House gobbles up Rep. Gohmert's ribs

By Erik Wasson and Judy Kurtz - 09/21/12 12:54 PM ET

The House came together on Friday during the last votes before the election — to dig in on some finger-lickin’ food prepared by one of its colleagues.

As he served up racks upon racks of ribs, Rep. Louie Gohmert told The Hill, “I’ve been doing this since I got here ... since ’05.”

The Texas Republican — who might be better known for his spitfire personality than his fire-roasting abilities — cooks the pork ribs at home on a barbecue before bringing them to the Capitol. The recipe, he says, is a modified version of one used by former President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

“He may have been a scoundrel, but he knew ribs,” Gohmert says.

The lawmaker boasts that he’s gotten the seal of approval from another White House resident for his ribs, which he serves up only about once a year. After former President George W. Bush tasted the smoky and tender treat, Gohmert says he declared, “ 'Those ribs are fantastic!' ” and requested the recipe. But Gohmert says he refused to disclose the top-secret rib-making instructions — even to the president.

Gobbling up Gohmert’s ribs appeared to be a bipartisan activity on Friday, as members from both sides of the aisle were seen smacking their lips in the Speaker’s Lobby.

While Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) seemed to be particularly fond of the pig product, promises of more of the meat wouldn’t sway his political views. When asked if he would consider switching parties if provided with more ribs, he exclaimed, “Join Louie? Ah, no.”