My sincere condolences to your extended family regarding your relative's death.
My understanding is that most correspondence from senators, congressmen and cabinet officials is "machine signed." The one question no one is answering is how common the practice is. If it should be changed, change it.
I mean no disrespect to the families of those soldiers who gave their lives defending our country. but if this is all that the opponents of the President's iraq policy can come up with, it actually is proof to me that bush is doing an even better job than I thought.
Many, if not most, of the Democrats will say and do ANYTHING to damage the administration, including slanderous critiques, undermining the troops, and emboldening our enemies. Scoring points domestically is worth it. Still others just do not like the United States as currently constituted and will do anything for the purpose of weakening it and seeing it fail.
Yes, letters are "machine-signed". When I worked on Capitol Hill 25 years ago, I had to work one of those infernal machines. It sounds insensitive, I know, and that's the reason the press has latched onto this, but the Sec. of Defense is really, really busy--doing things to save lives--and often away. I think he probably did what has always been done in Washington, but now that it has hit the press, he has said he would personally sign the letters. He is responding to the public. He is a wonderful man. Someone said this morning on the radio that Sec. of Defense are never popular in wartime. It goes with the territory and, fortunately, Rumsfled knows that. We are blessed that he consents to serve at an age where he could be enjoying life on the ranch with his wife. God bless him!