Mitt Romney takes on fuel, barbecue in unexpected KC pit stop

Kansas City wasn’t just flyover country Sunday for Gov. Mitt Romney, whose staff unexpectedly found themselves looking for a new place to fill up their plane and their bellies.

Romney’s plane made an unscheduled stop at Kansas City International Airport around 4:30 p.m., according to KCTV5, The Star’s reporting partner.

Romney, flying from Boston to Los Angeles, was supposed to give a speech in Colorado at a campaign rally — not lick sauce off his fingers.

But when his speech was canceled because of a crash in Pueblo, his team had to find a new place to refuel the plane and the folks on it.

There wasn’t enough time to organize a motorcade to take the presidential candidate out for a meal, so the meal came to him.

While crews took care of the plane, other people delivered a catered meal from Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue for Romney, his staff and the press corps traveling on his plane.

CBS reported that pork sandwiches were served in Romney’s section of the plane.

Reporters tweeted pictures of him meeting with a small group from Kansas City who learned that Romney was making a layover in Kansas City.

Several presidential candidates have enjoyed Kansas City barbecue, KCTV noted.

In 2004, John Kerry ate at Gates, a restaurant that has a platter named after another big-name diner — former president Bill Clinton.

John McCain and Sarah Palin ate at Arthur Bryant’s in 2008.

President Barack Obama has eaten several times at Oklahoma Joe’s.