Special badges back Augusta National chairman

CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia businessman Jack Vaughan is getting national attention with badges that proclaim: ``I Support Hootie.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Vaughan dreamed up the badges as his way of backing Hootie Johnson, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, site of this week&#39;s Masters tournament. <br> <br> Johnson has taken heat from women&#39;s groups over Augusta National&#39;s all-male membership. Last summer, Martha Burk and her National Council of Women&#39;s Organizations urged Johnson to admit a female member. Now, the issue has grown almost as big as the tournament itself. Burk plans to stage a protest this week, while other groups already have arrived to demonstrate against her. <br> <br> Vaughan is selling the badges for five dollars at a booth near the course. Most of his customers have been women. He says that they&#39;re NOT so much supporting Johnson as they are protesting against Burk, because they believe she&#39;s doing a disservice to women.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/4/180859