Masked protesters greet Romney in S.C.

CHARLESTON, S. C. -- About a dozen protesters wearing Mitt Romney masks gathered outside the posh hotel where the GOP presidential candidate was holding a private fundraiser on Thursday.

The mini-protest outside the historic Mills House Hotel may be a form of good news for Romney's tacit acknowledgement that he's once again the strongmanof the Republican field.

The protestors complimented their masks with blue blazers and power suits ¬ the sort of attire favored by Romney, a cofounder of Bain Capital, an investment and corporate restructuring firm. They greeted attendees at the fundraiser, hosted by South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis with shouted slogans including:

• "If you vote for me I'll take your property and give it to my friends!"
• "Vote for Mitt Romney and I'll say whatever it is you want to hear."
• "I'm Mitt Romney - big banks are paying for my campaign with your tax dollars."
• "A vote for Romney is a vote tyranny and oppression."

Members of the youthful crowd said they organized via Facebook and did not identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans. Romney glimpsed the protesters but went in a side door to avoid them.

No reporters were permitted inside the hotel, but Loftis earlier said he was expecting a diverse crowd of 100 local elected officials, tea party members, businesspeople and a few cadets from the Citadel, where Romney is scheduled to deliver a foreign policy address Friday.