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Handwriting Expert to Review Obama’s Signature on Letters to Fallen SEALs’ Families, WH Denies ‘Autopen’ Claims

Aug. 31, 2012 9:37pm
Handwriting Expert to Review President Obamas Signature on Autopen Letters

(Source: TheGatewayPundit.com)

The Obama White House is denying claims that the letters sent to families of fallen Navy SEALs were signed by an electronic autopen that can replicate his signature. But a veterans group isn’t ready to just take the administration at its word and has vowed to get to the bottom of “autopen-gate,” FoxNews.com reports.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Friday that every letter sent to families of slain service members is signed by the hand of President Obama.

“The President signs every such letter personally,” he said.

Even so, Veterans for a Strong America, a nonpartisan military watchdog group, says it will hire a handwriting expert to determine whether the letters sent to the parents of Navy SEALs killed in Afghanistan were signed by the commander-in-chief or by the previously mentioned electronic autopen.

FoxNews.com has more details on this story:

Karen and Billy Vaughn, whose son Aaron Vaughn was one of 17 SEALs and 13 other Americans killed in a helicopter crash Aug. 6, 2011, raised the issue at a Tea Party rally in Tampa during the Republican National Convention. Karen Vaughn said she compared the signature on her letter, dated Sept. 23, 2011, with those received by other families of SEALs and determined the signature was mechanical.

An autopenΒ is a machine that can be programmed to duplicate an individual’s John Hancock. Seen as more personal than a stamp but less than a hand-signature, the device was first used in the White House by President Harry Truman. President Obama made history when he became the first chief executive to use the device to sign a bill, authorizing its use to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act last year while he was in France.

Aaron Vaughn was part of a rescue team that was sent to a mountainous area in the Wardak Providence in August of last year to assist an Army Ranger unit that was under heavy fire. The team had completed their mission but their Chinook helicopter was shot down as they were departing. Nearly 40 people perished, marking it one of the deadliest single incident losses in the decade-long war in Afghanistan.

“After reviewing letters from several families of fallen Navy SEALs, it appears that the letters may have been auto-penned, so we are going to have nationally recognized handwriting experts review the letters given the strong circumstantial evidence which exists in this case,” Joel Arends, chairman of Veterans for a Strong America said in a statement to FoxNews.com.

Arends is also peeved that the condolences were merely form letters, with only the names of the recipients changed. That’s something the White House had no choice but to admit — and they did. However, officials added that presidents have always sent form letters, especially when war deaths stack up.

According to FoxNews.com, Newsweek started a media firestorm in 2003 by reported that condolence letters from the President George W. Bush were form letters, “With the exception of the salutation and a reference to the fallen soldier in the text.”

Yet the Washington Times reported in 2008 that President Bush had also sent personalized letters to roughly 4,000 families of fallen soldiers and 9/11 victims. It was a gesture that reportedly went largely unrecognized by the media.

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Comments (160)

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  • BurntHills
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:58pm

    editors are many hours behind the news and Tips, but it’s on Drudge that

    obama met with soldiers at Ft Bliss today and he failed absolutely miserably — he did NOT receive the cheering adoration he expected, and only a FEW ‘applause lines’ succeeded.

    Report this comment

    BurntHills  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 9:46am

      One word;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;GOLF

      Report this comment

      Detroit paperboy  
    • RJJinGadsden
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 9:52am

      I watched part of that and laughed. Then got too tired of listening to his lies. As for the so called signed paper work, my Retired Army certificate auto penned by the Clinton Administration is still somewhere out in my garage in a box. Along with the certificate that he signed (LOL, spoken tongue in cheek) for my wife. One of these days I will have to do the same as Wald Disney’s dishonorable discharge and hand it upside down near my desk.

      Report this comment

      RJJinGadsden  
    • SacredHonor1776
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 10:11am

      http://www.snopes.com/disney/waltdisn/discharge.asp

      The Walt Disney thing is an urban legend.

      Report this comment

      SacredHonor1776  
    • SocialistSlayer
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 10:24am

      Notice how the “O” forms a target sight?

