Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is under fire again after admitting that he used a machine to sign consolence letters to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq instead of signing them himself.

The embattled secretary told 'Stars and Stripes' he would sign all letters in the future. 'While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter,' Rumsfeld said in a statement.

Rumsfeld has already been criticized for mishandling the war in Iraq including for failure to provide adequate troop strength for the war and for failing to properly plan for what would happen after American forces ousted Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime. He was also a key figure for in the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal in which detainees were abused by U.S. troops. Rumsfeld has long claimed ignorance of the conditions that led up to the scandal.

Rumsfeld also was criticized for failing to provide adequate protection for U.S. troops and was recently taken to task by soldiers in the field during a question and answer session. Many held the secretary's answers to the troops to be callous.

More and more people are calling for Rumsfeld's resignation, including Republicans loyal to President Bush. Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' Sunday that he had 'no confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership' after the condolence letter situation hit the press. 'The secretary of defence not personally signing the letters is just astounding to me.' Hagel also described the situation in Iraq as 'worse than it's ever been.'

The families of soldiers killed in the war were also irate. 'To me it's an insult, not only as someone who lost a loved one but also as someone who served in Iraq,' said Army Specialist Ivan Medina. 'This doesn't show our families the respect they deserve.' Medina's twin brother, Irving, was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq this summer.

For now, it appears Rumsfeld will stay on as defense secretary although it remains to be seen if President Bush will stick with Rumsfeld if confidence in him continues to erode.