Secret Service: The original Big Town Hero
  • Secret Service: The original Big Town Hero

Good ol' Mitt (Mittens?) Romney has stopped by to dine (read: pickpocket) with fancy Portland Republicans. Cue street closures, Secret Service suits, black bloc-ed Occupiers and a girl in a birth control costume!

Romney lunched with fellow GOP-ers at the Governor Hotel in downtown Portland this afternoon, attracting a mixed crowd on the nearby corners. On one: Union members surrounding a massive inflatable fat cat labeled "Romney Mr. 1%" with a pinkie ring and clutching a sad looking construction worker in its paw.

On another corner: The bright pink Planned Parenthood crew—and birth control girl—waving equally pink signs. "We're just here to let Mitt Romney know that women are watching," said Laura Terrill Patten, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon’s executive director. "He's severely out of touch with the women and values of Oregon."

And on the final corner, shouting obscenities at the video camera-toting police force/Secret Service team: Occupiers. One woman's sign read "Romney Socks!", unless I read it wrong. Another woman ran around with a red carpet, laying it on the street in front of the primped lunch guests on their way in, shouting "Welcome to Portland!"

The most exciting part was when a Secret Service man found a suspicious bag. Just like in the movies! Except for the part when it ends up being his partner's briefcase. I think an overheard comment from a Dick Cheney look-alike attending the luncheon summed it up best: "I've been to many Romney fundraising events... but nothing like this."

A few more photos after the jump!

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