      Report this comment

      SocialistSlayer  
    • kapnkd
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 11:49am

      And the “crowds” of troops that were there for him were ordered to be there by their leaders who were ordered by their leaders who were ordered by their leaders ….etc……who were ordered by Obozocommie.

      (The troops cannot be ordered on how to respond. THAT said it all!!!!!!) Been there and had to do that back in the days of LBJ!!

      Report this comment

      kapnkd  
    • jzs
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 1:25pm

      Here where the lies start: “Veterans for a Strong America, a nonpartisan military watchdog group…”

      False. This is a far right wing astroturf group with, apparently, one member.

      Report this comment

      jzs  
    • Obumbgottago
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 2:26pm

      Noted the same thing….majority of faces I saw seemed bored, and just wanted him to shut up and GO

      Report this comment

      Obumbgottago  
    • triplejaymom
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 2:51pm

      “Golf” is racist, haven’t you heard?? :)

      Report this comment

      triplejaymom  
    • Doris
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 2:58pm

      Does it matter how Bush signed letters to families?Hes done.Why cant he (obama) write personal letters They are not long, and its not like there are lots of death every day. Maybe if he misses a campaign stop or a round of golf he would have more time for duties.

      Report this comment

      Doris  
    • Quester55
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 5:48pm

      Obama as a C-N-C, is Very Lucky he wasn’t invited to the Shooting Range, Accidents do happen on our Military Basses all the Time.
      On the other hand, This JERK Promised to Pull our Guys an Gals out, But all they ended up doing was to Leave the Frying Pan & Forced into The Fire! By this LIER.
      If this reporter was there, He/She/It, Should have asked the Troops what they thought of their C-N-C. having an Islamic cleric say a 2 Hour Prayer at the Opening of the ” D.N.C.”, in place of a Christian Minister or priest??

      Report this comment

      Quester55  
    • SpeckChaser
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 6:17pm

      JZS – Request #4: Please answer the following question. The time is now.

      How will raising taxes on businesses grow the economy?

      Report this comment

      SpeckChaser  
    • January24
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 8:01pm

      Who on earth would want a piece of paper that the Loser-in-Chief had touched — never mind signed?

      Ug. Obama makes me sick. It’s no secret that the military detests this creep because he wants to destroy America’s image around the globe.

      If I got ANY sort of letter from that obnoxious jerk, I would mark it “Return to Sender. Unwanted.”

      Report this comment

      January24  
    • B4REALITY
      Posted on September 2, 2012 at 1:48am

      This guy is a power crazed animal – we have to get him out of the WH decisively – with a good solid margin – sweep him away with the dust. He’s a nut!!!

      Report this comment

      B4REALITY  
  • TheImirOfGroofunkistan
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:48pm

    really, he signs his name BO. too funny

    Report this comment

    TheImirOfGroofunkistan  
    • ron2win
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 9:32am

      It is more likely considering how lazy O is.That he probably signed one in ten.

      Report this comment

      ron2win  
    • KeystoneState
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 9:44am

      Should be OB.

      Report this comment

      KeystoneState  
    • kapnkd
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 11:52am

      Stands for Big Zero!!!!

      Report this comment

      kapnkd  
    • i2luvmyusa
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 12:57pm

      BO! MMMMMMMMMM what does BO really mean? Body Order? Bastard Off Spring? Boring Orator? Balls Optimized? Blant Onanism, and/or a Barter Orater? Which one would you choose for the definition/meaning of BO? Mine is Barter Orator!

      Report this comment

      i2luvmyusa  
    • Do Not Mess With Us Texas Proud
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 2:02pm

      Hey dude cannot win If he signs with his former name Barry Soetoro he is BS maybe even more fitting

      Report this comment

      Do Not Mess With Us Texas Proud  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:45pm

    obama must have thought he killed off ALL the USN SEALs who took out OBL who might write a book about the TRUTH about 5/1/11, maybe one of them might even call it “NO EASY DAY”…

    Report this comment

    BurntHills  
  • Shelly
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:44pm

    Who needs a handwriting expert?
    Copies of the letters (so originals aren’t damaged) and one BRIGHT light could tell if they’re identical or not. :)

    Report this comment

    Shelly  
    • ConstLaw
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 1:48am

      I deal with handwriting experts all the time, All you have to do is use any inkjet printer and copy each letter on to a transparency and then overlay the transparencies. If it is an autopen, they will lineup exactly.

