Multiple sources are now reporting that President Bush has commuted the sentences of border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Campeon. President Bush has apparently decided against pardoning the two, who were convicted of essentially shooting a drug smuggler without privilege to do so.
I have personally had many go-rounds with commenters here over the propriety of Ramos and Compean’s actions and I think that President Bush has taken the right action in this case. I believe that Ramos and Compean deserved to be punished, but a viable argument can be made in this case that an additional ten years of prison time was excessive given the facts of this case.
Many others are requesting a pardon and/or commutation today who do not deserve them, including Duke Cunningham, George Ryan, and Edwin Edwards. Hopefully, the President will demonstrate his usual reticence to use his pardon power and leave these individuals where they belong. On the other hand, many good men and women face legal jeopardy for actions taken in the war on terror based directly or indirectly on Bush’s orders. If Bush on this day is remembering Ramos and Compean, who protected the physical border of our country, it is hoped that he will not the individuals who protected our country on the front lines of the war on terror.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Thank you Mr. Bush
jcheney Monday, January 19th at 1:12PM EST (link).
WOW how GREAT is this news....thank President Bush!
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:15PM EST (link)….
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Thank you President Bush
tsquare (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:16PM EST (link)nt
Good to hear...Good Job Mr. President....nt
Attack Mode (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:16PM EST (link)“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Leon, I totally agree with you. Commutation, not pardon, was
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:17PM EST (link)the appropriate action.
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“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Commutation is just fine
Neil Stevens (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:24PM EST (link)A pardon would have made me disgruntled, but a commutation I can live with.
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“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
LW, GC and NS, stalwarts for the rule of law and esp
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:47PM EST (link)respect for juries!
judges and sentencing guidelines, not so much!
smile
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“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
funny, I feel exactly the opposite way about it nt
Doc Holliday (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 5:13PM EST (link)nt
Molon Labe!
I basically feel the same way.
RandomGuy (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 5:23PM EST (link)I think they were guilty as hell and I can’t understand for the life of me how they became a cause celebre among some conservative groups. I mean, really, regardless of how much you dislike illegal immigration or drugs, you can’t shoot unarmed men in the back unless you have a VERY good reason.
That said, I can understand how the stresses of the job can lead to bad decisions that perhaps merit some understanding. They’ve served a couple of years and will have to put down Convicted Felon on every job application they ever fill out.
Still, I’m not 100% sure I like this, but I can live with it.
Draft Mitch Daniels for President ’12
Oh good grief -nt
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Tuesday, January 20th at 4:09PM EST (link)Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Goodness had nothing to do with it. n/t
janis (Diary) Tuesday, January 20th at 4:39PM EST (link).
Ditto
zuiko (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 5:58PM EST (link)A commutation is the most appropriate response here. I’m just amazed he did it. I wonder if he went against the DoJ recommendation here. I haven’t heard how they sided on the request. I’m certain he ticked off a number of people in his administration that worked to make an example of these two… but that’s not a bad thing in this case.
Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. – Milton Friedman
Commutation gets it right
tankertodd (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 4:12PM EST (link)You can’t have law enforcement agents shooting people and then covering up same. Might not be in the public interest. But 10 years hard time is crazy long.
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The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race – Chief Justice Roberts
Good work Mr. President
SteveLA (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:17PM EST (link)The outcome of President Bush’s commutation is what counts, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Campeon get to go home to their families and start rebuilding their lives.
This is a good move on the President’s part and in some ways a gift to the incoming President as he now does not have to deal with the contentious issue of their prosecution and imprisonment of these gentlemen.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
Gifts from Bush just keep coming...near victory
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:54PM EST (link)in Iraq, al Qaida decimated, $350B in Tarp funds…
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
True
SteveLA (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 2:02PM EST (link)Bush will get little credit for trying to tidy up loose strings before leaving office. I tend to think the President puts a high value on giving President Obama a fighting chance to succeed, in a sense putting his country above party or ideology.
Others on both far sides of the ditch won’t see it that way.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I totally agree Steve and I respect Bush for that-nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 2:12PM EST (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Finally.
phxg (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:27PM EST (link)nt
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. –Aristotle
About stinking time.
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:33PM EST (link)I got plenty more to say, in particular that this demonstrates about the same amount of political courage on Bush’s part as the Libby non-pardon.
But I’ll save it. March 21 will be a good day. Oh yeah, for those who don’t know, that’s the day Ramos and Campeon actually get out of jail.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
I do think a pardon of Libby would have been OK
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:58PM EST (link)even though I do think he lied, and tha, tharefore, just a commutation was justified.
