# Extension of Patriot Act signed into law.... by machine **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390 "2011-05-27T02:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/21 "2011-05-30T15:33:09Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Just as a curiosity, would anyone raise a fuss that your President signed an American law in another country? 🙂 Not really… should we? ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/22 "2011-05-31T00:43:45Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Just as a curiosity, would anyone raise a fuss that your President signed an American law in another country? 🙂 I don’t care. The alternative would be for him to invoke the 25th Amendmant everytime he goes overseas and make Biden the Acting President. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/23 "2011-05-31T02:27:32Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Could anything be more _insecure_ than this Autopen system? I sounds as though anyone with access to the machine could put the president’s signature on anything they wanted. From The West Wing: Margaret: Can I just say something, you know, for the future? Leo: Yeah. Margaret: I can sign the President’s name. I have his signature down pretty good. Leo: You can sign the President’s name? Margaret: Yeah. Leo: On a document removing him from power and handing it to someone else? Margaret: Yeah… Or do you think the White House Counsel would say that was a bad idea? Leo: I think the White House Counsel would say that’s a coup d’etat. Margaret: I’d probably end up doing some time for that. Leo: I would think. And what the hell are you doing practicing the President’s signature? Margaret: It’s just for fun. Leo: We’ve got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the hill ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/24 "2011-05-31T14:17:47Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > well, yeah, if you’re delivering a inter-office document that is top secret, I suppose. > > But this document is a law voted on by Congress and binding on all American citizens. > You don’t have to show a security clearance to read it. As I said, any document, no matter what clearance is needed. The concern is the document ending up somewhere it shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/25 "2011-05-31T14:47:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > From The West Wing: > > Margaret: Can I just say something, you know, for the future? > Leo: Yeah. > Margaret: I can sign the President’s name. I have his signature down pretty good. > Leo: You can sign the President’s name? > Margaret: Yeah. Man, I loved Margaret and Leo. They always cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390/26 "2011-05-31T23:11:34Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Man, I loved Margaret and Leo. They always cracked me up. Marget shows in some guy and closes the door. Leo then walks over to the door and punches it. You hear “Owwww!” come from Margaret trying to listen in on the other side. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extension-of-patriot-act-signed-into-law-by-machine/583390.md?page=1)