Posted on 05/08/2007 11:58:06 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
The power to pardon traditionally belongs to the president. But Representative Duncan Hunter, who is seeking the 2008 Republican nomination, isn’t waiting for Inauguration Day.
Mr. Hunter introduced a bill in January to initiate an unprecedented Congressional pardon of two former border patrol agents currently serving 11- and 12-year sentences after shooting a drug smuggler on the Texas-Mexico border in 2005.
For Mr. Hunter and other immigration hardliners, their conviction is an “extreme injustice.”
While Constitutional objections are “very much a possibility,” said Joe Kasper, Mr. Hunter’s spokesman, he doesn’t see the measure threatening executive power. The president’s required signature on the bill “would obviously be synonymous with his authority to execute a pardon,” he said. “The Congress is doing nothing more than initiating a pardon.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
I would dearly like to see a stand taken by our other elected officials on this matter.
The Left wants to castrate the Border Patrol, the LAPD and all law enforcement, and our entire Armed Forces. Unfortunately, they’re succeeding.
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Jim, Bob J claims the drug-runner was shot in the back, but that’s not accurate. He was shot in the hip and the bullet more or less traversed his lower abdomen.
IOW, he was turned sideways at the time the bullet hit him. If he had been running away, but then stopped and turned 90 degrees and aimed a handgun at the BPA, that bullet path would make sense. After that, he ran across the border, so nobody knows for certain whether he had a gun at the time or not. Nobody.
BTW, my post 4 was directed at the upcoming "general debate" in the Senate, not at DH -- just in case you missed that.
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I thought I had read that here on FR, but I can't cite a link.
Me, too. An unambiguous one at that. Maybe this bill will get that ball rolling.
I agree, I like Hunter more than any candidate, potential or official, so far. So why are so many of us (conservatives) choosing the “Big 3” or “waiting on Fred”? I understand this election process has started much earlier, and that most people felt it was too long already in previous elections. Still, the fact is, the fight is now, and Duncan Hunter is in it, and doing the job, apparently, most Americans won’t do. Perhaps Hunter should have waited to commit, waited to be begged to run.....Run, Duncan, Run! Perhaps he should have waited out Vietnam, to see if it was politically viable, winnable or if it was going to be the popular choice? Whenever America has been in a fight, Hunter has answered the call without hesitation. If one wants a strong military, secure borders, strong and decisive action against terrorism and Islamic radicalism, someone for fair trade and pro life, how could you consider voting for anyone other than Hunter? He has been there, done that. He has spent his life protecting, serving and fighting for, America.
One thing I don’t want is a supposedly conservative President who is elected professing conservatism, but who can’t be relied on to actually uphold conservatism when it might be inconvenient.
My great fear is that by summer of 2008 ALL the Republican candidates will have made themselves as unsatisfactory as Rudy.
“Mistakes are made when you deal with drug dealers and allowances must be made.”
So you agree the shoot was no good?
Nobody, including the jury, believed there ever was a clear and present danger. If the BPA’s were convinced they were in the right they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to cover it up.
Bob, I met you years ago and you were gracious/nice..
..but I don't agree with your perspective at all or your posts today
..I know you're a longtime Freeper and have contributed much.....Thank-you...
.. but Hunter is not a grandstander....!
Anyone else...maybe...
Not Hunter.
Mr. Robinson's words ring clear as a bell, and I agree with every one!!!
I spent a month “discussing” this with others and reached basically the same conclusion you did. I’m good with the agents losing their badges and not serving more time. What concerns me is how these 2 are being elevated to sainthood status and how their case is being misrepresented by the border control crowd. There is nothing wrong about admitting these guys had a bad shoot but don’t deserve jail. The attempted cover up alone is enough justification to lose their badge, so that may be a foregone conclusion. But they just can’t bring themselves to admit it was a bad shoot and the only reason for that I can think of is because the perp was a mexican.
There are plenty of BPA heroes out there to point to as role models. Using these two besmirches the integrity of the entire BP and every agent.
I wasn’t comparing the incidents, I was illustrating the absurdity of using them as poster boys to sell another agenda.
I agree, that is why I can’t understand how Compeon convinced Ramos to engage in his cover up. Ramos had pretty good plausible deniability about his role. The problem is it was Ramos’ bullet that found flesh and Davila WAS running away from them and at a pretty good distance.
Compeon’s story was so unbelieveable it was almost laughable. None of it added up and was contradicted time and time again by the other BPA.
Hunter was late getting the game, waiting first to see which direction the wind was blowing.
I don’t blame him, he is a politician. But we don’t have to respect it. Reminds me of the story of the turtle and the scorpion.
Glad you weren’t banned. 8)
[Actually, I checked and you have almost as much seniority as JR, so I guess you are “grandfathered” in.]
I also thought it unfair that the two were put on trial together, rather than separately. Do you know why?
You must be getting your info from WND as well.
The bullet entered his left buttock, smashed into his pelvis, severed his urethra, exited his left leg and lodged in his right thigh. Here is a good example of how supporters twist the facts.
The doctor who testified said the entry wound was consistent with a man who was turned to the left. He also testified the entrywound was consistent with a man who is running in which the hips twist to the left and right during each stride.
They never mention the second part. They pick and choose the evidence they want you to hear.
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