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CBS Radio White House correspondent Mark Knoller doesn't shy away from Tweeting about the
minutia of his job. Sometimes it's frustrating, but sometimes it can be
a very good thing. Like today, when he gave an impromptu lecture on the
history of presidential writing instruments. Here it is:
Only the signing page is on the table - not the 2300 page FinReg legislation. Obama uses about a dozen pens to sign his name.
Bush/43 began his term using multiple pens, then abandoned the practice and used a single pen to sign his name to legislation.
In the 70s, the press room wall contained a framed WH display of about 30 pens used by LBJ to sign "great society" bills into law.
@douglaslucas Presidents use multiple pens to sign legislation to give memento to key members of Congress who got bill enacted.
Sometimes presidents have to use more pens than they have letters in their name, so they dot I's and cross T's with different pens too.
@RobMyers1968 Truth is, it really doesn't look like a signature when you sign your name using a different pen 1 letter at a time.
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