Post by THE GREAT OZ on Jun 27, 2011 19:39:01 GMT
WASHINGTON – While traveling in Europe last month, Obama directed his staff in Washington to use an auto pen to sign into law an extension of certain Patriot Act powers to fight terrorism. The legislation had been approved by Congress at the last minute, and there was no time to fly it to France for Obama's signature before the anti-terrorism powers expired.
It's the open secret that nobody in government wants to talk about: That cherished presidential signature that's tucked away in a scrapbook or framed for all to see might never have passed under the president's hand.
For decades, presidents of both parties have let an auto pen do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to scrawling their signatures. The machine was recently put to use signing a bill into law, apparently a first.
Overseas and out of reach when lawmakers passed an extension of certain provisions of the Patriot Act, President Barack Obama employed the auto pen to sign it, a step the White House has been mum about ever since.
"I always heard the auto pen was the second most guarded thing in the White House after the president," says Jack Shock, who had permission to wield former President Bill Clinton's auto pen as his director of presidential letters and messages.
Jim Cicconi, who oversaw the use of auto pens for President George H.W. Bush, recalls that the plastic signature templates for the machines — yes, there was more than one auto pen — would wear out from repeated use.
SOURCE
Now this is one of the stupidest things used in the government today. A President makes a gazillion dollars a year for being President and a gazillion dollars a year after office and he can't personally sign his own name???
How can this be declared a legal act when it is as close to forging a name that the law would allow. Too bad if the ol hand gets tired of signing all those important papers (most of which are taking away our rights by the way) it goes with the territory of being a President. It is like the epitome of laziness.
How can these documents be deemed legal? And perhaps it is contributing to some of the laws and such being passed because no one really reads them and an auto pen just signs away our life.
Remember the Robotic post I made, it makes me wonder if one of those of Obama isn't used and we just don't know it.
Well, I think I will just sit back and have a drink OBAMA self and mull this over...
Bless...OZ
