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To: maryz
Well, I have to weigh in on this. IBM had a selectric typewriter with some degree of proportional spacing in the early 70s. They also had a magnetic storage device attached to it, and sold it as an inexpensive typesetting station. I think it also had superior characters as an option key. I don't remember the name of it, but I did a little bit of work on it in about 72. I remember distinctly because I was excited that McGovern was going to be in NY while I was at work and I'd get to see him. (I have since seen the error of my ways, courtesy Ronaldus Maximus).

I have looked at two of the memos closely, and I venture to say that they seem authentic, judging by the slight misalignment of the base of the characters, a characteristic of typewriters. The spacing is proportionate, but not as well done as by typesetting systems: note the gap on the "W e" combination.
My bet, this was done on an IBM Selectric with proportional font, circa 1970.

I don't want to see us go down this road and find that we're wrong.

46 posted on 09/09/2004 1:38:10 AM PDT by JoeA (JoeA— aka TypeMan)
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To: JoeA
I'll bow to you on the proportional typewriters; I'm not sure I ever saw one in person, much less used one. I do recall hearing people hated them.

Further on your side is the fact that memos look sort of like carbon copies, which of course can't be done on a laser printer.

On the other hand, in the phrase "feedback from the 187th," the "th" is superscripted (small and high), the way MSWord does it automatically. Could the proportional typewriters do that?

48 posted on 09/09/2004 1:47:12 AM PDT by maryz
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To: JoeA; maryz
These might just be clever forgeries done with an IBM selectric with proportional font from the 1970 era and even using carbon copies to really make the memos look old. I find the subject matter and the choice of words to be very odd in these memos. The memos have a somewhat disparaging tone to them and contain irrelvant details such as Bush going to Alabama to work on a political campaign. ANG officers generally wouldn't care what one of their officers was doing in Alabama. They would only care about the dates of his transfer and that he had permission to transfer. There's also that very strange statement: "I think he's talking to someone upstairs." That's a reference to Bush using family influence to go above the writer to make something happen. How would the memo writer know that this was happening at that time?

There are just too many statements in these memos that are somewhat critical of George W. Bush, as if someone was attempting to discredit him without making an obviously false statement. These memos do not read like memos written with a standard military procedure, e.g., they refer to Lt. G.W. Bush simply as "Bush." The memos just don't pass the smell test. I think the White House should ask the FBI to take a look at them and examine them for possible forgery.

56 posted on 09/09/2004 3:18:38 AM PDT by carl in alaska (Suddenly the raven on Scalia's shoulder stirred and spoke. Quoth the raven..."NeverGore")
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