Postal Fraud Uncovered

From Eleanor Clift, via Atrios:

To underscore that he�s not a captive of Washington, President Bush�s Christmas card this year is postmarked Crawford, Texas, although the return address reads, �The White House, Washington, D.C. 20500.� But the record 1.7 million cards the Bushes sent were too much to handle for the Crawford post office, which is a two-person operation. To accommodate Bush�s down-home image, the post office arranged for the cards to be stamped in Austin, where a special dye was ordered to authenticate the Crawford postmark. Bush, who spent Christmas at Camp David, is apparently the first president to insist on an out-of-town postmark.

From 18 U.S.C. Sec. 503:

Whoever forges or counterfeits any postmarking stamp, or impression thereof with intent to make it appear that such impression is a genuine postmark, or makes or knowingly uses or sells, or possesses with intent to use or sell, any forged or counterfeited postmarking stamp, die, plate, or engraving, or such impression thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.