Lame duck surprise: Bush commutes sentences of Compean/Ramos
It’s a shocker from the open-borders Bush administration. The families must be extraordinarily relieved. They’ve been through hell:
On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.
The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the two were just doing their jobs. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.
Their prison sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year.
The two were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts.
(via Fox News)
Compean and Ramos will be released March 20, via Allah.
***
Flashback: Not so “nonsensical,” anymore. October 2006:
On Monday, Les Kinsolving asked Whitehouse spokesman Tony Snow about the case of the two Border Patrol agents who appear to have been railroaded by our own government. He specifically asked whether Bush would give them a pardon. Here’s Snow’s response:
“That’s an unanswerable question, Les. The president is the person who is responsible for pardons. You can tell the network, which made you ask that question, that it is nonsensical.”
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
 |
Fast and Furious showdown: Holder/Obama defend bloody culture of contempt; Update: Fortress Holder, Stonewall City; vid clips added, Dems advise, “Don’t answer”
February 2, 2012 09:16 AM by Michelle Malkin
158 CommentsObama and Jan Brewer Have Words on Airport Tarmac; Update: Brewer Book Sales Skyrocket
January 25, 2012 09:54 PM by Doug Powers
165 Comments
Gingrich channels open-borders SEIU; Rubio rebukes; Update:Newt retreats
January 25, 2012 10:56 AM by Michelle Malkin
155 Comments
Obama heads to Disney World to push looser visa policies
January 17, 2012 01:14 PM by Michelle Malkin
95 Comments
Obama’s “Razist” Lobbyist Moves Up
January 13, 2012 06:29 AM by Michelle Malkin
233 CommentsThe Year in Obama Scandals — and Scandal Deniers
December 28, 2011 12:04 PM by Michelle Malkin
122 Comments
The murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry: One year ago today
December 14, 2011 11:11 AM by Michelle Malkin
70 Comments
Supreme Court to Decide Arizona Immigration Law
December 12, 2011 01:18 PM by Doug Powers
57 Comments
Rick Perry and the Macaca Media
October 3, 2011 10:08 AM by Michelle Malkin
91 Comments
Categories: Immigration
Weekly Standard
» White House Economic Adviser: 'We Need a Global Minimum Tax'Pundit & Pundette
» Bishop Jenky, Nicki Minaj, and the "98%"Sister Toldjah
» Obama’s new budget is a bad jokeJustOneMinute
» We Hear From The Department Of Good Ideas And False Choices
It was a commutation and not a pardon – for 2 men who did nothing wrong. The drug dealer got better treatment.
Better at the last minute than never.
I’ve very thankful for this…..and have been praying for their release. But I still hate that these two men have to be in jail for two more months.
If Bush had given them an outright pardon…would that have meant immediate release?
Not good enough! It should be a full pardon. These men will still be smeared with the “convicted felon” label.
Kudos to those who kept up the pressure.
Yay! I couldn’t be happier for the Ramos and Compean families.
NumbersUSA (with the help of many Congresspeople and allied groups…) had been running a vigorous campaign to pressure Bush into doing this (or full pardon) before the Presidential change. Good for him.
Michelle – thanks for the including this thread today.
At least he did it. The O sure would not.
I would like to have seen a pardon here, but at least they get to go home soon. It shouldn’t have taken this long.
If Bush had not done this, i was wondering if BO would have dared to commute or pardon them? With Congress full of Democrats, the improvement of the economy, and the approval of BO the borders will become floodgates of illegals in the next four years. BO probably will dissolve the border patrol that every nation on this earth has and the US only pretends to have.
This will be the best news of this week.
Not good enough W!!
Better than nothing, but a full pardon would have been better.
Why not release them immediately?
Why make them stay in jail until March 20th?
Thank God.
I was starting to get worried.
Now…BUILD THE FRICKIN FENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m looking more forward to Ramos and Compean’s homecoming than Jorge’s. The lame duck still keeps sticking it to them; why two more months? I am grateful, but still infuriated that it wasn’t a pardon.
At least they’ll be going home. It’s a shame that President Bush did not pardon them, but at least they’ll be out of prison and back home. Ya know, if Bush had pardoned them, it would’ve gone a long way to helping me forgive him for his other transgressions as president. I support his actions to protect the country from terrorists, but he did not protect our southern border at all, and did not protect the Border Patrol, and to me that is unforgivable.
