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Bush Commutes Sentences of Two Border Agents Convicted of Shooting Drug Dealer
AP ^ | 1-19-09 | DEB RIECHMANN

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...................."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Front Page News; US: Arizona; US: California; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: aliens; border; borderagents; borderpatrol; bush; bush43; bushstillsucks; bushsucks; compean; corruption; crime; dea; dhs; drugs; gangs; godblesspresbush; gwb; homeland; illegalaliens; immigrantlist; johnnysutton; jorgeboosh; law; mexico; national; nifognism; nifongism; openborders; police; prison; ramos; ramosandcompean; ramoscompean; security; shadowgovernment; showtrial; usgovernment; wot
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To: curiosity

Oh. So you buy the drivel the rotten DA dished out to the jury as well. All the while covering up critical facts mitigating for Ramos and Campeon. You still like GWB too don’t you?


421 posted on 01/19/2009 6:50:19 PM PST by gost2
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To: mkjessup
I don't think GWB is always wrong, and I am happy that R&C will get out. As somebody once said about Jack Benny's 40th birthday, I didn't think I would live to see the day. I used to defend Bush in a big way, but now when he does something that is just wrong, I will call him on it.

And don't forget former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Marine General Peter Pace, a patriot's patriot, who became 'politically incorrect' in the view of the Senate, and rather than back him up and fight for another term as Chairman, GWB sent word that it was time for General Pace to retire. That was just cowardice.


422 posted on 01/19/2009 6:53:42 PM PST by ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas (I want to "Buy American" but the only things for sale made in the USA are politicians)
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To: Squantos

Ramos and Compean are coming home.

I just like saying that.


423 posted on 01/19/2009 6:59:51 PM PST by Ladycalif (Free - Ramos and Compean)
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To: E.G.C.

,


424 posted on 01/19/2009 7:00:00 PM PST by dfwddr (A warning to people from Nigeria; if you get an email from Washington asking for money, it's a scam.)
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To: Wisconsinlady
He waited all this time, even pardoned drug dealers, then on his last day in office, commutes their sentences.

I hope they can raise the money for their fines--$10,000 someone said--but they have families to support. What happens if they can't raise the money?

425 posted on 01/19/2009 7:06:20 PM PST by luvadavi (Chinese curse: may you live in interesting times...)
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To: RJL

You simply became weak in the face of all the Bush bashing and abandoned him to preserve your ever waning strength.

Time will change your view of W and bring you back.


426 posted on 01/19/2009 7:07:37 PM PST by Cedric
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To: ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas

THANK YOU!

Exactly my point. He DID make stupid mistakes. I said that.
But he ALSO has done some GOOD too. We do not have to defend the bad but we sure don’t have to throw away the good either.

I wasn’t given a chance to vote for a conservative candidate for president, McCain was already chosen. I would have voted for a real conservative.
I would never have thrown out my conservative stance to
“punish the republican party” either. Nor am I going to stop my conservative views but pray for a strong person to stand for us in the future for president.
I am not going to blame President Bush for little O getting in office. He was voted in by people alive and dead and a few dogs, cats and other assorted pets.
My point, it is over, done.

Our country needs our prayers. Shooting our mouth off about who is to blame will leave us stuck in the past with nothing to gain.

Sorry for the rant.


427 posted on 01/19/2009 7:10:20 PM PST by ConfidentConservative (I think, therefore I am conservative.)
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To: stevestras; PhilDragoo
People like you that think they know more than those who are in the heat of battle.

Quite the hypocrite considering Hamdania, Haditha, et al

428 posted on 01/19/2009 7:10:41 PM PST by freema (MarineNiece,Daughter,Wife,Friend,Sister,Friend,Aunt,Friend,Mother,Friend,Cousin, FRiend)
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To: E.G.C.

About time.


429 posted on 01/19/2009 7:28:20 PM PST by Netizen
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To: All; E.G.C.; Calpernia

HOORAY!

Whether you called the White House, sent an email, and most importantly, prayed, you made the difference.


