@5:54 Romney wraps up by thanking veterans, telling the crowd he “believes in America” and saying if he wins Ohio that he will the election. He is in the crowd shaking hands.

@5:44 Romney’s five keys to job growth: American produced energy, international trade, skill training, cut federal spending to balance the budget and champion small businesses.

@5:37 Romney guarantees to the crowd that he won’t raise taxes on small business or middle-class families

@5:35 And there’s your Big Bird reference…

@5:30 Portman says his mother lived in the Golden Lamb and his grandparents owned and operated it for more than 50 years. He also says his grandmother and grandmother “built it”, a shot at the President and his controversial “You didn’t build that” statement earlier this year.

@5:27 Romney and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) have taken the stage. Portman is addressing the crowd.

@5:10 Lebanon Mayor Amy Brewer called the day the highlight of her time in public office, and said Romney is a leader who knows “how to protect our nation and our values.”

Warren County Commissioner David Young threw an accusation of voter fraud at Democrats, urging people to get out and vote early, “so we can focus on those 5 or 6 people in Ohio who are still undecided. Vote early, not often – we’re not a bunch of Democrats.”

State Senator Shannon Jones focused on moms and families, saying she wants “our kids to have a better future.” U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot said America can’t have another four years like the four under Obama.

Former Cincinnati Bengals great Anthony Munoz spoke of Romney as a team leader, and Lt. Governor Mary Taylor said Republicans are tired of working with Democrats, saying they present “a wind in their face.”

@4:40 The crowd is watching and listening to campaign commercials and the biographical feature on Romney that was shown at the Republican National Convention.

@4:00 By 3:45, the area immediately in front of the stage and all the sidewalks within viewing range were already full, more than two hours before Romney will speak.

People are starting to fill the areas behind the stage and a block further north on Broadway, where they’ll be able to watch the speech on a huge TV screen.

@3:32 Hundreds of people were lined up around the block from the Golden Lamb as the security checkpoint started processing people. Once the gates opened, Romney supporters crowded into the area just in front of the stage, which bore two signs – “We need a real recovery” and “Middle-class tax relief.”

Vendors selling Romney-Ryan gear dotted the sidewalks around the downtown area, and many shops remained open, hoping to capitalize on the large crowd.

@3:15 The gates near the Golden Lamb opened about 15 minutes ago, and the crowd has begun filing in.

@2:51 The Obama campaign brought former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist to Lebanon for a campaign event Saturday at Warren County Democratic Headquarters.

Strickland and Crist said Romney and Ryan are trying to reinvent themselves just before the election, distancing themselves from fiscal and health care proposals they’ve been campaigning on for a year.

Crist was the Republican governor of Florida through 2010, but is now supporting Obama as an independent. He said Obama showed more bipartisan spirit as president than his own party did.

Strickland said the election should come down to which candidate the American people trust. He said Romney’s comments that 47 percent of Americans are Obama supporters who won’t take responsibility for their own lives showed the true nature of what he believes.

@2:30 p.m. The Democratic party is holding their response to Mitt Romney’s appearance at their headquarters in Warren County. Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist are scheduled to make statements for the Democratic party.

——

Attendees of Mitt Romney’s visit to Lebanon at 5 p.m. Saturday are being advised to arrive early and give plenty of time for traffic.

While some public parking will be available in the area around downtown Lebanon, visitors are being advised to park in the Warren County Fairgrounds parking lot, 665 N. Broadway (Ohio 48), or at the Warren County Government Complex, 550 Justice Drive, in Lebanon. Shuttles will take attendees from those two sites to downtown Lebanon.

Broadway will be closed between Silver and Main Street all day. Main Street (Ohio 63) will be closed between Sycamore and West Streets from approximately 4:30 until 6 p.m.

Some traffic delays are expected. Visitors travelling from the south to the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville should consider an alternate route, officials advised. Instead of travelling north along U.S. 42, attendees of the Sauerkraut festival should take I-75 north to Ohio 73 and head east.

“In the afternoon, anyone coming through Lebanon can probably anticipate some detours and maybe even delays,” said Lebanon Police Chief Jeff Mitchell.

Mitchell said the Lebanon Police Department has been working to coordinate security and traffic control with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Secret Service.

“It’s an effort that requires a lot of work,” Mitchell said.

The Golden Lamb is known for the number of presidents who have visited there — George W. Bush became the 12th in 2004, and the only sitting president who made a stop at the iconic restaurant and inn. In 2008, John McCain drew one of his biggest crowds in Ohio when he appeared there with his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Today’s event is free to attend, but a ticket is required.