Posted on 01/19/2009 9:58:40 AM PST by E.G.C.
Edited on 01/19/2009 10:46:59 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.
Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were too harsh.
Rancor over their convictions, sentencing and firings has simmered ever since the shooting occurred in 2005.
Ramos and Compean became a rallying point among conservatives and on talk shows where their supporters called them heroes. Nearly the entire bipartisan congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant them clemency.
Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations, a senior administration official said.
The action by the president, who believes the border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes, the official said...................."
“For two years yes. For the other six? No!”
Uh, do the names Chafee, Collins, Snowe, McCain, Graham, Warner, Hagel, or Spector mean anything to you? I didn’t know it was such a big secret that some states run 2 democrats against one another and put an R next to one of their names just for the hell of it. Bush hasn’t had a true Republican majority in any of his years as President.
Add to it people like Ted Stevens and Robert Byrd, the pork masters, and Bush had a disaster on his hands. Blaming the domestic problems in this country, with this level of corruption in Congress, on a President with a full fledged worldwide terror battle on his hands is simple minded and only adds to the fuel that drives Liberals.
I’ve become disillusioned that so many on this great forum, a forum that provides every fact that can be checked, seem so willing to put aside rational thought and help to feed the beast.
WHAT ABOUT SCOOTER LIBBY ? IF ANYONE DESERVES A PARDON, IT IS HE.
total agreement with you and yet am so relieved for these poor victims of injustice! I do believe our prayers were heard and we never stopped for a single morning or evening for two years and are so grateful to all who were pressuring for this day to come!! I am sad that these two cant just get out today but at least March 20 will be here and many things can be arranged to bring true justice to those who probably wont sleep too well for what they did to Ramos and Compean. We still have a chance in this once great country but the next four years are going to test us as never before.
I wish Bush would have pardoned these men but at least they will be released from prison.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Second that.
I’ll second that ClancyJ.
I posted an article here last week http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1393228/president_george_w_bush_an_honorable.html?cat=9 and was saddened by the unwillingness of Republicans to let this President go out graciously.
I am so thankful to God and President Bush for letting these two out. Can’t we ever see the glass half full?
The power of prayer, that’s what this demonstrates. This power of prayer.
Looks like we can add the two senators from Utah and Wyoming to the list and maybe even Mississippi — I base this on the vote on Harry Reid’s Omnibus Lands Bill last week.
Like the animal who murdered HPD Officer Johnson as Johnson was arresting him on a traffic violation and warrants..... guy's been deported before.
This time the boom came down, though. Too late, he'll get death, and the D.A. went and looked up the employer who'd sponsored the illegal and helped him get back into Houston, and they arrested him and threw him in prison on pretty serious charges -- he could get years.
But it took a dead cop to squeegee this border-jumper up.
It is also no secret Bush destroyed some good conservatives shots at house and senate seats to support in the primaries old family friends. If the friend lost the primary to the conservative then W lost interest in the seat.
Bush accomplished one thing the DEMs could not. He divided the GOP in half and abandoned the Conservative side for his 30 pieces of his so called Free Trade Silver. Remember as well it was Bush who in 2000 said he and Mr Gore were not that far apart on issues. Remember that one? I do and likely so do many more persons. To that he was true. Christie Todd Whittman as EPA as an example. What a disaster.
To petition for restoration of their rights, they'd have to apply to the court that handed down their convictions, in this case federal district court. Presumably after Sutton is no longer U.S. Attorney.
Since firearms were involved, it's doubtful that the court would restore their 2A rights -- just at a guess.
Yes!!
I am so thankful those fine men that were doing their job got commuted.
I’d rather they were pardoned, and had their jobs reinstated, but for those
men to be reunited with their families is first and foremost in importance.
One of them just received a beating in prison, I wish they were out today....but this is better then the nothing I was expecting from Bush. About dang time.
I totally agree. a boot in the side of the head would be nice. Can't even pardon sombody correctly. (spitting on the ground)
instead of a solid F- as a grade, bush gets a solid F. watching the interview from 2007 with neil cavuto, this is something he clearly did not want to do.
But he DID do it.
Your grade is still F-.
But he DID do it.
Your grade is still F-.
I totally agree. a boot in the side of the head would be nice. Can't even pardon sombody correctly. (spitting on the ground)
Agree with both of you. But I'm glad those two men will be able to go back to their families now.
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