Shortly before yours truly left Minneapolis-St. Paul today to return home (finally) after two weeks on the road, I got a call from a reporter (apparently from the Christian News Service) who asked a stunning question:

How did a convention anti-war protester get my name tag?

I had been wondering the same thing for a couple days, after two Missouri GOP delegates had told me an amazing tale of what apparently happened at a St. Paul reception Tuesday hosted by the Republican National Coalition for Life, led by St. Louis’ own Phyllis Schlafly.

I had gone to cover the reception, which was to feature and honor Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. ( Schlafly had set up the event to honor Palin months ago, well before she ended up as John McCain’s running mate.)

Palin was a no-show, presumably because she was working on her Wednesday night speech.

I had checked in at the press desk, and was given a hanging badge that read “media.” (I still have it, by the way.)

I waited around the reception for about an hour, working on a story in a corner on my laptop, until Schlafly kicked off the program. After getting the quotes I needed for the story, I left the ballroom and made a pit-stop in the nearby ladies room.

As I was walking out, I heard the melee in the ballroom and ran back in, just in time to see security men snag a protester who had jumped on the podium and yelled “Be pro-life, stop the war!”

The young woman was escorted out, still shouting. I wasn’t close enough to get a good look at her.

After hearing and writing down Schlafly’s response, I left for the convention hall a couple blocks away to finish the story and get ready for the evening’s events.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

The next day, Wednesday, I’m on the bus with the Missouri delegates.

Janet Engelbach, with Missouri Eagle Forum, then proceeds to tell me that she and another delegate at the reception had witnessed the woman protester being interviewed by a TV crew.

She had a name tag on. I’m told it read, “Jo Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.”

Engelbach said she jumped in front of the TV camera and — apparently channeling 1988 Democratic vice presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen — shouted, “That’s not Jo Mannies! I know Jo Mannies!”

Engelbach said the woman then quickly ripped off the tag and dropped it.

So, how did she get it?

I’m assuming that the woman at the press check-in desk who gave me the tag saying simply “media” had overlooked that I apparently had a tag waiting with my name on it. (Thanks Mrs. Schlafly — I think.)

I’m further guessing that the protester snagged a name tag in order to get into the reception, and that it just happened to be mine.

In any case, I’d pretty much forgotten about the incident until the reporter called Friday.

Apparently, the TV footage of my imposter also is circulating all over the Internet and on some TV stations — at least one local station aired it tonight, I’m told.

From what I hear, the alleged Jo Mannies is a heck of a lot younger and thinner than I am.

She’s apparently a lot dumber, too.

And, thank God for Janet Engelbach!