Althouse: "Obama Signs Patriot Act Extension with Autopen..."

May 28, 2011

"Obama Signs Patriot Act Extension with Autopen..."

"... Odd Clauses Watch Gets Hundreds of Hits."

23 comments:

The Drill SGT said...: They can't PDF on AF-1?; 5/28/11, 7:44 PM
The Drill SGT said...: seriously though, what is to stop the insiders in a future Presidency from pulling out the auto-pen when the President has a secret stroke?; 5/28/11, 7:47 PM
clint said...: Drill SGT-- What was stopping that before?; 5/28/11, 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...: Indeed, wat is to stop a cabal of insiders from taking over the country and declaring martial law?; 5/28/11, 8:25 PM
Luke Lea said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/28/11, 8:39 PM
1775OGG said...: Maybe we should ask Mrs. Wilson what she thinks about this action done by Obama's staff!; 5/28/11, 8:46 PM
Luke Lea said...: I was an elevator operator in the Old Senate Office Building in 1962. One of the odder sights was to see senate aids getting on with what looked like flat aluminium toilet seats with wavy edges under their arms. Those were the auto-pens of the day.

And by the way, Wisconsin's senator at the time -- Sen. Wiley? -- was so senile he had to be led around by his wife. Whenever he got on the elevator he would greet each passenger in turn with a poke in the belly button and a word of good cheer. When we got to the basement his wife would steer him left towards the trolley sayin, "Come on, dear, we're going to vote."

Then there was the time Lyndon Johnson, V.P. at the time, nudged me awake with the toe of his shoe. I was lying on the marble floor outside my elevator on a Saturday morning; the place was deserted and my hangover severe. (I was Kefaufer patronage so couldn't get fired.) When I felt the poke I opened my eyes whereupon, in his best Texas drawl, Lyndon said, "Come on, boy. Let's go." It was the closest I ever got to real power! :); 5/28/11, 8:50 PM
windbag said...: I see potential glitches with this, but there are adjustments that we have to make to accommodate technologies that our Founding Fathers couldn't see.; 5/28/11, 9:06 PM
edutcher said...: The Drill SGT said...

They can't PDF on AF-1?

I'm sure they can. Or they could fax it or attach it in an email in a .doc or other format.

As Sarge suggests, this could open some very interesting, not to mention nefarious, cans of worms.; 5/28/11, 9:09 PM
Conserve Liberty said...: I see potential glitches with this, but there are adjustments that we have to make to accommodate technologies that our Founding Fathers couldn't see.

Actually, didn't Thos. Jefferson invent an autopen?; 5/28/11, 9:11 PM
VanderDouchen said...: Actually, Thomas Jefferson said:

"To support the constitutionality of my Auto-pen invention is the highest form of patriotism."

WV:

manessb:

sub species of mammal found in the brackish waterways of Florida.; 5/28/11, 9:19 PM
VanderDouchen said...: He followed that up with:

"Dissent is the highest form of racism."

WV: emiquell:

emiiquell, eriquell, uriquell, hell, we're all iquell.; 5/28/11, 9:21 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The ship of state has been on auto pilot since Bush 43 left.; 5/28/11, 9:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Ah, to have Barack Obama's autopen ... and Barack Obama's checkbook!

wv: horstax (One of the few miscues I've seen; perhaps wv thinks this post is about Meghan McCain. ... Huh? Didn't she propose a tax on horses?); 5/28/11, 10:47 PM
Mary Beth said...: It seems detached and impersonal.; 5/28/11, 11:14 PM
AllenS said...: One Autopen feature that has to be an improvement over the signature of obama, is that Autopen never gets the date wrong.; 5/29/11, 6:16 AM
People Died, The President Lied said...: Following up on Allen's observation, the Auto pen also offers the benefit of eliminating the intellectual stammer from anything that might need to be signed. Even if he is in the White house.

I can see the day when the APOTUS will rule with an iron quill and make elections or a 1st lady completely unnecessary.; 5/29/11, 6:34 AM
Henry said...: The autopen was immediately confiscated by airport security.; 5/29/11, 7:15 AM
rhhardin said...: Look for an autobottle for christening ships next.; 5/29/11, 7:35 AM
AllenS said...: Hey, Autopen, how about sending me a nice stimulus check?; 5/29/11, 8:19 AM
Phil 314 said...: Does each Congressman who helped shepherd the bill through get an autopen?

(And why isn't it called an "e-pen"?; 5/29/11, 9:26 AM
Robin said...: He really does not like doing his job, does he?; 5/29/11, 6:16 PM
Methadras said...: Autopen should never have been used. It delegitimizes any lay in my opinion.; 5/29/11, 9:53 PM