 President Barack Obama spent more than an hour with Mitt Romney at the White House on Thursday, as the one-time rivals shared lunch and discussed their ideas for keeping the United States competitive in a changing world. The discussion focused on “America’s leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position in the future,” the White House said. The menu for the lunch included white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad. Obama and Romney pledged to stay in touch, particularly if issues arise where they can work on shared interests, the source added. Obama first indicated a willingness to meet with Romney on election night, following the example of the meeting he and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had soon after the 2008 election. Romney also went Thursday morning to a Washington hotel to meet for 90 minutes with his running mate, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the first face-to-face meeting the two men have had since their defeat on Nov. 6. After the meeting, Ryan released a statement saying, "I remain grateful to Governor Romney for the honor of joining his ticket this fall, and I cherish our friendship. “I’m proud of the principles and ideas we advanced during the campaign and the commitment we share to expanding opportunity and promoting economic security for American families.” 
 
 Jonathan Martin and Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting
– The most interesting thing that happened in regard to Mitt Romney's lunch with President Obama today took place before it even began. Secret Service arrested a man who apparently tried to stop Romney's motorcade at a White House security gate, reports AP. He reportedly became combative with an officer and now faces assault charges. As for the ho-hum lunch, Romney spent more than an hour with the president, and they talked mostly about foreign policy, according to the White House. After Romney congratulated Obama and wished him well, "they pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future," says the official statement, reports NBC News. The two did not talk about the possibility of Romney joining the Obama administration, reports Politico. Earlier, Romney met with Paul Ryan, and the would-be VP said he remains "grateful to Governor Romney for the honor of joining his ticket this fall, and I cherish our friendship."