The Washington Post Reliable Source: Ladies who've got game, too
The Washington Post, October 27, 2009

That didn't take long. After a few news cycles of Beltway buzz about President Obama's all-male basketball games and golf trips, the White House promptly sent Melody Barnes, the president's chief domestic policy adviser, out to join him on the links Sunday at Fort Belvoir.

Finally, a glass ceiling (grass ceiling?) broken for lady duffers! Press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted Monday there was no symbolism intended ("she's just a good golfer"), though Barnes may have paved the way for other qualified female cronies to golf with POTUS. Women like...

Hmmm. Here's the problem. The great female golfers in politics are all Republicans. Golf Digest last year ranked D.C.'s best: John McCain's pollster Linda DiVall was the top-ranked woman (No. 7 with a 2 handicap). The others -- Condi Rice, Rep. Mary Bono, PR exec Sheila Tate -- are all GOP.

"It's hard to get women to golf," said Maura Keefe, an accomplished golfer and chief of staff to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). "Women are perfectionists. If a woman is golfing and she hits a tree, she feels bad, she thinks she's made a mistake. If a guy hits a tree, he blames the groundskeeper." Keefe's trying to get more women out on the links, but no success yet with her own boss.

Obama may have better luck integrating his all-guy basketball game. His health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, played college ball at Trinity Washington University. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) captained her high school team -- though as the mom of a 10-month-old, she might not have much free time. Then there's U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, a player for the National Cathedral Eagles so formidable she was nicknamed "Spo" for "Sportin'." Only downside: She might beat him.

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