With the exception of Bill’s pardon to Marc Rich fugitive, 5 year waiting period after completion of sentence required to pardon. Libby got his sentence commuted for same reason.
Commute is better than nothing, but a pardon is in order.
As far as I’m concerned, this will be GW’s legacy. Failure to curb illegal immigration. Failure to secure the borders, allowing two of our underpaid, under appreciated border patrol agents to sit in prison for doing their jobs.
Off all the U.S. attorneys that needed to be fired, Johnny Sutton was kept on and allowed to run his pro-illegal immigrant agenda in Texas.
What a disgrace in the history of U.S. law enforcement.
I had just about given up on him doing the right thing!
Thank God!!!!
What they suffered has been so unfair!
Congrats to their families…
Joseph Farah of World Net Daily was a big part of this I think…he constastayed on it ntly …even encouraging people to Fed Ex the Prez……Finally BUSH comes through!!
It’s good for Ramos and Compean but what if, there was not all the pressure to pardon? Bush’s terrible legacy still holds.
Why on Earth would people want to come to this oppressive, racist, mean, and sexist country?
It’s like all those immigrants rushing our borders don’t subscribe to the New York Times.
I asked my husband why he thought Bush waited until the last possible day. It seems like he was waiting out of spite or something, doesn’t it? My husband said it was because he would get so much flack for doing it. But Bush has never cared what people thought before, why start now? I am glad these two will be free, but I agree, why make them wait until March 20th??? This whole thing was a travesty of justice from the very beginning, and to not give them a pardon is another travesty. At least they will be out of that hell hole they should never have been in!
I’ll take it.
While it’s a relief to see these innocent men will soon be free, their convictions will still be on their record. After all their suffering, this is the best that President Bush can do?
After he did the same for another convicted innocent, best that I expected.
It will be interesting to see what happens if/when these guys hit the media circuit. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t want to tell their story.
“Free at last, free at last! Great God Almighty,” they’re free at last!
How appropriate for this to happen on MLK Day? Will this be perceived by the loony left as just one more reason to go after (the soon to be “former”) President Bush?
A president of half-hearted-measures.
Half-hearted borders.
Half-hearted conservatism.
Half-hearted wars.
Half-hearted pardons for the innocent.
These men should have been given a full pardon. The Bush administration was wedded to comprehensive immigration reform, which intentionally left America’s southern border free and open. They apparently could not see or did not wish to see that their job was to enforce the law and protect the security of the USA, not fall all over themselves for the low cost labor of South and Central America. This executive failure has repercussions for young Americans looking for their first jobs and for terrorism in the future. Obama will most certainly open the borders once again because he sees votes and cares little for the law.
I’m very happy for the Ramos and Compean and their families, at the sametime I am thoroughly disgusted with Bush, why were they tried in the 1st place, why not pardoned 2 years ago, why not pardoned now instead commuting their sentences and having to wait 2 more months to be released and having criminal charges on their records.
In regards to illegal alien immigration Bush has been a terrible president. I’m still holding judgment on the security of our country until there’s another attack and it’s proven Bush’s administration knew nothing about it…and don’t kid yourself, there will be another, IMHO it will make 9/11 look like a warm up.
I would rather celebrate their homecoming rather than anything else that is going on this week.
Good news.
I am very thankful for this President Bush. I just pray the famlies will be safe, they are having death threats on them.
L
Well! I’m shocked! And disappointed it wasn’t a full pardon.
Thank God. The families have been through hell over this nonsensical prison sentence. Campeon and Ramos were doing their jobs. Laura Ingraham interviewed the wives and one of them said her house was vandalized and her dogs suffered injuries.
I think Glenn Beck will interview the wives and I believe Campeon and Ramos as well today on his premiere show on Fox News.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
I am glad they are going home soon but it is WAY too little too late.
I will NEVER go back to the Republican party.
Me too Rabbidsquirrel. At least now I have something to celebrate this week.
Agreed.
This will always be a stain on Bush’s legacy, just as The Trail of Tears is to Andrew Jackson.
I am SHOCKED and relieved. They never should have been there in the first place. Prayers for them as they await the March date – it must seem like an eternity.
At least these two men will now be home with their families.
A full pardon would have been nice and should have taken place.
Excellent.
On January 19th, 2009 at 1:45 pm, walterc said:
I would rather celebrate their homecoming rather than anything else that is going on this week.
Me too Rabbidsquirrel. At least now I have something to celebrate this week.
