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Ever notice

Tam

Well-known member
I'm just watching the swearing in of the new government, have you ever noticed just how many ink pens the Federal Government goes through? Everyone that signs the official registary after being sworn in is given the ink pen they used as a keepsake. When Barak Obama signs a bill he uses a new ink pen for every letter of his name, ten letter, ten ink pens x a hugh amount of bills. Where do all those ink pens go? Likely to attendees as keepsakes. But then considering they write over two thousand page bills and only use one side of the paper that nobody reads, I guess a few thousand keepsake ink pens is the least of the waste in Federal government day to day budget. :wink: :roll:
 

Steve

Well-known member
I haven't bought a pen in a few years.. so they must be "free"

all the while most of US use a pen till we it runs dry or we lose it, ..
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Comical-- how this is a tradition that goes back before even old Tam was born-- but she blames it on Obama :roll: :wink: :p :lol:

A History Of The Presidential Signing Pen
March 23, 2010

When President Obama sat down to sign the health care bill into law, he warned: "This is gonna take a little while" — because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs — many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through. Melissa Block talks to Jim Kratsas, of the Gerald R. Ford Museum, about the tradition of giving away presidential signing pens.
Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

One footnote to the bill's signing today - or a hand note, I guess. When President Obama sat down to sign the health-care bill into law, he warned...

President BARACK OBAMA: This is going to take a little while.

BLOCK: This is going to take a little while, because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one, tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs, many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through.

Jim Kratsas joins us now to fill us in on the history of presidential pens. He's deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And Mr. Kratsas, how far back does this tradition go?

Mr. JIM KRATSAS (Deputy Director, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum): At least since President Truman, presidents have been using pens and handing them to people who helped push bills through. Probably the most famous one is when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. He used multiple pens when he signed that.

BLOCK: Do you have a favorite presidential pen there at the Ford Museum?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, probably the most famous is the one that he used to sign the pardon for Richard Nixon. But when he signed that pardon, there was - very few people around. So he signed that fully with one pen, but then signed other copies of that pardon with pens and gave them to certain people, and also made sure that one was available for the Gerald Ford museum.

BLOCK: Now, President Obama today, when he was doing this signing of tiny parts of a letter with one pen, President Obama said he hadn't practiced. But that's got to take some work, because your signature is just going to look really strange, isn't it, if you're changing pens?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it does. And the fact is, you know, it's not a fluid signature, like when we sign our checks and so on. So if you're doing one letter at a time, or even a half a letter with 22 pens, it's got to be a little difficult, to say the least.

BLOCK: What do these pens have on them?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it was my understanding that Harry Truman was the first one to have a box of pens, kind of like giveaways. And it was actually started by somebody who sent President Truman a box of pens that said, I swiped this from Harry Truman's desk.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. KRATSAS: But the tradition has been, ever since then, that each president that comes into office, they get multiple boxes of these pens.

BLOCK: Well, Jim Kratsas, thanks for talking to us.

Mr. KRATSAS: Thank you.

BLOCK: Jim Kratsas is deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Comical-- how this is a tradition that goes back before even old Tam was born-- but she blames it on Obama :roll: :wink: :p :lol:

A History Of The Presidential Signing Pen
March 23, 2010

When President Obama sat down to sign the health care bill into law, he warned: "This is gonna take a little while" — because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs — many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through. Melissa Block talks to Jim Kratsas, of the Gerald R. Ford Museum, about the tradition of giving away presidential signing pens.
Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

One footnote to the bill's signing today - or a hand note, I guess. When President Obama sat down to sign the health-care bill into law, he warned...

President BARACK OBAMA: This is going to take a little while.

BLOCK: This is going to take a little while, because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one, tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs, many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through.

Jim Kratsas joins us now to fill us in on the history of presidential pens. He's deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And Mr. Kratsas, how far back does this tradition go?

Mr. JIM KRATSAS (Deputy Director, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum): At least since President Truman, presidents have been using pens and handing them to people who helped push bills through. Probably the most famous one is when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. He used multiple pens when he signed that.

BLOCK: Do you have a favorite presidential pen there at the Ford Museum?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, probably the most famous is the one that he used to sign the pardon for Richard Nixon. But when he signed that pardon, there was - very few people around. So he signed that fully with one pen, but then signed other copies of that pardon with pens and gave them to certain people, and also made sure that one was available for the Gerald Ford museum.

BLOCK: Now, President Obama today, when he was doing this signing of tiny parts of a letter with one pen, President Obama said he hadn't practiced. But that's got to take some work, because your signature is just going to look really strange, isn't it, if you're changing pens?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it does. And the fact is, you know, it's not a fluid signature, like when we sign our checks and so on. So if you're doing one letter at a time, or even a half a letter with 22 pens, it's got to be a little difficult, to say the least.