But I don’t agree with these criminalization of politics prosecutions where they can’t prove the underlying crime and then go after “lies” to the FBI on non-essential matters. In fact, given that Fitzgerald knew of Armitage, I could make a case that he should have been charged with malicious prosecution, abuse of process, etc.
Hence, I could have supported a pardon of Libby.
I’ve been thru the facts in detail so much in the past on the current case that I think does not justify pardon, but I understand and respect you and those that do. I am thrilled they will be released from jail soon.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
I do think a pardon of Libby would have been OK
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:58PM EST (link)even though I do think he lied, and tha, tharefore, just a commutation was justified.
But I don’t agree with these criminalization of politics prosecutions where they can’t prove the underlying crime and then go after “lies” to the FBI on non-essential matters. In fact, given that Fitzgerald knew of Armitage, I could make a case that he should have been charged with malicious prosecution, abuse of process, etc.
Hence, I could have supported a pardon of Libby.
I’ve been thru the facts in detail so much in the past on the current case that I think does not justify pardon, but I understand and respect you and those that do. I am thrilled they will be released from jail soon.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Dittos EPU
ladymac0901 Monday, January 19th at 2:10PM EST (link)I would love to jump on the proverbial soap box here, but will refrain from doing so.
Thank goodness that these gentlemen will be able to go home to their families in March.
It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.
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Why does it take two months to release them?
bk (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 7:22PM EST (link)My guess only
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Tuesday, January 20th at 2:22AM EST (link)Because I did not see this stated. The reason the sentences were 11 and 12 years had to do with a certain charge regarding ‘using a firearm in association with commission of another crime’ or some such — which law’s intended use had been druggies, not law enforcement officers. This made the sentence 10-yr minimums. One of several reasons I wish crap-weasel prosecutor Sutton a giant dose of cosmic karma while he still lives.
What I am guessing is that GWB’s commutation is that portion of the sentence, leaving March 20 as the date they would have gotten out otherwise.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Apparently the order ends their sentences March 20th
bk (Diary) Tuesday, January 20th at 4:51AM EST (link)So it sounds like it was the White House’s doing for whatever reason, not some administrative hang-up at the prison end.
Good to see them out.
Princeliberty Monday, January 19th at 1:46PM EST (link)I still belive the convictions were political designed to pander to the Mexican government.
I am glad they are out and am always surprised when Bush does the right thing at all.
But they do not deserve to have felony convictions hanging on their necks the rest of their lives.
Its a travisty that Bush let them sit in prison all this time. So there is a limit to my thanks to Bush.
Princeliberty
One more act of class
jeffstone Monday, January 19th at 1:59PM EST (link)Such profound differences between this administration’s final acts compared to the previous administration. They will only highlight the poor administrative abilities of the President-Elect, when he is President.
Justice delayed is NOT justice denied.
Thankful
RINOs_Out_Now Monday, January 19th at 3:24PM EST (link)I am thankful that both men will soon be home with their families. I do wish President Bush pardoned both men, because that is what they deserved. J, Sutton presented lies and half truths at their trials- they should have never spent a day in prison.
I am very thankful that President Bush did not forget them and leave them in prison. Thank you President Bush!
Thank GWB.
stazec Monday, January 19th at 3:37PM EST (link)For years now I’ve been angry at the President for a host of issues. Today, I could kiss him on the forehead. You did the right thing Mr. President!
I only hope he has issues Top Secret Pardons...
rcov092 (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 3:46PM EST (link)to all the CIA, DIA, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, NSA, Contractors, whomever was involved in interrogating the poor downtrodden TERRORIST scum so holder cannot have his way with them. IN fact just pardon all Government employees, except:
EPA, IRS, NOAA (MMGW worshipers specifically), and anyone who worked to Al Gore, there has to be something wrong with them.
“Not One Red Dime for the NRSC or NRCC till they stop trying to elect liberals”
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Pardons for "torturers"
tankertodd (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 4:15PM EST (link)Absolutely. I must think that Bush has all those who touched a board and water and cellophane covered from a Pelosi Witch Hunt. America hasn’t been hit again, and waterboarding and all the techniques up-to and including it are a large reason why. Thanks to those who had to deal with those scumbags too. Hope you didn’t catch the Plague.
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The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race – Chief Justice Roberts
The part of their sentencing that I don't understand...
The_Rebel (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 4:36PM EST (link)is why they were convicted of violation of civil rights. From what I know, the shooting was of a Mexican drug dealer in this country illegally, attempting to flee across the Rio Grande, away from an abandoned van load of marijuana. How would he have any civil rights to be violated?
According to the dictionary, civil rights are “The rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship.” Constitutional rights are for citizens. The only way an illegal is afforded any constitutional rights is when they are criminally charged.
Am I wrong on this?