Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska told CBS' "Face the Nation" today that a personal signature was "the least" to expect. But it turns out Rumsfeld had been using a machine to sign the letters. Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island said on the same show today that letting a machine sign his name to the letters shows a "lack of leadership styles that are appropriate for the military." Hagel is a Vietnam veteran. Reed is a West Point graduate. Rumsfeld's announcement of the new policy was published Friday in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Rumsfeld criticized for having machine sign condolence letters
WASHINGTON (AP) - News that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will personally sign condolence letters to families of fallen soldiers comes as a surprise to some members of Congress.