430 posted on 01/19/2009 7:45:46 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: mkjessup
The Axis of Evil speech was the right tone, another Martin Luther nailing his theses to the cathedral door.

The delay into Iraq gave Saddam and his Russian generals, spetznaz, Syrians time to truck certain items out of country.

The Democrat obstructors should have met with the same compassion Lincoln showed Democrat war resisters.

Turkey's obstruction was costly, yet they never paid a price.

The rules of engagement following the defeat of the uniformed military should have been, if it shoots it dies, the building it shot from is levelled. Journalists and their organizations do not lie or leak; the first violation they are denied access--the next, they experience lost time.

Negotiations with Iran were the target of the 2004 CFR paper Iran: Time for a New Direction coauthored by Robert Gates and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Negotiations with madmen who desire chaos, mass murder, return of an imam hiding in a well for centuries, a new Holocaust--what disturbance of sanity is shared by Bush, Rice, Gates, Zbigniew, Hussein.

To allow the North Korean stonewalling to continue for over half a century--a much better use for the UN building would be as a new USO for our returning fighters.

The NIE which claimed Iran had discontinued its nuclear program should have been grounds for summary firings of the intelligence leadership.

The rules of government employment should have been suspended--or an admission that it had been an ersatz war all along.

In war, the mission trumps political correctness and the bowing and curtseying to Reuters, BBC, CNN and the traitors in congress and their propaganda ministry styling itself the media.

What place have runaway spending on education or Quixotic obsession with immigration reform in a war on terror.

And why not a war on islamofascism.

Why not drilling ANWR and elsewhere by executive order to cut the mullahs of Iran and Hugo Chavez and the rest of our enemies out of our energy security.

A promising beginning sinking into a mire of accommodation until John McCain simply knelt and begged Hussein to take the crown.

Now we have a president who has more compassion for Khalid Sheik Mohammed than Daniel Pearl and the 3,000 victims of 911.

431 posted on 01/19/2009 7:50:57 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
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To: freema
Rules of engagement lost Vietnam; our fighters did a valiant job.

The slander and persecution of our fighters in Iraq exemplified by the Murtha attack on the Haditha Marines is an outrage which should have been cut short at its outset by a commander in chief making a single phone call.

November 1965 LBJ cursed the Joint Chiefs (The Day It Became The Longest War) when they asked to be allowed to mine Haiphong and bomb Hanoi.

Wars are to be won as rapidly as possible, not drug out so as not to offend Aljazeera and Jack Murtha.

The tactic of the enemy is always to place military targets within civilian populations, then shriek to the propagandists of CNN, Reuters, BBC, et al.

People like Jack Murtha who presume to know more than those in the heat of battle, giving aid and comfort to the enemy in time of war are traitors.


432 posted on 01/19/2009 8:05:56 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hussein: Islamo-Commie from Kenya)
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Comment #433 Removed by Moderator

To: E.G.C.

So glad GWB finally did the right thing....

This will prolly get the Pubbies some votes.....oops!! guess that’s too late


434 posted on 01/19/2009 8:28:05 PM PST by txdoda (Voters to Gov't .......Re: post 9-11 Border Security....... ""The results are Unacceptable."")
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To: 08bil98z24

“BUT they still did abuse their power by filing a false report”

They did not file any report. False or otherwise.


435 posted on 01/19/2009 8:38:56 PM PST by mjaneangels@aolcom
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To: nutmeg

Thanks for the ping!


436 posted on 01/19/2009 8:45:31 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Honor above all

Sic semper porcus.

Dig up a human anatomy chart. Compare trapezius and gluteus maximus to latissimus dorsi. You’ll see how to tell your back from your butt.


437 posted on 01/19/2009 8:49:32 PM PST by Pelham (Mexifornia. It's your future.)
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To: cva66snipe

Good post.


438 posted on 01/19/2009 8:52:45 PM PST by Pelham (Mexifornia. It's your future.)
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Comment #439 Removed by Moderator

To: E.G.C.

Best news I’ve heard all month! :-)


440 posted on 01/19/2009 9:44:51 PM PST by Marie ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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