It's A Sign Of The Times

One of the diversions I enjoyed most while working for the Kerry campaign in DC was manning Senator Kerry's autopen. To me, the signature machine, mounted on a drafting table and powered by a foot pedal (like an electric sewing machine) was a welcome respite from building databases, annotizing breaking news stories and editorials, and many other intense rapid-response tasks.

The autopen is usually reserved for bulk mailings: donation acknowledgements, invitations to campaign events, and solicitations. The signature choice (John Kerry or John) was always determined by the communications office, which meant that several people always knew about and approved its use.

No one expected Senator Kerry's personal signature on bulk mailing materials, but the ball point or felt tip "signature" was a nice touch.


Click Here To Watch
An Autopen Sign A Name.

I know for a fact, though, that Senator Kerry personally wrote and signed all letters to the families of fallen soldiers among his constituency and did so with sincere sympathy and regret.

Which brings us to Donald Strangelove and George W. Daughin...

‘With Deepest Sympathy’

By David H. Hackworth

Donald Rumsfeld – who’s known as a people-eating systems man – has a long history that shows he prefers technology to humans. Certainly as SecDef he’s always gone for high-tech military gear rather than giving the boots on the ground max priority when it comes to the basics: armored vehicles and vests, sufficient ammo and all the other vital stuff that helps soldiers make it through the Valley of Death.

--snip--

And now, apparently, Rumsfeld’s obsession with machines and their efficiency has translated into his using one to replace his own John Hancock on KIA (killed in action) letters to parents and spouses. Two Pentagon-based colonels, who’ve both insisted on anonymity to protect their careers, have indignantly reported that the SecDef has relinquished this sacred duty to a signature device rather than signing the sad documents himself.

--snip--

I then went to about a dozen next-of-kin of American soldiers KIA in Iraq. Most agreed with the colonels’ accusations and said they’d noticed and been insulted by the machine-driven signature. One father bitterly commented that he thought it was a shame that the SecDef could keep his squash schedule but not find the time to sign his dead son’s letter. Several also felt compelled to tell me that the letter they received from George Bush also looked as though it was not signed personally by the president.

--snip--

Dr. Ted Smith, whose son Eric was among the first 100 killed in Iraq, notes that the letter he received “from the commander in chief was signed with a thick, green marking pen. I thought it was stamped then and do even now. He had time for golf and the ranch but not enough to sign a decent signature with a pen for his beloved hero soldiers. I was going to send the letter back but did not. I am sorry I didn’t.”

Sue Niederer, whose son Seth was also killed in Iraq, sums it up: “My son wasn’t a person to these people, he was just an entity to play their war game. But where are their children? Not one of them knows how any of us feel, and they obviously aren’t interested in finding out. None of them cares. And Rumsfeld depersonalizing his signature – it’s a slap in the face, don’t you think?” LINK

So George W. and Rummy can't find the time to sign KIA letters, which families cherish as proof their loved ones perished preserving America's ideals?

Pathetic.