only folks I could see from my seat in the far corner.

Oxnard Supervisor John Flynn may have been the only Democrat in the house, but I'm told that he left during the debate's one commercial break.