Barnes becomes first woman to golf with President Obama

President Barack Obama today brought his first female golf partner to his traditional Sunday outing at Fort Belvoir, Va., White House chief domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes.

Barnes' appearance is also noteworthy considering the president took heat from liberal bloggers and women's groups for hosting an all-male basketball game at the White House. Obama derided the criticism as "bunk" saying the female White House staffers cleared the list of guests, which were pulled from a running Congressional basketball game. 

The Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet, who is serving as a presidential pool reporter today, e-mailed White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton asking if Barnes was the first female presidential golfing buddy. 

Burton replied "not true." But Burton later replied to Sweet saying that he golfed with women on the campaign trail but not since he has taken office.

"I was wrong about this - all apologies. He golfed with women on the campaign trail but not until Melody this year. Sorry to all the people who were unwittingly misled by what I gave the pooler," he wrote.

An interesting side note. When asked earlier this month on the "Jay Leno Show" who would win a game of H.O.R.S.E. between the president and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, she replied "I actually made my college basketball team...bring it on."