————————————-
I second (third?) that emotion. This is great news. “too little, too late”, you might say, but at least they got their sentences commuted. I do wish they didn’t have to live with this ridiculous conviction on their records permanently, however.
It’s about time. He should have done this along time ago.
Sad , that in all this, a commutation is not going to help find them jobs. The sentences remain on record, I understand, and will follow them wherever they go. Their crime?….. shooting a rat bastard in the butt and when they realized they weren’t going to get support from their leaders, they lied. Pardoning was the way to go.
It should have been a full pardon. We need competent officers like these two to still be working and keeping our borders safe. It is better than nothing, but Bush apparently didn’t want to make the pro-immigration crowd too mad.
Not much and not enough. Pretty much sums up the Bush Presidency. Half-Assed.
By not pardoning them bush has hurled shoes at all partiots.
About Dang Time! What took him so long!?
I agree that a full pardon is in order.
Praise God! What a relief, but they should be let out TODAY… I’m just grateful Bush did the right thing. And yes, it’s too bad he didn’t before they got prosecuted to begin with.
Huh? The “Flashback” sure looks like a cheap shot at the late Tony Snow.
I am relieved by what was done but don’t think it went far enough and the wait until March is not appropriate. These guys (and Libby) were all railroaded. I can’t understand why Bush had his heels dug in so deep on this one.
No kidding. When I look back at Bush this last 4 years I will see a POTUS who tried to do everything (with the exception of the war on terror and you know he did that right because the liberals deny there is a war on terror) half-a$$ed. Sure, they will go free – guilty. I guess we should county our lucky stars that Bush even knew who these brave men were.
It’s about time! But where’s the full pardon? Come on!
I won’t go to the depths of the BDSers of this country, but, Bush let these 2 men suffer for 2 years in prison for doing their damn jobs and they deserved a full pardon. Bush was an absolute disaster and failure in regards to the invasion of our country from our southern border. God help the USA when this fake messiah takes over and puts more nails in the coffin of the once great USA.
“For the first time in my adult life, I am not very proud of my country.”
Michelle ObamaroosterAgreed that it should have been a FULL pardon.
*Should have been full pardons, but thank God they get to go home to their families.
*George Bush is an advocate for illegal immigration, plain and simple, and has been beholden to Vincente Fox, Mexican oil cartels, and large employers that wish to circumvent our laws; We are supposed to be a nation of laws, even moreso after 9/11, but not in George Bush’s eyes; I for one will never forgive, never forget his catastrophic lack of leadership on this issue.
I agree with many half assed is about right. They are still in peril for their lives until they are released on 20 March. Why didn’t he release them today with a full pardon? I remember laughing my ass off when the Border Patrol was looking for recruits this summer knowing no one would want to join and receive the same support from their chain of command these men experienced.
Now maybe GW can send in an airstrike against the Iranian nuclear weapon production facilities. Don’t worry folks I won’t be holding my breath on that one either!
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE (mo-lone lah-veh) Translation: Come and take them!
There was a recent interview of one of their wives and it was mentioned that they were not looking/asking for a full pardon. The reason given seemed to be valid as to their situation. I tried to find a link to it but couldn’t.
Thanks be to God!
This is a good and it shouldn’t have taken this long. I would have liked a pardon, . . . two years ago.
Thank God they will be freed. It’s been too long in coming, but at least these two men, who were doing their job, will finally be allowed to be with their families. We all make mistakes, but most of us don’t get sent to prison when we do!!!
Thank you President Bush for the Ramos and Compean communtations of sentence. They have done enough time already for their “crimes”–if these were really crimes.
***
I never understood why the jury believed the drug trafficker rather than the Border Patrol Agents. If they had properly reported the events and not picked up their cartridge casings there would never have been a case against them.
***
I think the Border Patrol should make sure that agents on the Rio Grande and land borders carry an M-16 rifle with night / day scope sight as well as a the standard 9 mm. pistol. It would have been a lot cleaner event if the drug trafficker had been shot dead there–no question of if he had a pistol or not then.
***
I hope these men will be able to put their and their families lives back together again.
***
I got a Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico shooting incident story from one of my Mexican (now U.S. citizen) wife’s Mexican aunts a few days ago. She said than most small businesses and shops in her barrio (neighborhood) are boarded up with lots of unemployment due to the drug gang violence there.
***
One man ran a poor bakery and tortilla shop in her neighborhood. Two AK-47 armed gangsters entered his one room “store” and robbed him of the small amount of money he had there. They promised to “get him” for not having more cash.