      Report this comment

      ConstLaw  
    • Sosorryforyou
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 10:08am

      Please Blazers – let’s be reasonable here. Just by looking at the two signatures above, you can immediately tell that they are two different signatures – there are slight but noticeable differences between the two. My own signature looks almost identical every time, so why wouldn’t it be the same for Pres. Obama’s.

      As for the form letters, as stated in the article, form letters have been used almost exclusively, even for condolence letters, since at least WWII.

      I know Blazers enjoy tearing down Pres. Obama at every attempt. You call yourselves Patriots, but really, are you one when your hatred overtakes your reasoning? A real Patriot speaks and acts on issues that are real and accurate – not made up issues just so that you can damn a person.

      Report this comment

      Sosorryforyou  
    • michaelharpold
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 2:58pm

      If they were signed with an auto-pen, you should be able to stack them and see no difference. Shouldn’t they all be the same? At any rate, I don’t doubt that he did it that way.

      Report this comment

      michaelharpold  
    • Pilgrimsarbour
      Posted on September 2, 2012 at 12:04am

      @SOSORRYFORYOU I am not an Obama fan at all. But I agree with you this time. Just by looking at this picture you can see that the one on the right is different to the one on the left. Now it may be that the autopen has programmed into it three or four variations of his signature, that is, samples taken from him. That’s possible, I suppose; I don’t know how these things work. This kind of thing I don’t get worked up about, one way or the other.

      Report this comment

      Pilgrimsarbour  
    • Rogue9
      Posted on September 2, 2012 at 12:22am

      @SORRYFORYOU – Our autopen here at the office is programed with tweleve variations of our CEO’s signature. I might make an educated guess that the Presidential autopen has similiar programming. Therefore, minor variations in a signature would not constitute a difiniative answer on the issue. It would have to come from a handwriting expert to look for changes in pressure, speed, etc.

      Report this comment

      Rogue9  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:42pm

    uh, bet they did : anyone hold 3 of them together and up to the light? they should all come out nearly the same by a hair or the same as ‘one signature’. the autopen will be signing in the same place if the clerk put the letter in place correctly.

    obama used 22 pens to sign his name when he signed that vile communist obamacare. we remember how long it took him. that rabid animal hates OUR Military….

    Maj Gen Jerry Curry wrote [8/17] that with the [1.6 billion] rounds of hollow point ammo obama had TRIED to buy covertly for his brownshirted federal HOMELAND agencies like DHS and SSA and the WEATHER, who does obama intend to kill first, OUR Military? or the civilians on our streets and in our homes?.. obama has his ‘well-trained and well-funded private army’ in place now, ready “for civil unrest”… as that 1.6 billion rounds of organ-dissolving killer hollow point ammo proves. .

    Report this comment

    BurntHills  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:35pm

    that machine has 5 or 6 of his signatures on it..and it mixes it up when letters are put in it…..

    Report this comment

    cookcountypatriot  
    • QuincySmith
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 1:40am

      That means, if he auto-signed these letters, there should be duplicates in the 20 or so letters listed.

      Report this comment

      QuincySmith  
    • SCREW-WINDOWS
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 8:46am

      You are all missing the point Obama is so damn good even his signature is done with precision and never varies.

      Report this comment

      SCREW-WINDOWS  
  • mtnvortex
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:16pm

    There’s no denying that this bum totally disrespects our military. I cannot really fault him for the form letter though. Really…how many ways can you say one thing so several people? To sit there and add synonyms just to avoid a form letter would be a little transparent itself. We’ve lost thousands of men and women since the start of this war. If you don’t personally know the person who died, how can you personalize the letter? The autopen, on the other hand, is a dirtbag move.

    Report this comment

    mtnvortex  
    • mtnvortex
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:20pm

      “TO several people…”

      Report this comment

      mtnvortex  
    • PeachyinGA
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:25pm

      As Commander In Chief, how many seconds/minutes is it worth to write a few lines to a mother/father/wife/husband/child to thank them for the life of their loved one in service to America?

