Open Letter to President Bush Regarding Condolence Letters

April 4, 2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Bush:

As the tragic number of fallen U.S. soldiers nears the 2500 mark in Iraq, many due to the lack of adequate body and vehicle armor, skepticism is being expressed over whether you are, in fact, personally signing the condolence letters which you are reported to be sending their next of kin.

You will note that this skepticism is based, in part, on the previous admission by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that he was allowing these letters to be machine-signed—a delegation that was presumably reversed back to his own fingers after the press wrote about his handwriting fatigue.

The question is: Are you personally signing in your handwriting the letters of condolences which go out to bereaved parents, spouses or relatives under your signature?

There is a need to inform accurately those who are wondering.

Sincerely yours,

Ralph Nader
PO Box 19312
Washington, D.C. 20036