For one thing, it wouldn't even be REPORTED that auto-signing was happening in a Clinton administration.
I really don't care what they did in the Clinton administration. That is history, and dark history at that. But Donald Rumsfeld is supposed to be a better man than Les Aspin or the other tomato cans that Clinton appointed to the post.
Rumsfeld has deftly handled two wars and the revitalization of a military that was decimated after eight years of a Sink Stainer cutting and slashing. He deserves to stay.
I said in a single sentence in a single post that Donald Rumsfeld "should go", a statement I have since retracted. However, there is nothing that will prevent me from commenting negatively on the basic cheapness and tackiness of sending a "Dear (fill in the blank)" form letter to families who have lost loved ones. And if you can't see how such a letter could be interpreted as insulting and degrading by a recipient who just lost a part of their heart's blood, then we have nothing further to discuss.
The fact that Rumsfeld has had so few letters to sign - an act that would make a HUGE difference for grieving family - is further reason why he should always have done so.
The fact of the matter is that Rumsfeld is head and shoulders above the three men who occupied that post for Clinton's eight years, and searching high and low for something as inane as an autopen signature to get one's panties in a wad is the height of hypocrisy. Especially when one ignores the good work DR has accomplished in his four years, even while saddled with fighting two wars. "Autopengate" is a tempest in a teapot. Bush, even with his DOD using the horrid "Autopen" still, somehow, MANAGED to get, what, about 75% of the military/veteran's vote?
No, the pantywaists who're attacking Rumsfeld for this are doing it for POLITICAL PURPOSES.
By the way, since the war has been going on for well over a year now, I hadn't heard ONE DAMN THING from the press about the use of the heartless AUTOPEN...and I hadn't heard ONE DAMN THING from a dead soldier's family about "degrading" it was to receive such a letter...(Oh, I'm sure we'll hear SCADS of them now, now that such "patriots" as Chuck Hagel have made it an issue!)...but, once the long knives came out for Rumsfeld, it was certain that some idiotic issue such as THIS would raise its ugly head.
I remember the same thing happened to a Supreme Court nominee being vetted by Ronald Reagan...I cannot recall his name now, but he admitted to "smoking pot" in college, and his candidacy was dead. Ridiculous.
Nice to know you've retracted your statement that this DOD should go, but I even MORE glad the President gave Rummy a vote of confidence in his press conference this afternoon.