      Report this comment

      PeachyinGA  
    • Want our country back
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 8:33am

      He sure has plenty of time for all of his fun projects. Bill Ayers has admitted (twice on tape) to writing obama’s book, you know the Bill Ayer’s, “that’s just a guy in the neighborhood” guy. He’s a lazy, do nothing, vote PRESENT, MIA when the country needs jobs president. Time for a GOOD FALL HOUSECLEANING.

      Romney/Ryan 2012

      Report this comment

      Want our country back  
    • Palrak
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 4:19pm

      No one is faulting the letter. What they are questioning is whether he got his lazy ass off the golf course to personally sign each one. If they turn out to be auto-penned (which I suspect they are), then he’s even more despicable than I thought. The man is cold, heartless, and only out for himself.

      Report this comment

      Palrak  
  • nobull14
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:12pm

    Another Lie out of this Demonic administration !!!!!!!. I have never see more untruth in any elected branch of government?. I have to say President Richard Nixon was a Saint compared to Oblamo’s administration.

    Report this comment

    nobull14  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:07pm

    No need to worry – the State of Hawaii has verified the authenticity of the signatures (wink-wink).

    Report this comment

    Tri-ox  
  • PeachyinGA
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:50pm

    As a military dependent/family ….his signature, original or auto-pen … would mean absolutely nothing me to me on such a devastating letter.

    Report this comment

    PeachyinGA  
    • PeachyinGA
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:11pm

      ***fixed*** “nothing to me”

      Report this comment

      PeachyinGA  
    • MARIDOTS
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 3:53pm

      I have an idea thats how most of the military families would feel. It really doesn’t matter if he auto signed them or not, what matters is if he chooses to lie about it. I hope he found time between rounds of golf to put his pen to paper, other than to record his score, oh wait, he has someone to do that.. oh wait! I’m digressing! It doesn’t really matter, he’d lie either way.

      Report this comment

      MARIDOTS  
  • Val_Dragon
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:37pm

    Obamas biological father is Frank Marshal Davis.

    Report this comment

    Val_Dragon  
    • let us prey
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:49pm

      He looks a lot like him.

      Report this comment

      let us prey  
    • doz
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:54pm

      obama is a dirtbag, socialists, islamic extremeist, and through his presidency has let karzai dictate what is goos for afghanistan, from a through z, just corrupt tribes trying to get their piece of the pie. If you do not not know what that means, spend 6 months in country and decide for yourself.

      Report this comment

      doz  
    • MMCMswRET
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 9:00am

      @DOZ

      I agree, except for “just corrupt tribes”. Theirs’ is a totally different culture that’s been around for thousands of years, one we can not and should not try to comprehend. Let’s do our work and then come home.

      Report this comment

      MMCMswRET  
    • Copper Catfish
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 4:06pm

      Val_Dragon – How do you know? Were you there?
      George 0bama looks a lot like the President. Was FMD his father, too?
      We have enough REAL dirt on him, like the way he is trashing our Constitution, without speculating on things we are unsure of.
      R2 in ’12!

      Report this comment

      Copper Catfish  
  • Magyar
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:36pm

    OWEbama never cared about the military or the sacrifice our men and women make daily. So, for him to suddenly care enough to take an extra 5 seconds to personally sign letters to the families of the fallen, would be surprising.

    Nobama 2012

    Report this comment

    Magyar  
  • perry1980
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:24pm

    Autopen = autonotcare

    Report this comment

    perry1980  
  • RLTW
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:13pm

    Considering BHO set that helo full of SEAL’s up as payment for taking out Osama he should min write a personal letter and sign it with his own paw.

    Report this comment

    RLTW  
  • jpschaeffer
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:13pm

    could it have been a security leak or leaks from the wh that caused the seals to be shot down in the first place??/just saying

    Report this comment

    jpschaeffer  
  • HI_Don
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:59pm

    The last things the GOP needs to do is fall into another unprovable issue. However IF the White House simply can’t tell the truth they deserve to be ridiculed over this. Unfortunately, if you look at the two signature images in the photo above, they are not identical, and I am having my doubts that they are auto-signed unless they are identical. Still enough I think that they used straight form letters – identical wording. IF they are auto-signed and the White House felt it necessary to lie about it – I hope they make them look like idiots.

