President's have a signature stamp for mass mailings

[Bandit]

Is that sufficient for bills or orders given. I mean it would be easy for underlings to just stamp the president's signature on something like a memo authorizing trading arms to an enemy without his knowlege or does it take an actual signature that is witnessed by others? A bill passed by congress needing the president's signature. Could it be just a signature stamp or does it need to be the actual signature with witnesses? This quote by Ronnie got me thinking about this.

"I told the American people I did not trade arms for (US hostages in Iran). My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not."

[Vickers]

1. Doubtful, but it wouldn't surprise me if they use that excuse

Seriously, would you put it past them?

"Some enlisted guard from Abu Ghraib snuck in to the White House and rubberstamped a bunch of stuff!!!!!"

[The Screaming Icon]

2. Yes

It was an acknowledged fact in the 1980s that Reagan's subordinates often signed documents "RR" without Reagan ever seeing them; Reagan was even said to have encouraged (or at least not opposed it) when this came to light.

That said, however, I don't think this was the basis for Iran-Contra. Transcripts exist of Reagan, Bush, Casey et al. talking extensively about the transactions. And unexpectedly, Reagan and Bush were active participants in the discussion (On and around 8/8/85).

[NV Whino]

3. Signature stamps

for high-end personel are generally machines that can be secured and are usually handled only by one person. Also it is easy to detect a stamp versus a real signature.

[grasswire]

4. it isn't a stamp

It's something called an "autopen" or signature machine. You can see one working here: http://www.signaturemachine.com/products/demo_page.htm

The WH probably has more than one of these machines. I always feel sad when people think they have a personally signed letter from a president or first lady. Very few pieces of correspondence are actually hand signed. A friend who worked at the WH told me that when the item is hand signed, it is mailed out in an envelope containing cardboard stiffener so it doesn't get bent in the mail. I have one of those from Ronald Reagan.

[I thought so.]

5. This how Republicans lie.

Remember when Bush said there was no plan ON HIS DESK to attack Iraq. It was of course somewhere else. It was somewhere ,but not there.
But its legal.