18F4550 - PORTD inputs are shaky, even with internal pull up enabled

[toodles]

Below is the entire code Im using; dont let the size fool you, there is very little code. The problem I'm having is in this part:
unsigned char button_status;

while(1){
    if (!(button_status == PORTD)){  /* if the buttons pressed have changed... */
	Con_Neo_A = Stick_Jab; 		/* update the output pins to match */
	/* update rest of pins here... */
	button_status = PORTD;		/* and save the status to compare again */
    }
    /* update output pins to match input directions */
    }

Every iteration, the button_status does not equal PORTD, even though the is nothing connected; the wires are floating. Im watching it through 'Animate' using an Inchworm. I set the entire port to input and enabled the internal pull-up ( the mInitButtons() macro). Is there something I'm missing that would cause the pins to change inside the MCU? The 'button_status' variable keeps the same value it was last assigned just fine, but PORTD keeps reading different random values; mostly all 1', but with one or two random 0's.

Any help appreciated, thanks for reading.

/**/

/** I N C L U D E S **********************************************************/
#include <p18cxxx.h>

/** V A R I A B L E S ********************************************************/
#pragma udata

/** P R I V A T E  P R O T O T Y P E S ***************************************/

/** V E C T O R  R E M A P P I N G *******************************************/

/** C O N F I G  D E C L A R A T I O N S *************************************/
#pragma config WDT = OFF, WDTPS = 16384, MCLRE=ON, STVREN=ON, LVP=OFF
#pragma config PLLDIV=5, CPUDIV=OSC1_PLL2, USBDIV=2, FOSC=HSPLL_HS, IESO=OFF 
#pragma config PWRT=OFF, BOR=OFF, BORV=2, EBTRB=OFF, WRTB=OFF, FCMEN=OFF
#pragma config VREGEN=ON, LPT1OSC=OFF, PBADEN=OFF, CCP2MX=ON, XINST=OFF, DEBUG=OFF

/** D E C L A R A T I O N S **************************************************/
#pragma code


#define Stick_Jab			PORTDbits.RD0
#define Stick_Strong		PORTDbits.RD1
#define Stick_Fierce		PORTDbits.RD2
#define Stick_Short			PORTDbits.RD3
#define Stick_Forward		PORTDbits.RD4
#define Stick_Roundhouse	PORTDbits.RD5
#define Stick_Select		PORTDbits.RD6
#define Stick_Start			PORTDbits.RD7
#define Stick_Up			PORTCbits.RC2
#define Stick_Down			PORTAbits.RA4
#define Stick_Left			PORTCbits.RC1
#define Stick_Right			PORTCbits.RC0

/* 	Following is to cement the pins and their output pin # on the D-Sub 15 
	defines to come later
GND					1
RE2					2
RE1					3
RE0					4
RA5 (Serial Select)	5
RA3					6
RA2					7
VCC					8
RB4					9
RB3					10
RB2					11
Serial In (RB0)		12
D- & TX (RC6)		13
D+ & RX/SDO(RC7)	14
Serial Clock (RB1)	15
*/

#define Con_Neo_A		LATCbits.LATC6
#define Con_Neo_B		LATAbits.LATA5
#define Con_Neo_C		LATBbits.LATB0
#define Con_Neo_D		LATEbits.LATE0
#define Con_Neo_E		LATBbits.LATB3
#define Con_Neo_F		LATEbits.LATE2
#define Con_Neo_Start	LATBbits.LATB2
#define Con_Neo_Select	LATEbits.LATE1
#define Con_Neo_Up		LATBbits.LATB1
#define Con_Neo_Down	LATAbits.LATA2
#define Con_Neo_Left	LATCbits.LATC7
#define Con_Neo_Right	LATAbits.LATA3


#define mInitAllLEDs()      TRISAbits.TRISA0=0; TRISAbits.TRISA0=0;
#define mLED_1              LATAbits.LATA0
#define mLED_2              LATAbits.LATA1

#define mLED_1_On()         mLED_1 = 1;
#define mLED_2_On()         mLED_2 = 1;

#define mLED_1_Off()        mLED_1 = 0;
#define mLED_2_Off()        mLED_2 = 0;

#define mLED_1_Toggle()     mLED_1 = !mLED_1;
#define mLED_2_Toggle()     mLED_2 = !mLED_2;

/** S W I T C H *****************************************************/

/* set all 8 input buttons (all of port D) as input, and enable 
	internal pull up resistor                                   */
#define mInitButtons()		TRISD = 0xFF;PORTEbits.RDPU=1;

/* set all four directions as input. No pull up resistor, so pull up 
	needed on the board.										*/
#define mInitStick()		TRISCbits.TRISC0=1;TRISCbits.TRISC1=1;\
							TRISCbits.TRISC2=1;TRISAbits.TRISA4=1;
							
/* Sets all of the pins going to the console as input. Once we 
	identify the console connected to, then we'll set the pins as 
	needed. */
#define mInitConsolePins()	TRISAbits.TRISA2=1;TRISAbits.TRISA3=1; \
							TRISEbits.TRISE0=1;TRISEbits.TRISE1=1; \
							TRISEbits.TRISE2=1;TRISBbits.TRISB2=1; \
							TRISBbits.TRISB3=1;TRISBbits.TRISB4=1; \
							TRISCbits.TRISC6=1;TRISCbits.TRISC7=1; \
							TRISAbits.TRISA5=1;TRISBbits.TRISB1=1; \
							TRISBbits.TRISB0=1;TRISCbits.TRISC4=1; \
							TRISCbits.TRISC5=1;
							
void neogeo(void){
		unsigned char button_status;
	
	
	/* If we're here, we've determined we're using the neo output. */
	/* set the appropriate pins to outputs by clearing the TRIS bit */
	TRISA &= 0b11010011; /* pins A2, A3, A5 */
	TRISB &= 0b11000000; /* B0-B5 */
	TRISC &= 0b00111111; /* C6 and C7 */
	TRISE &= 0b11111000; /* E0-E2 */
	
	
	while(1){
		if (!(button_status == PORTD)){  /* if the buttons pressed have changed... */
			Con_Neo_A = Stick_Jab; 		/* update the output pins to match */
			Con_Neo_B = Stick_Short;
			Con_Neo_C = Stick_Strong;
			Con_Neo_D = Stick_Forward;
			Con_Neo_E = Stick_Fierce;
			Con_Neo_F = Stick_Roundhouse;
			Con_Neo_Select = Stick_Select;
			Con_Neo_Start = Stick_Start;
			button_status = PORTD;		/* and save the status to compare again */
		}
		Con_Neo_Up = Stick_Up;
		Con_Neo_Down = Stick_Down;
		Con_Neo_Left = Stick_Left;
		Con_Neo_Right = Stick_Right;
	}	
	
	
}

void main(void)
{
    ADCON1 |= 0x0F;                 // Default all pins to digital
    mInitButtons();
    mInitStick();
    mInitAllLEDs();
    mLED_1_On();
    while(1)
    {
    	neogeo();   
    }//end while
}//end main