Made in China

After a lapse of many years, I have started back to using a fountain pen regularly. In addition to writing smoothly, they have improved my handwriting. They have also stirred the inveterate collector in me which has led me to start checking out pen forums and blogs.

This morning I found this little tidbit about the pens that President Obama used to sign the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). PPACA is better known as ObamaCare. Obama used 22 custom pens with the Presidential Seal and his signature according to the Washington Post. One recipient of a signing pen confirmed that they were made by Cross.

Here is where it gets interesting. The Goldspot Pens Blog has identified the pens as the Cross Townsend Black Lacquer with silver trim rollerball pen. These pens sell at retail for $130 a pop and that is without the Presidential Seal and engraving.

True, it is custom-ized but not custom made. Another side note is that they mention Cross is an American company, which is true, but all Cross pens are made in China now. We owe China billions of dollars anyway, so what's a few pens between friends?

So there you have it. A bill that will push the deficit to previously unheard heights which will probably be financed by selling Treasury Bonds to the Chinese was signed with American pens made in China.