***
The man started walking to his home after the robbery. The two gangsters followed him home and shot him dead in the street in front of his poor adobe house–he left a wife and small children.
***
More people have been murdered in Cuidad Juarez (1300+) this year than the number of U.S. Military killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. My wife’s aunt fears for her life also.
***
I seem to remember that the drug runner who was shot in the butt by the Border Patrolmen had a record as a gangster in his barrio also. The shooting incident was probably justified when dealing with such murderers.
***
John Bibb
These two officers violated the law and procedure but their sentences were excessive.
A full pardon may be a bit much (but I wouldn’t mind) but the commutation is just. I would have preferred that their sentences were commuted some time ago and I think they should be released today.
But this is better than nothing and my regards to President Bush for (finally) doing the right thing.
Better late than never.
We need to pressure the open borders morons into understanding that the semi-failed Mexican state is a danger to our national security.
I want both borders, sealed and caulked…
BUILD THE FENCE!
Me too. But it will not happen until BO is out of office I’m afraid.
From who? The illegal immigrant drug smuggler community?
I heard the wives interviewed on either Glenn Beck or Laura Ingraham. They said they gave up on seeking a pardon because Bush would see it as a slap in the face to his good buddy Johnny Sutton; the cronyism thing.
Finally, GWB has done something mostly right.
I’m grateful for the commutations, although he should have pardoned them at Christmas time. But that would be admitting his “boy” made a mistake, and politicians never apologize!
At least they can return to their families. I hope they sue the Federal Government for wrongful imprisonment.
Now we have to brace for the impact of the BHO Administration!
Here is where President Bush lost plenty of credibility with me, a social conservative.
Punishing law enforcement.
I wonder how other border agents feel about going to work every morning, knowing their own government has tied their hands.
How many here would figure that President Obama would have pardoned these two border guys, Ive asked before but no one seems to know. Thanks again.
Huh? Did you mix up a bucket of whitewash?
Let the record show: Tony Snow — be he dead or alive — made this despicable statement.
I remember Tony’s approach to this issue and it sickened.
Mr. Snow had a privileged position and — from all appearances — he did not use it in any way to relieve these two men’s suffering.
Period.
I believe Obama would have, if only out of political expediency. Freeing Ramos and Compean would have bought him a lot of good will.
Commutation was probably the right way to go. These two guardians of our borders apparently made some errors in judgment, and tried to cover it up. They’ve paid for that error, now they can try to get on with their lives…if the loony left lets them. Liberals, if true to form, will not be satisfied until Ramos and Campeon pay with their lives.
Scooter Libby deserves a Presidential Pardon. He may have lied to investigators, but Bill Clinton and others lied under oath also, and paid no price. (Yes, I know…BJ lost his law license. No big whoop…he wasn’t about to start practicing law, and really didn’t need it. It hasn’t hurt his ability to “earn” money, now has it?)
I believe Mr. Bush will be harangued incessantly because of his last acts of compassion. His pardon decisions will not be questioned like Clinton’s have been. They will be condemned.
Why couldn’t he have given them a full pardon? And why couldn’t he have done it before Christmas? Bush has not gone up in my estimation…at least on this point. I still get furious whenever I think about it!
I hope that Bush, once out of office, will explain some of his decisions that he didn’t feel he could explain as Pres. We need to know why he did some of these things!
Proof positive that even a blind hog can find the occasional acorn.
A pardon would have been better, but I assume Mr. Compean & Mr. Ramos will take the commutation and go home to their families. Now is the time for the rest of us to start putting pressure on the “One” to pardon them!
Jorge Boosh fails again.
Ramos and Compean deserved full pardons, restitution of rights, money they lost through the loss of their jobs, and — last but not least — a full and abject apology from Boosh himself.
I have seen lots of nattering here about Boosh’s “character” (“oh, he’s such a decent man, but this final half-hearted act proves to my satisfaction that the man has no decency.
I’ll bet his compadres down in Mexico City are happy, though.
I echo the many above, that at least they’re coming home. Still a travesty they didn’t get a full pardon and must stay in prison until March. Too little, but it’ll have to do. Praying someone will give them decent jobs to pick up their lives and continue on. If it would do any good, indeed pressure “The One” to issue a full pardon. And Libby, while he’s at it. That’s another travesty, Scooter sitting in jail for having a bad memory when the leaker sits free. Politics sucks.