    Report this comment

    HI_Don  
    • SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:11pm

      Regardless of the signatures, they are in fact form letters. The letters are identical with the exception of the names and addresses. That is the most egregious part of this whole sad and sorry episode.

      Report this comment

      SITDOWNANDSHUTUP  
  • samtree
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:57pm

    What about the allegedly deplorable conditions of Walter Reed hospital?

    Who has voted against any raises in Veterans health care? Apparently Todd Akin votes against everything from veteran pay-raises, veterans jobs programs, veterans health care funding, to other veteran assistance programs.

    Who else votes against helping veterans who actually made it out alive???????

    Report this comment

    samtree  
    • Want our country back
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 8:42am

      Don’t know about Todd Akin, but personally I feel that our volunteer military & their families should get the best of America, pay, compensation, healthcare, in ALL benefits. I think that Congress should work for zero $’s, term limit and then be required to go back to the private sector. I can’t figure out how Harry Reid had $1 million going in and now is worth tens of millions. (my figures are off the top of my head and I can’t remember the actual figures but the ratio was mind numbing). Compare what Congress does to what is required by our BEST & BRIGHTEST, God Bless the USA

      Romney/Ryan 2012

      Report this comment

      Want our country back  
    • Copper Catfish
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 4:11pm

      Samtree – Could you please provide a link to your source of information about Todd Akin? I’d like to check it out myself. That is what Glenn tells us to do.

      Report this comment

      Copper Catfish  
    • oldguy77
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 5:11pm

      I digress but where is the last place you expect to see a sign in spanish and english telling you to stay behind the black line for privacy.Downingtown Pa. VA hosp.I asked the guy–do you get many veterans who can not speak english?He just smiled.

      Report this comment

      oldguy77  
  • oriondma05
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:55pm

    In Barry’s defense.. an Auto-Pen can sign faster than an empty suit in an empty chair can.

    Report this comment

    oriondma05  
  • FNGRNFAN
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:54pm

    I just got done looking at the piture that was painted by an artist in another article on this site. clearly BO just hade STUFF to do.

    Report this comment

    FNGRNFAN  
  • Travers
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:53pm

    This man and I say that with a whole in my gut.. THis auto, manchurian, empty Chair thing of a president makes me SICK…and I know that those families of Fallen Heros feel the same way… Time to go bye, bye Big O, it’s time to let you go..

    Report this comment

    Travers  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:52pm

    God continue to bless The Blaze for reporting the truth

    Report this comment

    dealer@678  
  • politicianssuck
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:51pm

    Cant wait for the spin when the results show it was auto penned. Come on jay carney show us your stuff.

    Report this comment

    politicianssuck  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:13pm

      Jay Carney: errrr. I, er….welll, um, as I said……er….I……ummmm……..welll………The President has…..er…..I…..ummmm…….if I could be clear……I……er…….well……..Look, your stupid for asking that question, what did your mom dress you this morning, and if you were a man, I would punch you. That’s right, you, you, woman. Next question. Please everyone, I just wet myself…..could you stop laughing at me……he makes me say these things, its like the worm thing from wrath of Khan…..make it stop.

      Obama: Jay, get your sorry butt in here….NOW.

      Report this comment

      Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
    • sgtbrown01
      Posted on September 1, 2012 at 1:06am

      Dont worry good old jake has a preprogramed mistifying lie about anything pen that helps him squirm through the toughest plases all slimebals like him do

      Report this comment

      sgtbrown01  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:49pm

    The SEALS should gather together and burn those letters

    Report this comment

    dealer@678  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:48pm

    Then what? I know it is despicable and did honorable, but what can you do?

    Report this comment

    Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
    Posted on August 31, 2012 at 9:45pm

    Quite frankly, Barry is really lazy and frivoluos!

    Report this comment

    GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas  
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