Mitt Romney loads up at Costco

Try as he might, Mitt Romney could never sell voters on the idea that he was just like regular folks who shop at Costco.

But the gossip website TMZ captured Romney and his wife, Ann, on an expedition to the warehouse store near their home in La Jolla, Calif., loading up on pantry staples and paper products. The TMZ photo gallery is worth clicking through.

The photographer captured Romney inspecting toy cars -- made in China, natch -- and pushing his cart loaded with Christmas wrapping paper, Kirkland paper towels (i.e. the store brand), V8 drinks and Arrowhead bottled water. Plus there are photos of Romney unloading a gigantic box of Bisquick and other purchases into a black Audi Q7 SUV. Ann Romney pushes her own cart of Costco purchases behind her husband.

In case you missed it during the presidential campaign, the GOP nominee is worth an estimated $190 million to $250 million, according to the financial disclosure reports he filed with the government. Romney got portrayed as an out-of-touch rich guy by President Obama and Democrats, and was skewered on how much he paid in taxes and his overseas investments.

Costco has long been a favorite place to shop for the Romneys, who have five adult sons, five daughters-in-law and 18 grandkids. (Spoiler alert: One of those grandkids appears to be getting a toy Camaro for Christmas.) Ann Romney appeared on Rachael Ray's TV show in October and there was a video of the candidate's wife zipping around a Costco, buying spinach, frozen cream puffs and rotisserie chicken. Price tag: $137.50

Plus, the couple said in a Fox News interview that Romney likes the Kirkland shirts Ann buys for him at Costco.

Costco shopping, of course, is a bipartisan affair. Vice President Biden bought a big-screen TV, fire logs and an apple pie at a new Costco in the nation's capital last week.