I wish to share with you two experiences I've had with trying to get George W. Bush's autograph while in office.

First I've tried writing him by sending to the White House, and got the usual pre-print. I have done this several times with all similar results. So in 2006 I decide to try something new. I decide to write Andy Card (Bush's Chief of Staff at the time) and ask if he can get my George W. Bush's autograph. I sent a letter, SASE, color 8 x 10 photo I printed off my computer of Bush, and small color photo of Andy Card. Within a few months I hear that Andy Card is going to retire, and I had not received a reply. It was only a few days later (after he had already resigned) that I received a reply from him. I was surprised as I wasn't expecting it to come back since I figured he'd be busy packing up.

Around early April of 2006 I receive a package form the White House. Inside is my SASE unused, my color photo of Bush unsigned, a letter from Andy Card thanking me for my letter and stating that he was able to get me George W. Bush's autograph (which came on an official White House photo) and Andy Card's signature on my smaller color picture of him. At first look I assumed the autograph was autopen just because it seemed too good to be true adn also because the inscription was machine generated. However, after looking at autopen patterns I could NOT find any that matched it, so I thought I lucked out and got a real one.

Around the same time my father met a woman who worked in the Waco, Texas Police Station who personally knew George W. Bush. My father knew I needed George W. Bush's autograph (this was before I got Andy Card's reply). So he asked her, and she said she would get one for me and send it to me. I forgot all about this until two years later when I received it this year in April. The autograph was also from the White House (came in a White House envelope) and the photo was the same official portrait as the other. The greeting (inscription) was calligraphy/machine (just like the Andy Card one, except a different style of writing/script). I thought this one looked good because it didn't look anything like the autopen patterns I had seen. I thought I had scored another authentic Bush autograph.

I decided since I was not 100% sure about these autographs that I would have them authenticated/examined. I figured they would come back authentic due to there were no matching autopen patterns and that teh signatures did not appear to have the obvious characteristics of an autopen. However, I was wrong. Both autographs came back as probably autopen. No matching patterns are known yet, but the two autographs when examined in a high definition scan show many of the characteristics of an autopen - such as shakiness (although faint), even pen pressure, start and end points, and even ink flow. I was amazed at how much the autopen signatures have improved. I had looked at an autopen Bush done when he was Governor and you could clearly see the shakiness and other characteristics.

I thought I would share this with you so that you are aware of how well the autopen machines are becoming. I attached a scan of both autopen signatures so you can see how convincing they appear.

~ Juli