Can't Dunk on Duncan

Andrea Chalupa reports from the floor of the Xcel Center: It was gearing up to be a big night for Mike Duncan, the Republican National Committee chairman and a banker from Kentucky. He took over the helm of the party last year and is presiding over what some see as one of the most historic conventions in his party's recent history.

Minutes before Sarah Palin took the stage to accept the vice presidential nomination, Duncan, sitting in boxed-seating just above the packed floor in downtown St. Paul, smiled and shook hands with friends and supporters making their way to the stage.

Everyone wanted a closer look at Palin taking her turn at the podium, just feet away from where he sat. He looked pleased, self-congratulatory. This was the party's big product launch unveiling. Palin appeared with a more classic hairstyle and her voice sounded less like Frances McDermott in Fargo.

Then about 20 minutes into Palin's speech, two protesters coming from the V.I.P. area, got up on stage and started stripping to reveal bright pink clothes underneath. They were members of Codepink, an anti-war group with a habit of crashing high-profile, tight security government events. Security was slow to react, making Duncan so incensed that he stormed up the stairs like he was going to take care of them himself.

Members of the crowd standing nearby had to take matters into their own hands by drowning out the protesters by cheering for Palin and holding up McCain signs to block them from site.

Even after they were removed a few minutes later, Duncan had to be calmed down by his aides. One of his body men complained to another that it was the venue's fault for letting the two Code Pink protesters make it this far. Duncan leaned over to them and asked if anyone had gotten footage of the protesters, as though it were enough to take away from Palin's big night.

R.N.C. chairman Mike Duncan and John Boehner, the House minority leader, at the G.O.P. convention as protesters are taken from the stage.

Story and photos by Andrea Chalupa

Get a recap of what happened with the Democrats in Denver:

-- The End of the Affair.
-- Obama Gets Down to Business.
-- Are Obama's Donors Tapped Out?
-- Google's Schmidt: "They Have Guns and We Don't"
-- Why Does Everyone Want In on the Act?
-- I'm T. Boone Pickens and This Will Save America.
-- The Election According to Mr. Burns.
-- The Portfolio.com Capital Index.

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