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The Nation magazine used to think that getting the Augusta National Golf Club (that atavistic private institution in Georgia that hosts the prestigious Masters tournament each year) to open its membership to women was at least a moderately big deal. In 2002, Eric Alterman in those pages ridiculed what he called were the club's "Cro-Magnon men-only admissions policies," the controversies over which were "aptly described by the Toronto Star's Antonia Zerbisias as 'a dust-up over how a rich white man's club won't let rich white women join, and how CBS still plans to showcase the course when it hosts the...

<p>Condoleezza Rice, here with PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem at the Masters in 2009, was also recently appointed to the USGA's nominating committee.</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) -- For the first time in its 80-year history, Augusta National Golf Club has female members.</p>

For the first time EVER, the Augusta National Golf Club -- home of The Masters -- has admitted a woman as a member ... and the honor went to Condoleezza Rice!! Augusta -- located in Georgia -- had been a woman-free zone since it opened for business in 1933 ... and only started allowing black men into the club in 1990. Seriously, 1990. But this morning Augusta announced it had invited the former Secretary of State, along with South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore, to join the club. Rice is an avid golfer. Guess they'll have to build a new locker...

It appears that the GOP convention will feature a lot of Republican governors as speakers. This is in keeping with Romney's campaign which is selling the candidate as a competent, experienced leader willing to deal with the other side to solve our problems. But I will guarantee you it won't sell with a lot of the conservative base. Tampa Bay Times: _________________________ Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are among seven headline speakers announced today for the Republican National Convention in Tampa. The first look at featured speakers also includes South Carolina...

Here’s a quick pop question for you on Bastille Day. What do you call fever pitch discussions of Condi Rice as the GOP vice presidential nominee? Answer: Killing time in July.But who are you going to believe… Drudge or your own lying eyes? Condi: I’m Still Not Interested in VP SlotAn aide to Rice, who is now at Stanford University in California, said she was standing by previous statements that she was not interested in the position. “Nothing has changed,” Georgia Godfrey, Rice’s chief of staff, said in an email.Rice said in an interview with CBS News last month that...

*snip* Now, the tactics. It is clear that Rice, despite protestations to the contrary, has political aspirations. She is on the lecture circuit and spoke at my alma mater—Claremont McKenna’s Res Publica Society. This is the same program that brought Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and Mitt Romney. There was a meeting beforehand with top fundraisers at Claremont. Rice has also written two books post-Bush office, but unlike others, notably Rumsfeld and Cheney, the books reveal precious little, indicative that she is not yet finished in the public eye. They discuss her historic life...

Didn't they say throughout the Republican primary we had a nominee Romney because he's the only one who could win? Why am I the only one remembers that? And these polls, don't they make you nervous right now? The economy's on its back. Romney's running against a true loser who has nothing to offer the country, literally nothing. So he's a propagandist. So far the Romney team has not been able to cut through it and then you get this John Sununu -- who gave us Souter for all those years -- walking around like he some kind of smart...

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has reportedly been mentioned as front-running candidate to become Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate, but Rice told “CBS This Morning” last month that there was “no way” she would run for vice president. On June 26, “CBS This Morning” host Charlie Rose asked Rice, “Let me bring this back full circle to politics we started at the retreat. Because of your speech, there has been some groundswell of enthusiasm about the possibility because of your experience, because of your sense of resonance with America that you might be the ideal...

"I think that Condoleezza Rice would be a wonderful vice president and she certainly has much more experience than our sitting president," former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) said when asked for her reaction to news that Rice is near the top of Romney's list for VP. Palin is asked by host of "On the Record" Greta van Susteren what she thought about Rice being "moderately pro-choice." Palin tells host of "On the Record" Greta van Susteren that she would prefer a pro-life vice presidential candidate, however she says ultimately the power to legislate abortion does not lie with the vice...

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has reportedly been mentioned as strong a contender for GOP presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate, but Rice told “CBS This Morning” last month that there was “no way” she would run for vice president...

Robert Costa on Twitter: Top Romney source tells me “no Condi.” More: Romney wants someone more comfortable in ‘attack dog’ mode.

Erin McPike's "close examination of the [Romney] campaign's activity" at RealClearPolitics suggests four leading contenders for Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick—former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, Ohio senator Rob Portman, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. McPike's article is an intelligent explanation of why these men seem to be leading the pack, with New Hampshire senator Kelly Ayotte, Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, and Florida senator Marco Rubio as long shots.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has emerged as a front-runner for Mitt Romney's vice presidential nomination, according to a report Thursday by the Drudge Report. ..... < snip > ..... But during that same interview, Rice downplayed speculation that she would be chosen as Romney's running mate. I didn't run for student council president. I don't see myself in any way in elective office, Rice told CBS This Morning on Tuesday. The former Secretary of State said the Republican candidate had a deep bench of more willing candidates to choose from. I'm saying there is no way I will...

Did you loathe and detest the Bush administration? If so, you'd probably say its ideas were horrible and their execution worse. Did you not loathe and detest the Bush administration? In that case, you might say its ideas were pretty good—only the execution often left something to be desired. Now the person who did much of the executing tops a list of names to be Mitt Romney's running mate. A mid-April CNN poll finds that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has unmatched name recognition and a favorable rating of 80% among GOP voters. She's also the person Republicans would...

ROMNEY NARROWS VP CHOICES; SURPRISE NAME EMERGES AS FRONTRUNNER

**Exclusive** Late Thursday evening, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign launched a new fundraising drive, 'Meet The VP' -- just as Romney himself has narrowed the field of candidates to a handful, sources reveal. And a surprise name is now near the top of the list: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice! The timing of the announcement is now set for 'coming weeks'. MORE It was Condi who received two standing ovations at Romney's Utah retreat a few weeks ago, and everyone left with her name on their lips. Rice made an extended argument for American leadership in the world.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will endorse former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney Wednesday night, a source close to the Republican’s presidential campaign confirmed to the Fix. Rice will throw her formal endorsement behind Romney in California, where he is attending fundraisers in the San Francisco area. Since leaving government, Rice has been teaching political science at Stanford University.

<p>Did you loathe and detest the Bush administration? If so, you'd probably say its ideas were horrible and their execution worse. Did you not loathe and detest the Bush administration? In that case, you might say its ideas were pretty good—only the execution often left something to be desired.</p>

Republicans are increasingly falling in behind Mitt Romney's White House run, but they haven't got a clue who he should add to the ticket, a CNN/ORC International survey says. Condoleezza Rice tops the vice presidential wish list among Republicans and right-leaning independents, according to the poll Wednesday. Twenty-six percent of those polled backed the former national security adviser and secretary of state under George W. Bush as Romney's No. 2.

CNN Poll: Republicans Divided On VP Choice Washington (CNN) - Who should Mitt Romney choose as his running mate? According to a new national poll, there's no consensus among Republicans. But a CNN/ORC International survey released Wednesday does indicate there's an ideological split that could put pressure on Romney, the all but certain GOP presidential nominee, as he tries to make his decision. Full results (PDF) – Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker The poll asked Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP to choose from eight names who could be among the two dozen or so potential running...