President, senator stop for take-out barbecue

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Sure, President Bush lives in a big fancy house in Washington and has a cook to make him whatever he wants. But sometimes he just gets a hankering' for take out.

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That's what happened Thursday as Bush left town after a speech on port security.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is on the Atkins diet, flew from Washington with the president on Air Force One. During the trip, Graham said he mentioned he would give anything for some barbecue.

After the speech Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Graham left in the limousine with the president.

"He asks me 'Would you like some barbecue?' then tells the driver 'Get this boy some barbecue,"' Graham said.

The president and his party stopped at Sticky Fingers, a barbecue and rib restaurant nearby. "He said 'We'd like to get some barbecue sandwiches to go,' and then turned to me and asked me what I wanted," Graham said.

They ordered three barbecue sandwiches and the president said he would pay. "When he said that, I ordered some ribs too. I've got a big thing for ribs," Graham said.

Jeff Goldstein, the restaurant's co-owner, said there was little warning.

"It was business as usual and then all of a sudden these scary guys in trench coats came in and started checking the place out," he said. "About 15 minutes later we saw the presidential entourage and they were blocking off Meeting Street."

Bush "walked in like he was one of our managers and started chatting up our customers and ordered himself three barbecue sandwiches and some ribs," Goldstein said. The president also posed for a picture with the staff.

Goldstein said they were not going to make the president pay but then a Secret Service agent pulled out a credit card.

"You don't want to say no to a Secret Service guy," he said. "Everybody here, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, is now a big fan of George Bush. He might have picked up five or six votes today."

Graham ate the barbecue and rib lunch on Air Force One with the president.

"This guy's got money and he pays his bills and if he ever takes you out to lunch, order extra," the senator quipped.

--From the Friday, February 6, 2004 online edition of the Augusta Chronicle