First, God bless the agents and hope they can now begin to put back the pieces of their lives.
“Compassioinate” conservatism.
In 2000, I believed GW was the man with the potential top be one of our greatest presidents.
Unfortunately, I see him going down in history as one of our poorest.
Better late than never but inexplicably late all the same.
It’s about time. They should get the Medal of Freedom.
A pardon is an automatic admission of guilt. With a commutation they can continue the appeal process to overturn the conviction.
I have a relative who works for the BP who says that these men deserve nothing. They should thank their lucky stars they got a commutation. Now where is Scooter Libby’s full pardon?
Commutation beats them staying in prison.
That said, they are going home to death threats, vandalism, and mistreatment of their pets as convicted felons which disqualifies them from owning firearms. So they will have no way to protect themselves, their families, and their property.
A pardon would have been the answer, and the President doesn’t have to wait 5 years.
ECS
Let’s not forget that in order to throw these guys in prison, Johnny Sutton not only gave immunity to the drug smuggler and let him smuggle in additional drugs under that immunity, but also had the DHS lie to Congress and claim that Ramos and Compean “wanted to shoot some Mexicans” before the incident.
Johnny Sutton is scum. And Bush has spent his whole administration letting the USA be Mexico’s bitch. This commutation is much too little, much too late.
Let’s not forget that in order to throw these guys in prison for shooting an illegal alien drug smuggler non-fatally in the buttocks and not filling out the paperwork because their supervisor said they didn’t have to , Johnny Sutton not only gave immunity to the drug smuggler and let him smuggle in additional drugs under that immunity, but also had the DHS lie to Congress and claim that Ramos and Compean “wanted to shoot some Mexicans” before the incident.
Johnny Sutton is scum.
Thank god–I held out no hope that GWB would let them out. He put a stick in their eyes by not making it immediate, but this is better than nothing.
Now they are going to need jobs and I suggest that they run for Congress. Who better to see that the laws of the US Constitution are upheld than two men who lives were destroyed because their Constitution rights were not honored?
Ramos is in Arizona in Federal Prison. McCain will run again in 2010 and needs an opponent…..
Totally agreed on the need for a full pardon, but I still can’t help but be struck by the contrast between the pardons one Bill Clinton made in the last hours of his presidency vs. GW Bush.
Night and day.
By Choice #86 said it all.
Elm Creek Smith #84: Since their constitution rights have already been violated to the max do you honestly thing that any LEO would “report” either of them for having firearms for protection? Doubt it seriously!!!
By the way, Glen Beck paid the rent for 2009 for both families so that is one worry they do not have to deal with.
Half hearted pardons. Better than nothing.
Meanwhile, nothing done in eight years to stop Iran’s obvious drive to obtain nuclear weapons, as if Obama could or would bother to take care of that.
Full pardon with expunged records. That is the MINIMUM acceptable result.
And from here on out, any Border Patrol agent who shoots a drug felon in the arse should get a raise.
ED you stole my thunder.
Too much of this Adminsitration was frankly half-hearted, and in the end no one side will be happy with his legacy.
Ramos and Compean should have had their sentences pardoned not commuted..I wonder what they will do once they are reunited with their family?
My sentiments exactly, after Bubba I was probably hoping against hope we finally had an honest conservative. I now should have given it a little more thought and reflected back on daddy, a One World Government kinda guy. The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
It’s my understanding a pardon is just that, no record of charges what so ever, like it never happened. Besides who’s going to pay for their appeals to overturn their railroaded charge in the 1st place, after losing their jobs, families being threatened, losing their homes and now being broke, how do they pay for that?
I sincerely hope Bush carries this injustice along with Scooter Libby’s poor memory with him the rest of life. He’s managed to pretty well ruin the families of the 2 boarder guards and all but broke Libby.
ok, rants off, in disgust
Ramos and Compean violated the law. It does not matter that the other players, including certain government officials were scumbags. They were stupid, careless and got caught. I’m glad their sentences were commuted but they are not heros.
Thank you, President Bush! I’m so pleased you did it. My congrats to the long-suffering officers and their families – peace be with you.
According to the press release, bush still thinks these two great men are still guilty .
Bush has no shame. Let us boycott his speeches, books, memoirs and whatever else he tries to peddle.
I figured a commutation of their sentence would be more likely and politically more expedient than a full pardon (we will have to wait for a President Palin or Jindal before that happens). But at least they will be out of jail soon.