Madness or Method? Bush Actor Arrested After Bar Brawl

So George W Bush walked into a bar in Shreveport, Louisiana, with his main man, Colin Powell. It was early Saturday morning, the two had spent a hard day on the job and needed to unwind.

What happened next is a matter for local police, the president's people and the regulars of the Stray Cat Bar on Travis Street. But for W, the session ended when he posted a $334 cash bond at the Shreveport city jail.

Unfortunately for future presidential historians, however, the latest unlikely - and unscripted - episode in George W Bush's hell-raisin' journey from air force reserve to the White House is more a case of mistaken identity than presidential faux pas.

The President Bush arrested on Saturday was actor Josh Brolin, who is portraying Dubya in director Oliver Stone's forthcoming biopic, W. His secretary of state was fellow thespian Jeffrey Wright. The two, along with several crew members involved in the brawl, are in Shreveport, sometimes known as Hollywood South, filming scenes for the movie.

All the public record will show is that shortly after 2am police were called to the bar to deal with a rowdy patron. But Dubya and his sidekicks wouldn't let the 10 officers do their job. So they were taken into custody.

The contents of the presidential pockets were recorded as $130 in cash, a driving license, a mobile phone, a lighter, a ring, a watch and his wallet.

In future the actors may be better advised to spend their hard-earned leisure time enjoying some of the city's other attractions: the world's largest rose garden is in the city, while Chimp Haven is just a short drive away.