BLOCK: What do these pens have on them?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it was my understanding that Harry Truman was the first one to have a box of pens, kind of like giveaways. And it was actually started by somebody who sent President Truman a box of pens that said, I swiped this from Harry Truman's desk.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. KRATSAS: But the tradition has been, ever since then, that each president that comes into office, they get multiple boxes of these pens.

BLOCK: Well, Jim Kratsas, thanks for talking to us.

Mr. KRATSAS: Thank you.

BLOCK: Jim Kratsas is deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

And true-to-form, Oldtimer puts words in people's mouths that they never said. Some things never change.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Whitewing said:
Oldtimer said:
Comical-- how this is a tradition that goes back before even old Tam was born-- but she blames it on Obama :roll: :wink: :p :lol:

A History Of The Presidential Signing Pen
March 23, 2010

When President Obama sat down to sign the health care bill into law, he warned: "This is gonna take a little while" — because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs — many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through. Melissa Block talks to Jim Kratsas, of the Gerald R. Ford Museum, about the tradition of giving away presidential signing pens.
Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

One footnote to the bill's signing today - or a hand note, I guess. When President Obama sat down to sign the health-care bill into law, he warned...

President BARACK OBAMA: This is going to take a little while.

BLOCK: This is going to take a little while, because the president used 22 pens to affix his signature to that one document, jotting down one, tiny portion of a letter at a time. The president then began handing those pens out as souvenirs, many of them to legislators who helped steer the bill through.

Jim Kratsas joins us now to fill us in on the history of presidential pens. He's deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And Mr. Kratsas, how far back does this tradition go?

Mr. JIM KRATSAS (Deputy Director, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum): At least since President Truman, presidents have been using pens and handing them to people who helped push bills through. Probably the most famous one is when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. He used multiple pens when he signed that.

BLOCK: Do you have a favorite presidential pen there at the Ford Museum?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, probably the most famous is the one that he used to sign the pardon for Richard Nixon. But when he signed that pardon, there was - very few people around. So he signed that fully with one pen, but then signed other copies of that pardon with pens and gave them to certain people, and also made sure that one was available for the Gerald Ford museum.

BLOCK: Now, President Obama today, when he was doing this signing of tiny parts of a letter with one pen, President Obama said he hadn't practiced. But that's got to take some work, because your signature is just going to look really strange, isn't it, if you're changing pens?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it does. And the fact is, you know, it's not a fluid signature, like when we sign our checks and so on. So if you're doing one letter at a time, or even a half a letter with 22 pens, it's got to be a little difficult, to say the least.

BLOCK: What do these pens have on them?

Mr. KRATSAS: Well, it was my understanding that Harry Truman was the first one to have a box of pens, kind of like giveaways. And it was actually started by somebody who sent President Truman a box of pens that said, I swiped this from Harry Truman's desk.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. KRATSAS: But the tradition has been, ever since then, that each president that comes into office, they get multiple boxes of these pens.

BLOCK: Well, Jim Kratsas, thanks for talking to us.

Mr. KRATSAS: Thank you.

BLOCK: Jim Kratsas is deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

And true-to-form, Oldtimer puts words in people's mouths that they never said. Some things never change.

You noticed that too did you Whitewing :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
What's to notice? Every time that old fart thinks he's come up with something clever, it's either what he just did to you or else he's discussing a topic and defending a position no one even addressed.

Must be hell being senile.
 

BRG

Well-known member
Whoever does it, to me is silly. To me it is a waste of time, energy, and money and then they look like an idiot. Just my opinion.
 

hopalong

Well-known member
We all noticed how oldtimer makes statements like it is comical , or it makes me smile or it makes me laugh thjis coming form the biggest CLOWN on the forum!
Any shot he can take at Tam he tries, whats the matter Richard she turn down your advances when you were hanging around her back yard? :roll: :roll:
 

Steve

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Comical-- how this is a tradition that goes back before even old Tam was born-- but she blames it on Obama :roll: :wink: :p :lol:

I am not sure how much is spent on Pens by the government every year..


but I would be willing to bet it is more then we make in a year.. is tradition worth that much?

personally I wouldn't want a gift that is made up... just so many can have it.. is it worth it to have the home running ball from the world series if they let the guy rehit it a few dozen times just so everyone on the list can get one... ???

rarity is not from many but from one unique item,, and value often comes with rarity..

does it really mean something to be presented with a gift if they are cranking them out by the dozen?
 

hopalong

Well-known member
Good point Steve, but then it has been going on for yrs and yrs, but in oldtimers mind that makes it OK,
What makes it even better for him he got to slam Tam again.

EH Richard
 

Tam

Well-known member
hopalong said:
Good point Steve, but then it has been going on for yrs and yrs, but in oldtimers mind that makes it OK,
What makes it even better for him he got to slam Tam again.

EH Richard

I'm so glad I can bring joy to Oldtimer's life. I know how old farts like him get when they have nothing to look forward to. CRANKY. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
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